Penn Essay Question Confusion?

Colleges and Universities A-Z University of Pennsylvania
1

<p>Hi guys, this is the supplement question for 2013-2014:</p>

<p>“The Admissions Committee would like to learn why you are a good fit for your undergraduate school choice (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, The Wharton School, or Penn Engineering). Please tell us about specific academic, service, and/or research opportunities at the University of Pennsylvania that resonate with your background, interests, and goals." 400-650 words</p>

<p>So should I only focus on my Engineering desire + Penn Engineering? Or can I still talk about Penn as a whole, Philly, characteristics of the school, ECs I want to participate in?</p>

<p>I'm not sure why they would limit Why Penn to only the undergraduate academic side.</p>

<p>Thanks!</p>

2

<p>I would say all of the above, or as many as apply personally to you.</p>

<p>Especially based on this:</p>

<p>[New</a> Penn Essay | page217](<a href=“http://www.page217.com/?p=806]New”>http://www.page217.com/?p=806)</p>

3

<p>Thank You! I’ll try to limit it about 1/3 about general Penn, and the rest about Engineering and what Penn has to offer! I wish they just made the question a bit more broad because I feel not all students will know to focus on all of Penn. Thanks a ton though!</p>

4

<p>Let me just add that I emailed Penn itself asking about the question around 15 minutes before asking it here, but I didn’t expect a response from them since they’re probably so busy right now. </p>

<p>I received a thorough email reply in less than an hour, and I’m thoroughly impressed!</p>

5

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<p>Well, they DO say this:</p>

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<p>So while there is a focus on the particular school or program to which you’re applying, they do invite you also to discuss the rest of Penn.</p>

6

<p>^ So can we discuss the opportunities present in the city of Philadelphia and how we can involve ourselves in the community outside the campus as well? I just have so much I want to write about, but I’m unsure about whether I should focus on the major I want to pursue, the opportunities available at Penn to explore my interests, or the undergrad school I’m interested in applying to…</p>

7

<p>^ Absolutely! Community service is a big deal at Penn, and something of which it’s quite proud. “Local engagement” is a major pillar of President Gutmann’s Penn Compact.</p>

<p>But don’t discuss it in your essay unless it’s something in which you’re genuinely interested. Sincerity and authenticity are perhaps the most important things to convey in your essays.</p>

8

<p>NEW INFO ABOUT THE PENN SUPPLEMENT ESSAY FOR THE CLASS OF 2018</p>

<p>Just to bring this to everyone’s attention, Admissions Dean Furda was quoted regarding the new Penn Supplement essay and the Common App in an article posted tonight on The Daily Pennsylvanian’s web site:</p>

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<p>Read the entire article here:</p>

<p>[The</a> Daily Pennsylvanian :: Common App drops ‘topic of your choice’ essay, adds five prompts](<a href=“http://www.thedp.com/article/2013/08/common-app-changes]The”>Common App drops ‘topic of your choice’ essay, adds five prompts | The Daily Pennsylvanian)</p>

9

<p>Can you please send the detailed reply sent by Penn. I am still confused</p>

10

<p>Do you know what style is preferred? I’m a Canadian living on the other side of the continent and I don’t know how I can hack a first person narrative when talking about what I want to do at Penn. I’ve being doing research and Penn just gets more and more exciting - there’s so much I’d like to do there, service wise, research, classes I’d like to take but me writing something like “as i walk through locust walk” just feels super disingenuous.</p>