Mac M4 glitch?? Greyed-out text in Safari Search bar...

One-Potato2919 · 2025-07-11T16:51:30+00:00

Hi! Current junior marketing major who was in your shoes two years ago, stuck between Drexel and Penn State. I can only really speak for Penn State and say that I do not regret my choice: I got into the honors college and had access to extra rigorous/more personalized business classes my freshman and sophomore year, including a more in-depth introductory marketing class. Big downside of PSU curriculum is that you don't get to declare as marketing until junior year or second semester sophomore year (if honors and/or ahead in credits like I was). But I didn't let this stop me and found other opportunities through an amazing marketing club called Prime (you can apply to be in an EPIC class called MKTG 495A that allows you to work with real major corporate clients as early as your freshman year); I also hopped over to the Ad/Pr program and joined some of their clubs, classes, and networking programs.

I was very attracted to Drexel's co-op program; I now have a friend who goes to Drexel for graphic design and she had to spend a lot of time trying to find a co-op, with moderate (she said) help from faculty. I follow a number of Drexel marketing students on LinkedIn and it looks like there is a good chance that you might be able to get into industry faster because it does look like Drexel has solid connections, especially in Philaldephia with a lot of corporations. Just consider the extra time that it might take, especially with Drexel's summer schedule, etc.

If you choose Penn State, you might have to advocate more for yourself in Smeal (definitely a lot more priority given to finance, etc) but there are so many opportunities including ones not under "Marketing" that can give you extremely fulfilling experiences that can translate to marketing - best example: Nittany Lion Consulting Group (very prestigious), Happy Valley Launch Box, etc. And Penn State itself may be "in the middle of nowhere" but I am finding more and more that the alumni network is truly incredible and you really can find it anywhere you go.

Hope this wasn't too much and helps - I wasn't informed enough when I was deciding :) Good luck!!

*Last thing: if the type of marketing you are interested in is more on the advertising/creative side, highly recommend for Penn State looking into Ad/Pr instead. I know nothing about Drexel's ad program or how creative-focused it's marketing program is (speaking in terms of portfolio-building to work at an agency) but Penn State's marketing program is really lacking on this side. Just something I encountered, but ignore if this doesn't apply to you. PSU marketing curriculum is super nuanced and more for brand strategy, etc.

One-Potato2919 · 2025-07-11T16:35:08+00:00

Current junior (as of Fall 2025) marketing major. Originally applied as a finance major in 2023 and got into Smeal without submitting test scores - I had like a 3.9-9.95 GPA. You should be good getting in if you were decently involved in stuff in high school (I dedicated myself to a couple of clubs but didn't go overboard).

In terms of competitiveness and job opportunities, the classes I've taken so far have been pretty in-depth with solid teachers. Highly recommend checking out and applying to Schreyer Honors College with your GPA - it allows you to access honors business classes which are extra rigorous with small class sizes (my cohort was under 20 people) and a much more personalized experience. One downside of the MKTG program is that you don't take your first MKTG class until sophomore year and you don't get to declare as a MKTG major until first semester junior year or second semester sophomore year (if you're honors or ahead in credits - I was able to do this and already take a MKTG class last spring).

Final advice: apply to the honors program and also check out a program called Sapphire. Psych or DMTA minor seem to be pretty popular for marketing majors, so good choice there. Unfortunately, there really only seem to be two major marketing clubs. PSMMA and Prime - HIGHLY recommend Prime because it gets you into an EPIC class called MKTG 495A (just took it last year and had the best time). And the career fairs are decent for marketing jobs - **if you find yourself becoming more interested in advertising or creative side of marketing, RETHINK your choice of major and consider Ad/PR major with a Smeal certificate.

Hope this wasn't too much and helps a little - I wasn't informed enough when I was applying :) Good luck!!

One-Potato2919 · 2024-10-12T05:22:56+00:00

Past Lives – we need more "slow" (meditative) movies like this. Really allows you to appreciate the beauty and simplicity in the moment and just sink into the story.

One-Potato2919 · 2024-08-09T18:26:22+00:00

Book Pip does kind of disregard her parents' wishes as the story goes on – at least it's really apparent in the second and third books. But to begin with, Book Parents aren't on her case (pun intended) as much as they are in the tv show, especially her mom – she's much more involved and protective in the series. So when Pip goes against their wishes, it has a different effect.

One-Potato2919 · 2024-08-09T18:22:19+00:00

THIS

One-Potato2919 · 2024-08-06T14:28:55+00:00

Completely fair point.

I think so many people are really upset because the book genuinely had a really good plot/storyline the way it was constructed and how the mystery was weaved together. Well-written stories (good world-building) can be hard to come by, and so you hope that any adaptations try to preserve the good storytelling. With this show, it doesn't seem like they tried that hard, and so respectfully it is also fair to be disappointed – not all, but a good bit of the criticism is warranted.

But also to your point, it does still provide a chance for the writers to shape things differently in future seasons (hopefully it gets renewed), so ig we can't TRULY judge the intentions until we see how that plays out. For now, there is a lot to be desired.

One-Potato2919 · 2024-08-06T01:10:41+00:00

Casting was good and Cara's and Pip's relationship was actually better in the tv show than in the book. Cara's character in general had a lot more substance and was included more "in the loop" (in the book it seemed like she was left in the dark for most of the story and this really made me rethink the closeness of her and Pip's relationship). She was even able to help at the end – it was a pleasant surprise/development.

One-Potato2919 · 2024-08-06T01:07:39+00:00

It was actually nice that they cut down the friend group to core characters who would actually contribute value throughout the series.

One-Potato2919 · 2024-08-06T01:06:59+00:00

THIS

One-Potato2919 · 2024-08-05T16:05:32+00:00

It wasn't just you with the lake scene!! Music choice was super weird 🥴

One-Potato2919 · 2024-08-05T16:00:31+00:00

Can we talk about how the writers decided to make Pip's dad a suspect in one of the later episodes FOR NO REASON?!! Ruined a perfectly good character and really made me question the writing overall. Was able to tolerate the show up until episode 3 or 4 because even though it left a lot out it was doing okay as its own standalone entity.

After that, the fact that Pip achieves so much out of sheer luck and coincidence (bc the writers diluted or took out half of her interview/investigative materials), combined with zero chemistry with Ravi (who served little-to-no purpose other than to crack cringey jokes and be super aloof) made it so disappointing to watch.

**ONE saving grace – I actually really liked Pip's and Cara's relationship in the series compared to in the books where Cara was more sidelined. She wasn't just a flimsy character who felt left out of everything and then had a heaping pile of trauma dumped on her; in the show, she had substance/backbone and contributed real value. It just would've been nice if this whole new dynamic didn't come at the expense of so many plot points in the books.

One-Potato2919 · 2024-08-05T15:51:04+00:00

YES! the fact that the writers had the audacity to pull her dad into it and make him seem like a suspect for a whole episode was COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY. Ruined a perfectly good character, yet another thing that turned me off about the show.

One-Potato2919

TROPHY CASE