<p>So on the penn application (assuming it stays the same for this year), they give you the option to do an additional essay about: a risk, a 1st experience, or autobiography. If I submit my 2 essays (why penn and common app) how much will this affect my decision? Any anecdotal advice?</p>
<p>i didnt send any extra essays and i got in.</p>
<p>Wait, are you planning on doing the Penn app or the common app?</p>
<p>do the extra essay, I did the extra essay, and that was the reason I got in,,, it will make ur apllication better that u spent more time on it writing the essay when u didn't have to</p>
<p>I'm doing common, so it looks like I'll be sending in:
1 Common app Long
1 Short answer
1 why penn
1 why M&T
1 optional.</p>
<p>Yeah, that's what I did. ---^</p>
<p>For the Penn essay, do Pg. 314. It's pretty much a blank check to write about anything. So you'll basically have two Common App "general" essays to talk about yourself haha.</p>
<p>Don't forget there are Penn short answers too. (But they're really short ... they limit you to about 3 lines of text)</p>
<p>whats the why M&T essay?</p>
<p>if u dont use the common app...
all u need is...
-1 of the 3 choices (autobiography, first experience, risk you have taken)
-why penn</p>
<p>any others?</p>
<p>ohhh...is that teh jerome fisher program???</p>
<p>but say i don't use the common app....only 2 essays?
its just the why penn essay
and 1 other that u pick out of the 3 choices</p>
<p>thats last years and everyone said this years is the same thing</p>
<p>question about the autobiography essay- is it page 217 of your WHOLE life or is it page 217 of your life up to this point. as i think about it, maybe they want you to be creative adn it is open to your interpretation</p>
<p>the autobiography is definitely open to interpretation....</p>
<p>i just wanna know if u only need to write 2 essays if u use the Penn app and not Common app</p>
<p>just the...
-why penn?
-1 of the 3 choices</p>
<p>any others?</p>
<p>Yep. I don't know why you wouldn't use the common app and do 3 though. It gives you more opportunity to show yourself.</p>
<p>I applied ED with common app and sent in an optional essay and got in! I almost didn't, but when I wrote my autobiography pg. 217, I never expected it to be so quirky and creative. It completed my whole application and gave it a huge, HUGE boost. Go for the optional essay, you never know how great it can turn out.</p>
<p>so is the page 217 just that: a 12 font, single-spaced page?</p>
<p>Can anyone post their page 217 essay please?</p>
<p>I wrote my page 217 essay to make it look like an actual excerpt from a book. It is a full page, with one inch margains and 12 point font. It is about 738 pages. Is this too long? I really don't want to change it because I like the look, the language, and the humor, but if I must I will.</p>
<p>Also note that I'm using the Common App, so this is the third long essay, not the second.</p>
<p>738 pages? you mean words lol.</p>
<p>I am going to write the autobio essay also!</p>
<p>Ouch, my pride! But yes, I did mean 738 words. I'm not writing a novel here, just a creative essay to show Penn all my little quirks. If a student could tell me if that is too long, that would be great.</p>
<p>I'm relatively certain that none of the essays this year are "optional." They were in previous years, but all freshman applicants are required to do the Why Penn and one of the three choices. </p>
<p>I'm still deciding on which to do as my choice. I'm not certain what Penn really wants to hear in the autobiography essay. If I choose that one, I'd most likely do the CommonApp just to give them another chance to understand me.</p>
<p>Correction, the choice essays are optional only if you apply through the CommonApp. If you are applying with the PennApp, no essays are optional.</p>
<p>say I'm aplying to penn M&T.
i ahve to write 5 esays if i use common app!!!???</p>