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What do you think they'll feel about an essay that didn't talk about any particular program at Penn, but the school as a whole?
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by HonorsCentaur</p>
<p>This question pretty much summarizes what I'm wondering. I'm not going to lie, I have absolutely NO idea what I want to study or major in, which is why I want to expose myself to a well-rounded liberal-arts education (I'm applying to College of Arts and Sciences). I'm probably going to get my feet wet and join all sorts of new clubs and organizations to find my match. Would it be alright if we're really broad about the "academic and social communities" or must we bring up specifics such as the name of a department/program or a cutural group within Penn? My current essay would've been PERFECT if this year's prompt was same as last year's "Why Penn" prompt.</p>
<p>look at penn dean of admissions eric furda’s nytimes blog (quoted below)…he basically says this year’s question is a version of the why penn question.</p>
<p>QUESTION:</p>
<p>Comparing the required essays in the Penn supplements of 2009 and 2010, we can find out some differences. “Community” and “contribute” are words that newly appeared this year. So do these concepts represent any newly proposed ideals that Penn wants to pass to its prospective students?</p>
<p>And also, could you tell us some more details about how the alumni interview will be evaluated in the admission process?</p>
<p>—Longxiang</p>
<p>ANSWER
Longxiang asks about the new essay question on the Penn Supplement. Although I have been largely avoiding Penn-specific questions, there have been a number of questions about the essay to our admissions officers when they are on the road.</p>
<p>Essentially, this is the “Why our school?” question that appears on many college applications. We are emphasizing through the question that an institution like Penn is made up of numerous small communities within and outside the classroom. We want a sense of where applicants envision themselves as active participants in the various communities that make a campus a dynamic living and learning environment.</p>
<p>We also hope that prospective students realize that they can fit in at a place like Penn and that they are the next generation needed to make significant contributions to society.</p>
<p>Longxiang also asks how the alumni interview is used. When available to the admissions committee, an alumni interview provides insight into how a student can present his or her ideas face-to-face instead of mediated through an application. Some students are able to get their ideas across more effectively in person than through essay questions alone.</p>