Temple University—Philadelphia, PA
Temple’s Instagram
The Vibe
A passionate and supportive community
What if Feels Like to Go Here
Want the campus-life feel but still live in the city? Temple University might be the best place for you. “It’s a close-knit community with a taste of professional life in an urban setting,” said graduate student Emily Zahn. Even though the school offers top-notch academics, the students don’t constantly compete against one another. They feel motivated to succeed but won’t push you down to get to the top of the class. Interested in basically everything and anything, Temple students passionately succeed at their interests, whether that be sports, performances, classes or advocacy. When students don’t have a sports game, review or fundraiser to go to, they party hard. “Temple is inviting and welcoming to all and embraces students from every different background with all their various interests,” said Zahn.
Awesome Alumni
Alumni of Temple are everywhere, from art and business to government and sports. Bob Saget of Full House fame attended the School of Theater, Film and Media Arts in the mid-70s. He was awarded a Student Academy Award for a film he created during his studies called Through Adam’s Eyes. DJ Diplo, a recent graduate, moved to Philadelphia from Florida to continue his studies and with the transition came the attention that built his fame today. A more local celebrity, Lewis Katz, went on from his studies to become a lawyer, businessman and eventually the owner of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Where We Hang
Even in the middle of North Philly, Temple still provides students with a nice, big campus with plenty of cool student hang-out spots. “On-campus my go to ‘hang-out’ spots were the SAC (Student Academic Center) and the Tech Center to do homework, study and spend countless all-nighters writing papers. The Bell Tower is another popular spot especially when the weather gets nice and everyone comes out to lie on the Beury Beach,” said Zahn. Off-campus, students enjoy hopping on the subway and exploring different parts of the city.
Q&A
1. How much are students partying?
“There are at least 20 different parties happening every weekend, some of them bigger than others. They can be very fun if you go with a group of friends and watch how much you drink if you drink at all,” said freshman Aviv Reif said.
2. What will you get in trouble for at your school?
“Violating someone’s rights… Don’t be that person; it’s not okay and you will get in trouble, probably both with the school and legally. Temple takes action on reports of crime,” said junior Amber Cialone.
3. How much sex are students having?
“A lot,” said Reif. “Temple was recently named one of the most sexually active schools in the country—so it’s got that going for it.”
4. What would you tell incoming freshman about your school?
“I would tell them to ignore what they’ve heard about Temple being ‘dangerous’ or ‘a bad neighborhood.’ People who say that are generally ignorant of the developments that have been made in recent years,” said senior Ben Iffrig.
5. Where do you go for the best food around Temple University?
“Food trucks for sure. Best food trucks? Burger Tank (I get the grilled cheese, $6), the Bubble Tea Truck (That tea, $3), and Mr. Softee (in the spring, twist cone with rainbow sprinkles, $3). For non-food trucks, I like to go to Tai’s Vietnamese and get the Pho Tai ($7) and to Temple Star Cuisine for their amazing egg rolls ($3) and their sesame bean curd ($6),” said senior Jelli Vezzosi.
Student Reviews
“Even though Temple is only 40 minutes away from my house, living away from home has given me a sense of independence and maturity. I have made a crazy amount of friends, and I know they would be there for me in times of need…I’ve been surprised by just how nice strangers are on campus, and balancing my social life with academics and extracurriculars has been my biggest challenge.” – Aviv Reif, Class of 2020
“My experience here has been liberating because I feel like I’ve got everything Philly has to offer at my fingertips, while still being in a ‘college bubble.’ We’re a subway ride away from Center City, so we’re separated from the other colleges in the city. That’s valuable to me because I don’t get caught up in what’s happening at large in my city. I can stay focused on my own things like shows at school and my social circle.” – Ben Iffrig, Class of 2017
“Being in college in inherently challenging and often the stress and sleep deprivation made things especially difficult. I am always surprised at how giving of their time people are at Temple; you can always find someone to help you get something done.” – Jelli Vezzosi, Class of 2017
“I transferred here my sophomore year and my entire first year I commuted from home just to save money…The thing that surprised me the most is that most of the teachers treat you as peers instead of students. You are held to high expectations, but if you mess up they are always there to help. I have video chatted, emailed and met in person with teachers at all different times of the day. Outside of academics, [I’ve been embraced] by the accepting community that is Temple.” – Amber Cialone, Class of 2018
“I learned the value of education and the importance of organization, structure and motivation throughout my years at Temple…One thing that surprised me was the immense school spirit. Since there is a mix of commuters, students who live in dorms, off campus, etc., it could easily become difficult to remain spirited and that is simply not the case. There is so much pride in being an Owl from each and every student regardless of external factors.” – Emily Zahn, graduate student
Top 3 Majors
1. Biology
2. Psychology
3. Kinesiology
Top 3 Most Popular Student Organizations
1. Temple Student Government
The Temple Student Government is devoted to advocating for the best interest of their students. They hope to make the everyone’s Temple experience as amazing as possible, and they do this by representing the voice and ideas of the student body to administration.
2. Main Campus Program Board
The Main Campus Program Board (MCPB) is a student organization that plans different events for the student body. This group enhances student life by hosting themed nights, on-campus festivals and off-campus field trips to get students engaged and ready to meet new people.
3. Student Media
The Student Media Organization oversees Temple’s three main media outlets: The Temple News, The Templar and WHIP. The Temple News is the student-run newspaper on campus. The Templar is the annual yearbook. Finally, WHIP is the student-run internet radio station; it airs everything from news and music to sports and live coverage.
Getting In
Who doesn’t want to attend Temple University? They also will take almost any AP or IB credit, giving some wiggle room for study abroad, internships or early graduation. Of course, the standard recommendations of taking tours and talking to students who already attend still apply—you want to get the most realistic and honest perspective you can. Do your research and you should be fine. “Even though they don’t have the highest testing requirements, they’re a kick-ass school,” Iffrig said.
Stats
Location: University City, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tuition & Fees: $15,688 (in-state), $25,994 (out-of-state)
Total Cost on Campus: $26,834 (in-state), $37,140 (out-of-state)
Undergrads Enrolled: 29,416
Grads Enrolled: 10,165
Total Enrolled: 39,581
Acceptance Percentage: 56%
Percent Admitted Who Enroll: 31%
Percentage of Male Students: 47%
Percentage of Female Students: 52%
Percentage Receiving Financial Aid: 81%
Percentage Receiving Federal Grants: 57%
Percentage Receiving Federal Loans: 58%
