With over 38,000 undergrads, Penn State is the tenth-largest university in the country. It should come as no surprise, then, that the school hosts students with an incredibly wide range of interests and abilities. With over 800 clubs and organizations, there is rarely a dull moment on campus, where students enjoy activities ranging from a thriving Greek system to a ballroom dance club. Academically, the school attracts bright students from both within Pennsylvania and outside the state. Penn State is home to the world’s largest student-run philanthropy event, THON, which raises money to combat pediatric cancer. More than 15,000 students participate in the event annually, and nearly $8 million was raised in 2010.
The atmosphere in University Park can be summed up by the city’s unofficial nickname: Happy Valley. Penn State is renowned for its school spirit. The school’s Nittany Lions are an NCAA Division I team and regularly attract some of the most devoted fans and talented players in the country. In 2008, ESPN voted Beaver Stadium (the second-largest stadium in the America) as having the #1 Best Student Section, adding that “if you haven’t been to Happy Valley in the fall, you’re missing out on one of the great happenings in all of sports. Quite simply the loudest, most supportive student section in college football.”