<p>Hey,</p>
<p>I'm wondering if you guys could PM me your common app essays/why penn essays. I've been having some trouble understanding what makes a good essay, and so I'm having trouble writing mine because frankly, there aren't many example essays/guides/info online or on CC. </p>
<p>I'm not sure what would be considered a "good" essay. Is it supposed to be about me? Do I only show my good qualities? Is it more about my writing style than about the content? Are they trying to figure out if I'm a good writer or a good person... and so on. I'm not doubting my writing skills, it's just that I don't know what kind of a writing piece college's/penn wants. So that's why I'm wondering if you guys could PM me your essay, since if you got in, you surely have a good one. :x </p>
<p>Since this seems kind of sketchy, I'll tell you that I will not be using these for any other purposes other than getting a feel for a nice essay. I won't be copying these since I'm applying to penn ed lol that would be silly. </p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>I don’t think they’re trying to figure out either. I think they’re trying to discern your academic curiosity and intellectual potential. They read these essays so quickly that anything less than Shakespeare will probably go unnoticed, and even then you stand to obfuscate your points by bogging down a tired and busy reader with fluffy and ambiguous prose. </p>
<p>A good essay, as I’ve gleaned from reading about a half-dozen essay writing books and applying to eleven schools, is one that clearly but humbly demonstrates to the admit committee that you legitimately love what you’re learning and that you want to use your college education to educate yourself in subjects you find fascinating, driven almost exclusively by a love of learning. Whether or not you actually do can usually be hid with enough effort (in my opinion).</p>
<p>One of the books I read on admissions had the following bit of prose: There are three major types of serious applicants: One who loves learning for the sake of learning and has the record to match, and one who doesn’t but has the record of the first. The essay is meant to discern between the two. Schools try to admit only the first, but plenty of the second get in as well.</p>
<p>To give you an idea of mine, I wrote my Why Penn essay on using Wharton’s capabilities to investigate a research idea on correlating global interdependence of specific industries with price/performance sensitivity to currency exchange rates.</p>
<p>Thanks wharton15 – that was useful! anyway, how different should my essay be if i’m thinking of applying to the huntsman program?</p>
<p>You might have better help from people with a different approach. Why don’t you write what you think is a good essay and find someone who you thinks seems like a long time respected user and ask them to read it and give you some feedback.</p>