Richard Liu is a student at the Shipley School in Bryn Mawr, PA. He will graduate high school in June 2025 and has been accepted into The Wharton School at Penn, class of ‘29.
How did you hear about the Young Scholars program, and what made it seem like the right fit for you?
I heard about it from my school's academic dean. I wanted to further my education as I finished my school's math curriculum, so I was given a few online choices and a few on-campus choices to further my math education. It became the right fit because it also offers a wide range of humanities choices.
What courses have you taken at Penn so far? What were they like?
I have taken Introduction to Philosophy and Calculus, Part I. The philosophy course completely changed my career plan, as I transitioned from a STEM student to someone who very likely will be pursuing philosophy in higher education. I loved both classes. Philosophy prompted a lot of deep discussions, and math was taught by a super passionate professor who cared about everyone in class.
Do you feel that you got a glimpse of college life? How so?
I do. Philosophy requires group work as projects and deliverables. I had times when my teammates and I met up outside of class time, so I had a grasp of what group projects look like in college. For math, it was much faster than high school as it was a semester course as opposed to a year-long course in high school of the same level. I was able to self-study more, was given more agency, and was more motivated.
Tell me about your fellow students (fellow Young Scholars or Penn undergraduates) in the course(s) you took.
I was really happy that I got to meet a diverse group of students ranging from seniors in high school all the way to seniors in college. We all are very academically driven, and that made us very easy to become friends. They enriched my experience because we all share many similar characteristics and hobbies, and as someone from a small private school, this opportunity is precious.
What's the most interesting or surprising thing you've learned in your courses at Penn?
From the philosophy course, I learned how many assumptions we all are making as we speak, and how many implicit biases there are that are naturally formed in our brain.
What advice would you give new or aspiring Young Scholars?
Talk to your professors more. They are a great source to guide you towards college.
