<p>If you are comfortable, would anyone mind PM'ing me your "Why Penn" Essay? I am struggling a little, and I just would to know what information should be in the essay.</p>
<p>If you can’t even figure out “Why Penn?”, how could you possibly be viewed as a match through the adcom’s eyes?</p>
<p>I agree with the above poster. The ‘Why Penn’ post is going to differ from person to person. There’s no required information that should be in the essay. Think about why you personally want to go to Penn, and how Penn’s resources and community align with your aspirations.</p>
<p>^In the end any why penn stuff people come up with is ultimately bs. Just talk about locust walk, interdisciplinary academics and unique research opportunities that exist in the area of study you’re interested in. Mention Philly and also West Philly (perhaps even west philly tutoring) Should be good enough</p>
<p>Even people who really want to go to Penn struggle with the essay. It is a hard essay to write.
Perhaps this person is just looking for structure and writing style. I’ll pm my essay over to you.</p>
<p>I doubt it. If you can’t answer “Why <insert name=”" of="" school="">?" let alone get started on it, find another school.</insert></p>
<p>It helps a lot if you’ve visited the school. If the essay reads like a Penn brochure, you’ll be doomed.</p>
<p>@Philly2000 Would you mind PM your essay to me too? I’m applying this year and struggling to understand what kind of format to follow and style without sounding so generic and boring. </p>
<p>@rhandco
You can doubt all you want but this struggle exist even for students who want to go to a school. Doesn’t really matter if you believe it or not.
I had plenty of reasons as to why I wanted to go to Penn but I couldn’t put them into my essay (ex: great financial aid, 20 min away from my house, prestige) so I struggled with it. But I didn’t just “find another school.” I researched, fell in love with my school even more, and now I’ve been accepted.
@Lilac008
Sure, I’ll send it over to you too.</p>
<p>Hopefully you have visited the college several times and spoke and/or met with admissions staff, dean or professors of department for your major and current students. The essay should speak about those personal experiences and not the typical information that everybody has access to that is published on the website.</p>
<p>@Philly2000 The “Why Penn” essay is tough. That’s why it’s better for the applicant to craft their own unique essay. The essay isn’t supposed to be easy. Let these applicants research and do the grunt work you did. You fell in love with Penn as you researched. So did I. Don’t let another applicant pawn of your essay. The Why Penn is a good way to weed off applicants who aren’t serious. </p>
<p>@proudparent57 Not everyone has the opportunities to visit the college even once, much less several times. I don’t think the admissions officers care how you got information, and if something on the website that everyone has access to resonates with a prospective student, I don’t see how that isn’t enough to write about. There isn’t huge pieces of information about Penn that only those who have met with the dean can access. They put information about the school on the website for a reason</p>
<p>@AnewCrown
Thanks for the advice! I’m hoping no one copies my essay. I won’t send it to anyone else. I just remember that I liked to read examples (I didn’t copy any of them. I just wanted to see the structure and flow) when I was writing and was thinking maybe these people were feeling the same way. </p>
<p>It was no struggle for me. Then again, it seems like a lot of kids nowadays are overly hung up on grammar and typos and sticking to classic essay structure and development than we were. We didn’t have AP English classes at my school, and we weren’t writing graded essays at school every five minutes. We barely wrote essays.</p>
<p>I guess the advice I would give is NOT to look at it like an assignment, that is, the last line should not be “and therefore that is why I want to go to Penn”. Creativity (within reason) and enthusiasm is more important than 1-3-1 or TTQA.</p>
<p>I think the word “essay” is coded, that is, it frightens some people into thinking it is a formal almost legal document. It isn’t, the “Why Penn?” essay should be pretty close to what you would talk about at an alumni interview, because we alumni interviewers do care that you actually want to attend Penn, and not just because it is an Ivy.</p>
<p>I agree with @Philly2000 that writing the “Why Penn” essay is hard and often times people need to read another’s example to understand how it’s supposed to be written. If anyone wants to read mine (I got into Penn ED), he/she is welcome! Obviously people are not going to simply copy what another wrote because we’re all smart people and know that that never works and sounds impersonal as well.
Some tips I’ve been told is this:
1.) Rather than writing, “this will allow me to” or “I hope to,” be direct and say “I plan to” or “I will” because colleges already know what their programs allow someone to do. They want to know what you actually do within their programs.</p>
<p>2.) A very good technique to use is to look up the professors (faculty) at Penn and find one professor who’s
work/research interests you and you may like to pursue as well. If you mention that in your essay, you will sound well informed, driven, and stand out from others who opt for stereotypical programs.</p>
<p>All colleges really want to see through your essay is what you will bring to their college and what your personality is like. So, for example: if you’re applying to the nursing program, it would be beneficial to perhaps talk about some volunteer opportunities or the Philadelphia Children’s Hospital as a way to show that your goals and personality aligns with the nursing program that cares about helping the community and showing compassion.
***Also bear in mind that your application is one entire package. What you write in your Penn essay, it should kind of fit in with your common app essay in that they both work together but show different sides of you as well. Hope that may have helped some of you out! And GOOD LUCK!!! 
</p>
<p>Hey @Stars987 very helpful note! (and good for all selective schools, I would think) </p>
<p>@Philly2000 Can I read it too?</p>