<p>What do they mean? Like the whole 300 pages is life up to now, and 217 being when you were about 13? What do people usually do with this prompt?</p>
<p>Also, for the 7900 char Why Penn essay -- do they really expect you to say THAT much about why you want to apply to Penn?</p>
<p>I projected myself about 10-12 years into the future for my autobiography.* It was more of a creative writing piece, but it did relate back to my interests and possible career choice.* Have fun with it!* It's totally optional (truly!).</p>
<p>I wrote about an experience I had when I was about 12 or 13. I was surprised I haven't really seen the 7900 character limit to the "Why Penn?" essay discussed on any other posts. The 7900 characters is misleading and when I finally realized that my word count was getting out of control I noticed that next to the prompt it says "do not exceed one page." That's pretty ambiguous, but I guess it means 1 page in Word single spaced size 12 font? Not really sure. I called admissions and they said as long as it fits in the space available (7900 char max) it would be acceptable. I'm pretty sure most people wrote about 500-750 words. I sent in a 874 word essay. Just out of curiosity, how long was everyone else's essay for "Why Penn"?</p>
<p>My Why Penn was 547 words, a little less then a full page single spaced. I don't think the length is the most important aspect, its all about the content.</p>
<p>The autobio thing -- is it for the past or the future? lol</p>
<p>either one works ^</p>
<p>Are you sure? I just asked my friend who asked an interviewer/Penn alum and they said it was for the future. Around 40-60 years old.</p>
<p>i wrote about being 15. uh oh?</p>
<p>Well I heard half about past half about future...</p>
<p>Do you think it's stupid to call the adcoms about this?</p>
<p>honestly, they left it so ambiguous that really... I don't think there's a need to worry...</p>
<p>i think it was ambigious for a reason haha.</p>
<p>i did something really creative, kinda about my life now, but im scared the admissions counselors will think its stupid...</p>
<p>I wrote the p217 about 20 years into the future.</p>
<p>My why penn essay was 1 page single spaced. Proobbbbaabbblyy like 750 or so words?</p>
<p>bro 2ally dommed dat piece</p>
<p>They obviously wrote it to be ambiguous, they want to know about you and how you think. It is just another piece of the pie to give them an insight. Doesn't matter what you chose to do, just that you did it well.</p>
<p>Yea citylights i'm gonna write about my past, because I already wrote about an intellectual experience and i don't feel creative enough to wrote an elaborate piece into my future.</p>
<p>Funny when I asked some people in my English class what they thought, some girl was like, "Well you could write about now, because you might die early" yeaaaaa lol</p>
<p>And this other said, write about your experience at Penn. heh.</p>
<p>I think writing anything about Penn would be too over the top sucking up.</p>
<p>I wasn't going to do it, btw. The girl was making a joke lol</p>
<p>Doesn't whether it's the past or the future depend on how long your autobiography is going to be? What about just writing, "Part Two" ?</p>
<p>I knew you weren't going to. I guess I should have added a lighter comment. It is just that I have actually seen threads from people talking about how they were taking their children on college visits to their alma mater(Penn) as part of their essay and that just made me cringe. Sorry! Good luck with the essay.
Hunt, from what I recall is is a 300 page essay and they want to know what is on page 217, so it is all perspective.</p>