<p>The title is vague but I'll explain. A friend of mine wants to be an engineer and is dead-set on the sciences. But he is unsure whether to write his Common App essay about his time working in a lab, or something random and quirky, like why he wishes he invented deoderant. What do you guys feel would be better for an app to Penn? </p>
<p>Personally I said it's a good idea to have a consistent theme throughout the app and show you are deadset on being an engineer. I suggested he go with his lab experience. What do you guys think?</p>
<p>My suggestion would be to write both. Send the quirkier essay as the Personal Statement and send the lab experience essay in the Additional Information section (I think that’s what it’s called) of the Common App. Penn only this year eliminated their “Page 217 of your autobiography” supplement; the lab experience essay would serve as a nice unsolicited substitute and would give further insight into the applicant’s life. That’s hardly ever a bad thing. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Said friend is using the Add Info for a 2 page resume + a paragraph explaining circumstances. Don’t want to make the application too thick. Any other suggestions?</p>
<p>A theme is good, something that makes the application cohesive, but it should definitely be interesting, I feel like an essay about lab work could easily become boring if not written correctly, while the other topic seems more likely to “write itself”. Thats just my opinion.</p>
<p>Imagine that you’re an admissions officer, and you’re reading over 100 essays a day; now imagine you’re on #99. Which would you rather read? In all seriousness, the readers are human; the essays are best used to reveal something about yourself not evident elsewhere in the application. Evidence of his interest in science and engineering will be everywhere in his application-classes, AP’s test scores, EC’s. Use the essays to help you stand out. The best are those about simple issues, events, or quirks. One friend of my son’s wrote about baking a cake; she’s at MIT with him. My daughter-another science kid, accepted ED to Penn-wrote about her job at Jamba Juice.</p>
<p>The quirkier essay could be his Personal Statement, while his love of science and plan of study could be revealed in his Why Penn essay on the supplement.</p>