<p>One of my friends told me that you only really need to write Penn State's essay and fill in the activities space if your GPA and SAT scores are around or below the average of all Penn State applicants. My GPA is a 3.8 UW, 4.1 Weighted, and my SAT is 2170, which are well above the average stats of those accepted to Penn State. Does that mean I still really need to write the essay?</p>
<p>I think it is always a poor choice to do the minimum required in academic pursuits. The PSU optional essay is meant to be a chance to tell them all the things you offer that don’t show up on the application. It is true that your stats are awesome. I myself would not leave anything to chance, just for the sake of a couple paragraphs about yourself.</p>