Penn is Perfect for
Huntington's 2009 Valedictorian
When it came time for Chris Lau to decide which college to attend his choices included many of America's best universities. The 2009 Huntington High School valedictorian ultimately chose the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and he's never looked back.
"Everything here is great," said Mr. Lau, who is attending classes in the prestigious Wharton School of Business. "I currently live in an apartment off-campus with three close friends, which is a lot of fun."
This semester he is enrolled in finance, accounting, management, criminology and "victimology" courses. "I recently sat down with my adviser and plan on double-concentrating in finance and legal studies with a minor in sociology," Mr. Lau said.
The upbeat Huntington alum participates in a variety of clubs on Penn's campus "and as a result, there is never a dull moment," Mr. Lau said. "I am a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a fraternity which I pledged last spring." He's been working on a project that involves contacting the fraternity's extensive alumni base and asking for their support of the chapter.
Mr. Lau is also a member of the Undergraduate Sports Business Club, serving as the group's director of internal affairs. "I work directly with Penn Athletics to organize events, including the Penn Relays, the oldest and largest track and field event in the United States," he said.
The Huntington grad is the sophomore president of Cohort Euro. "At Wharton, each class (freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors) is divided up into nine tight-knit communities, which are called cohorts and which are named after nine different currencies," Mr. Lau explained. "I am in Cohort Euro and as sophomore president am responsible for organizing various social activities for both the sophomore class and Wharton as a whole. Past events have included cheese steak eating competitions, movie nights, trips to Phillies games and many more."
That Mr. Lau finds time to excel in his classes at the Ivy League School while simultaneously participating in so many activities is a testament to his deft organizational and time management skills.
One of his campus activities is working with the West Philadelphia Tutoring Program. The 2009 valedictorian tutors elementary school children in the community once a week. Another Penn initiative that has drawn his interest is the cohort mentor system. "I serve as a mentor and an informal adviser to Wharton freshmen," Mr. Lau said.
In the fall of 2011, Mr. Lau intends to study-abroad through Penn's popular international program. "I haven't made my final decision yet, but will most likely decide to study in either Ireland or Australia," he said. "From talking to older friends at school, many have said that studying abroad was the most fun experience that they have had, so I am definitely excited about that."
This past summer was a busy one for Mr. Lau, who interned at Merrill Lynch Wealth Management in Garden City. "It was a great learning experience as it gave me a first-hand perspective of what goes on at a large wealth management firm," he said. "Eventually, although I am not absolutely certain, I would like to work as either an investment banker or a management consultant."
Choosing a college to attend can be an incredibly stressful and nerve-wracking experience. During the process, Mr. Lau performed plenty of "due-diligence," visiting campuses, talking to alumni and researching academic programs. All of the legwork has paid handsome dividends.
"Overall, Penn has been unbelievably great so far," Mr. Lau said. "Wharton can certainly be intimidating and overwhelming at times in terms of the workload and competition among students, but I have certainly been able to find a balance between both the academic and social aspects of college. I honestly could not be happier with my decision."