<p>hey all, i’m just wondering if the essay prompts will be same for next year’s app? thanks in advance.</p>
<p>me too....also do they use same rec. letter format?</p>
<p>Penn's on the Common App next year, so they probably will use the Common App rec letter forms.. and they'll probably take the Common App essay plus another essay on their supplement. The format of their new app remains to be seen.</p>
<p>when will they be seen on the common app...what month..jan. 07? or fall 07 admissions?</p>
<p>pennorbust,
are you sure that penn is planning on using the common app next year? </p>
<p>for all the 07ers, i wouldn't start writing your essays now; however, I would suggest that you start taking notes and keep papers/essays that you wrote in your classes now. Some of the good sentences that you produced might come handy later. The reason that I suggest you not to finish your essay now is because you might find other excellent topic in the summer. </p>
<p>it will all work out all right...relax and focus on finishing a strong junior year.</p>
<p>thanks for the posts. so for the common app essay prompts for next year, will they be the same?</p>
<p>sorry, and also, is it bad to select the "choose your own topic" prompt rather than a given one?</p>
<p>not for common app. Those topics are suggested and choosing your own is perfectly legit.</p>
<p>and who said penn is going common app?</p>
<p>I would really be surprised if Penn goes common app next year as Penn wants students who want to be there and the unique Penn app helps to weed out those who don't want to put out the extra effort for their unique app, sort of like UChicago with their Uncommon App.</p>
<p>pennorbust is correct - Penn WILL be using the Common App next year. see:
<a href="http://www.commonapp.org/index1.cfm?fuseaction=news&newsPgNm=newsMain#News5%5B/url%5D">http://www.commonapp.org/index1.cfm?fuseaction=news&newsPgNm=newsMain#News5</a></p>
<p>I am kind of surprised by this decision too, as even last year Stetson was saying how Penn's application is unique and that the Common App is "not right" for Penn (<a href="http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/22/421ae09195fc4)%5B/url%5D">http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2005/02/22/421ae09195fc4)</a>. Interesting that he changed his mind...especially since it's not like Penn has to try to boost the number of apps it receives. But it looks like Penn is going to be accepting the Common App next year, maybe not exclusively, though.</p>
<p>Northwestern, too? How odd. I thought both schools boasted that their unique applications were effective.</p>
<p>I think Penn is getting ambitious now and wants to not only attract a broader pool but also lower it's acceptence rate</p>
<p>But I still believe that the only people who will get into Penn are those who answer the Why Penn? essay with creativity and thought, so this change is not as contradictory as you may think</p>
<p>Keep in mind "Why Penn" could still potentially be in the Common App Supplement.</p>
<p>I stand corrected on the Common App...you were right...This is a sign of Penn's increasing confidence that it has a great product and can go head to head with the big boys...it should also result in increased # of hail mary apps which will further reduce admissions rate which will of course make Penn even more popular...Stetson is a genius in this regard...</p>
<p>Saintofme, I don't know if this would necessarily happen but do you think it could potentially backfire? What if it also increases back-up apps for HYP candidates, thus impacting yield and washing out any advantage? Just a thought...</p>
<p>I don't understand how northwestern can be on the common app when they've already released their essay prompts for 06-07.</p>
<p>Don't forget that HYP will also have increasing #'s of apps due to increased sizes of HS graduating classes through 2009, thus Penn may strategize that it can grab some of those that HYP can't accomodate even if they are terrific students...I think that Penn has some type of system in place in which they are able to identify to a large extent those who will not be accepted to HYP despite stellar records, they might use some profile or something...I think that Penn doesn't want to lose its #4 ranking in USNWR so it will try to reduce the acceptance rate a little bit, is hiring 45 more faculty to keep the faculty:student ratio low, is embarking next year on a capital campaign, all of which can figure into the USNWR ranking system...and don't forget that yield is not longer a ranking factor...this is just my humble opinion as a Penn parent, I am certainly no match for Byerly in this regard...</p>
<p>What I meant regarding yield is that those who are accepted to HYP + Penn will likely choose HYP. Therefore if you can increase the HYP candidates applying to Penn, Penn may have to accept more to balance out a lower yield. If this were the case, an advantage gained in apps would be mitigated by a need to give out more acceptances.</p>