Good research, bad culture - Graduate Research Assistant Penn State Employee Review

3.0
6 Oct 2017
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Beautiful area, high quality research. High camaraderie among graduate students and other positive and supportive environment.

Cons

Penn state at large is frighteningly cultish and willing to look over immoral behavior (although I'm sure other large football schools suffer this problem). Computing cluster management is a disaster. One is better off running simulations on Amazon or Google or their own computer for a larger price than deal with ICS. Poor undergraduate instruction in physics -- mostly organizational style. Mediocre to handling of graduate student grievances. Particular faculty have far inappropriately large weight when it comes to graduate student applications. Loudest voices among faculty appear to be the only ones heard, while not enough attention paid to the opinions of humbler and/or quieter but equally (if not more) qualified faculty.

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5.0
27 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

They were very flexible with hours and it was a fun place to work. There was lots of downtime to do other things while on the clock, and an e-bike to get around campus quickly.

Cons

Toward the end they got pretty strict about keeping your computer on a certain tab to take online tickets, and you could get in trouble for not doing it. It’s tedious work overall.

4.0
26 Jun 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

flexibility. I'm on a fellowship I won with a great advisor. It is not so good for others.

Cons

An inherently liminal position with severely reduced benefits.

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