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The Penn application process includes a personal essay as well as supplemental short answer prompts. We read your words carefully, as they are yet another window into how you think, what you value, and how you see the world. Through your writing, we get a glimpse of what you might bring to our community, including  your voice and creativity.

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Before you begin writing:

• Review the prompt thoroughly. Be sure you’re answering the question or prompt being asked. T opics are chosen because the Admissions Committee wants to know specific things about you. If you don’t address the them directly, we are left to make decisions regarding your application with incomplete information.
• Consider your response carefully. We understand that you may be writing responses for different schools and you may want to reuse material, but read through your response to make sure the content is relevant to the prompt.
• Double check your writing. Give yourself time to revisit your response. Do not rush your writing process; create space in your schedule to revise your work. Ultimately, it is up to you to polish your response before you submit.

In your Penn supplemental short answers, be precise when explaining both why you are applying to Penn and why you have chosen to apply to that specific undergraduate school. Some of our specialized programs will have additional essays to complete, but the Penn supplemental prompts should address the single-degree or single-school choice.

2023-24 Short Answer & Essay Prompts

Penn Supplemental Short Answer Prompts (Required)

• Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words, only required for first year applicants)
• How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)
• The school-specific prompt will now be unique to the school to which a student is applying. Considering the undergraduate school you have selected, please respond to your school-specific prompt below. (For example, all applicants applying to the College of Arts and Sciences will respond to the prompt under the “College of Arts and Sciences” section).

For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer this question in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.

Transfer Essay  (required for all transfer applicants): Please explain your reasons for transferring from your current institution and what you hope to gain by transferring to another institution. (4150 characters)

Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science and promoting equity. What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 words)

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about Penn Nursing’s mission and how we promote equity in healthcare . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of our values and how they align with your own goals and aspirations.

The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? (150-200 words)

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about the academic offerings within the College of Arts and Sciences .  This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of how the study of the liberal arts aligns with your own goals and aspirations.

Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues.  Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it.  (150-200 words)

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about the foundations of a Wharton education . This information will help you better understand what you could learn by studying at Wharton and what you could do afterward.

Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology, by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, exploration in the liberal arts, and depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at Penn. (150-200 words)

To help inform your response, applicants are encouraged to learn more about Penn Engineering and its mission to prepare students for global leadership in technology . This information will help you develop a stronger understanding of academic pathways within Penn Engineering and how they align with your goals and interests.

Coordinated Dual Degree and Specialized Programs Short Answer Prompts

For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer the program-specific essay below.

** Character count that only applies to transfer students applying through Common App.

Why are you interested in the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania? (400-650 words / 3575 characters**)

The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to contribute to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect? (400-650 words)

The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing, and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words)

• Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words)
• Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words)

Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words / 3575 characters**)

Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals? (400-650 words)

How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words)

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 5 tips for writing a great upenn essay.

College Essays

The University of Pennsylvania requires all first year applicants to submit a personal essay as well as a Penn-specific essay. If you're hoping to be one of the 6% of students admitted to Penn every year, your UPenn essay is an important part of your application. You'll need to make sure your essays are strong to increase your chances of admission.

In this article, we'll go over the UPenn essay logistics—covering exactly what you need to write for each college you're applying to at UPenn. Then, we'll break down each prompt, offering suggestions for what to write about. Finally, we'll give tips on how to write an amazing UPenn essay that'll help you get into your dream school.

What Are the UPenn Essay Prompts?

If you're applying to UPenn, you must submit your application to one of UPenn's four undergraduate schools. Depending on which undergraduate program you're applying to, you'll need to answer UPenn's specific statements as well as an additional essay for that school.

There are three required short answer prompts for this year’s UPenn application. The first is:

Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words)

UPenn's second essay prompt for all students is:

How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)

And, finally, the third prompt:

Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, describe how you intend to explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania. (150-200 words)

Depending on the undergraduate program you're applying to, you may have to write an additional essay as part of your application. Here are those additional essay prompts and the program for which they apply:

• Please list pre-dental or pre-medical experience. This experience can include but is not limited to observation in a private practice, dental clinic, or hospital setting; dental assisting; dental laboratory work; dental or medical research, etc. Please include time allotted to each activity, dates of attendance, location, and description of your experience. If you do not have any pre-dental or pre-medical experience, please indicate what you have done that led you to your decision to enter dentistry.
• List any activities which demonstrate your ability to work with your hands.
• What activities have you performed that demonstrate your ability to work cooperatively with people?
• Please explain your reasons for selecting a career in dentistry. Please include what interests you the most in dentistry as well as what interests you the least.
• Do you have relatives who are dentists or are in dental school? If so, indicate the name of each relative, his/her relationship to you, the school attended, and the dates attended.
• Digital Media Design Program: Why are you interested in the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania? (400-650 words)
• The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business: The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally-minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to make a contribution to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect? (400-650 words)
• The Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Science and Management: The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words)
• The Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology: Please complete both prompts.
• Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words)
• Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words maximum)
• The Rejendra and Neera Singh Program in Networked and Social Systems Engineering: Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words)
• Nursing and Healthcare Management: Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals? (400-650 words)
• The Roy and Diana Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research: How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words)

UPenn Essay Prompts, Analyzed

In this section, we'll analyze each of the UPenn supplement essay prompts and offer suggestions for what you should talk about (and avoid) for each.

Penn-Specific Essays

Let's take a look at how to tackle the essays all students will have to answer.

This rather charming prompt is a great opportunity to show the UPenn admissions counselors what you value and what you’re grateful for .

Consider making a list of all the things people have done for you, and narrow it down to those that have made the biggest impact. Has a family member or your best friend has gone the extra mile for you, and you haven’t quite found a way to truly thank them? Maybe someone you’re not friends with stood up for you in an academic or social situation. Maybe your Model UN nemesis did you a solid. Is there something you may have taken for granted?

Once you’ve narrowed down your topic, remember to focus on the "so what" part of the answer. Why is it important to thank this person? What did they do, and how did it affect you? Why have you not yet been able to thank them (there are plenty of good reasons for this—don’t panic if you feel like you’ve been rude!).

Remember to be as specific and sincere as possible—you have 200 words, tops, to tell a genuine story that reveals part of your character.

How will you explore the community at Penn? Consider how this community will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape this community. (150-200 words)

The first prompt was largely focused on academic interests. The second is where you can think more about community.

Going to college isn't just about what you'll learn in class. It's also about forming life-long friendships and exploring different communities to find out who you are and what you like to do.

Of course, you can't predict exactly what your social life is going to look like before you even get accepted. You may end up in clubs you never expected, with friends you never anticipated. But that's okay—UPenn isn't asking you to lay out, step-by-step, how you'll participate in college communities. They just want to know that you're thinking about it!

To answer this question, consider looking into UPenn's many student-run clubs and activities and find some that match your interests. Think about how these clubs and activities will contribute to the vision you have of your future. What impact do you expect them to have on you?

But don't forget the second half of the question! UPenn also wants to know how you will shape the community, not just how it will shape you . What unique perspectives do you bring? What can you do that nobody else can?

This question is a pretty typical "why you?" essay prompt that's focused on community rather than academics. Think about how you fit into your social groups; what makes you unique? Are you the token caregiver friend? Or maybe you're always pursuing a new weird hobby, and your friends love hearing about what your new niche interest is. These are just two traits that you could use to explain what you'll bring to the UPenn community— get a little creative, think about how you participate in your friend groups, and plan how you're going to bring those thoughts into your new school!

Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, describe how you intend to explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania. (150-200 words) For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer this question in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.

The third prompt is a traditional Why UPenn essay. It asks you to explain why you want to attend UPenn, and what you’ll do while you’re there.

While these types of prompts are common, the Why UPenn essay prompt focuses specifically on academics—it's not concerned with your interest in UPenn's extracurriculars or campus life. Your answer, then, needs to be specifically focused on your academic pursuits and how UPenn will help you achieve your goals.

You'll need to talk about how the undergraduate school you're applying to affects your academic interests, so do your research on the school. You don't want to talk about a class that you won't have access to because it's in another undergraduate school. All of your answers should be reflective of the courses you'll be able to take if admitted to the undergraduate school of your choice.

You should have a good sense of the classes offered by your program. It's a good idea to name specific classes or professors you'd like to study with. Similarly, if there are any specific opportunities available to students in your field, such as internships or study abroad programs, this essay is the place to talk about it.

The next prompts are for specific programs at UPenn. Channel your inner snowflake and show how you're a unique, one-of-a-kind candidate! 

Bio-Dental Program

Please list pre-dental or pre-medical experience. This experience can include but is not limited to observation in a private practice, dental clinic, or hospital setting; dental assisting; dental laboratory work; dental or medical research, etc. Please include time allotted to each activity, dates of attendance, location, and description of your experience. If you do not have any pre-dental or pre-medical experience, please indicate what you have done that led you to your decision to enter dentistry. (250 words maximum)

List any activities which demonstrate your ability to work with your hands. (250 words maximum)

What activities have you performed that demonstrate your ability to work cooperatively with people? (250 words maximum)

Please explain your reasons for selecting a career in dentistry. Please include what interests you the most in dentistry as well as what interests you the least. (250 words maximum)

Do you have relatives who are dentists or are in dental school? If so, indicate the name of each relative, his/her relationship to you, the school attended, and the dates attended. (250 words maximum)

The prompt for the Bio-Dental program is extensive. Attack it in pieces, being as specific as possible when answering each question.

Don't feel that you need to make up any specific experience. If you haven't interned at a dentist's office, don't invent that experience. You should stick to reality. If you haven't observed at a dentist's office, you can set up a time to visit a local dentist so that you're writing about your real experience, not something you've invented.

When listing your activities, be sure to indicate how each is relevant to dental skill. Maybe you do a lot of needlepoint, which shows that you're able to carry out complex patterns. Again, you don't want to make anything up. Not only will your essay read as inauthentic, you won't have the experience you need to enter into the program.

Take your time and work through this prompt in pieces if you have to. Be thorough, honest, and accurate.

Digital Media Design Program

Just like the Artificial Intelligence essay prompt, in this essay you'll want to explain exactly why the Digital Media Design program at UPenn appeals to you. There are a few important components to an answer for this prompt: specificity, personality, and genuine interest.

To tackle the first important feature, you'll want to do some research into the program you're applying to. Find the unique things about this program in comparison to others; that can mean the professors who teach in it, the classes that are offered, what former students are up to, or anything else that you can tie specifically to UPenn. The reason for this is that the college wants to know that you're not just applying there as a fallback choice. UPenn wants students who are driven and passionate about what college will help them achieve, and putting specifics into your essay is a great way to show that you care about attending.

Next, be sure that your essay has personality. You want your essay to read as if only you could have written it. Having specifics will help with that, but you should also make it a point to let your own unique voice and interests shine through. If Digital Media Design draws your interest because you've always been drawn to the unique storytelling potential of animation after growing up on Pixar films, that's worth mentioning! Remember, your college application is all about getting the college invested in you as a student; let your personality shine through.

And lastly, demonstrate genuine interest. UPenn is a great school, and you should use your essay to show that you're not just applying there because you needed to fill another slot on your college list. Express your passion for attending UPenn, and specifically the Digital Media Design program. What brought you here over every other school? Even if UPenn isn't your top choice, remember all the things that made you put the school on your college list in the first place, and keep them in mind as you write.

The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business

The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally-minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to make a contribution to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect? (400-650 words)

For the Huntsman essay, you'll need to explain exactly what draws you to UPenn's International Studies and Business program. This is a dual-degree program, so you'll be studying at the intersection of these two fields. A working understanding of each will be important to writing this essay.

To start, make a short list of reasons why this degree appeals to you. What international issues interest you? Why take a business approach rather than a sociological or political one? You don't have to put the answers to these questions in your essay, but if you know the answers to them, you'll be better prepared to answer the prompt with confidence.

The question specifically asks for how you'll use what you learn in this program to make an impact on a global issue. That requires some familiarity with global issues; think about causes that matter to you and how you can use business to approach them. How will attending UPenn help you toward your career goals?

You can cite specific classes, instructors, or other features of UPenn to help make your point. Your essay should feature not just how you want to make an impact on the world, but also why you're seeking a dual degree, and specifically a dual degree from UPenn.

The Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Science and Management

The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words)

The LSM essay prompt has been recently updated. Instead of being a general "why this program" style prompt, this essay wants to dig deeper into why you're interested in Life Sciences and Management and understand more about whether your personality is a fit for the program.

This essay is all about the bigger picture. The LSM program is all about innovation, so this essay wants you to pick a big issue and explain how what you learn as an LSM student will help you solve it. The best way to answer this prompt is through a combination of research and specificity. First, research the LSM program. You definitely want to pick an issue that you'll actually learn about as a UPENN student. It's also a good idea to call out specific classes, professors, and research opportunities in your response! (Keep in mind that this program is a joint venture between the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School of Business, so be sure to research both schools.)

Once you have all that information pulled together, you can get specific. Admissions counselors don't expect you to solve the world's biggest problems. But they do want to see that you're thinking critically about issues in your future field, and that you can break the problem down into pieces. For instance, instead of saying you want to solve climate change, narrow that topic down into something doable, like developing new plant-based plastics that can be used in the medical field.

The Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology

Please complete both prompts.

Question 1: Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words)

Question 2: Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words maximum)

You'll need to complete two additional essays if you're applying to the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology.

Like many UPenn programs, this school combines two different fields—management and technology . To answer this question effectively, you'll need to know exactly how the two can work together. Think about why you've chosen this particular program—what can you gain from it that you wouldn't from a program in either management or technology? How will a degree in this program help you reach your personal and career goals? This prompt asks for how you'll use it to explore your interests, so don't be afraid to get specific!

The second question is also concerned with your problem-solving ability. This classic prompt wants to know about a time when you faced adversity and either overcame it or learned from it. Don't be afraid to show yourself tackling a real challenge here—your ability to persevere is more important than showing that you never make mistakes.

The Rejendra and Neera Singh Program in Networked and Social Systems Engineering

Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words)

The easiest way to answer this prompt is with a story. Tell the admissions committee how you became interested in this line of study.

You should be as specific as possible in your answer. After all, the prompt calls for examples from your own experience. You should be able to clearly articulate where your interest stemmed from. Don't feel like you have to talk about everything that interests you within this field—focusing on one or two clear examples that you have a lot of interest in will go further than trying to talk about everything related to networked information systems and technologies.

Nursing and Healthcare Management

Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals? (400-650 words)

You have plenty of space in this prompt (up to 650 words), so you should make sure to address both parts of the question—why you're interested in Penn's nursing and healthcare management program and how the program will help you achieve your future goals.

Key to answering the second part of the prompt is to have some future goals thought out—have a specific idea of what you want to do with your degree. Then, tie that back to things you can study at UPenn. It would be helpful for this prompt to familiarize yourself with aspects of UPenn's program—courses, professors, learning and employment opportunities. The more you can show why UPenn is the right school for you to achieve your goals, the better your essay will be.

The Roy and Diana Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research

How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words)

This prompt wants to know exactly how you think the VIPER program will help you reach your future goals. You also need to touch on why you want to get a dual-degree. You have plenty of space in this prompt, so make sure you answer each aspect thoroughly. Don't invent previous experience if you don't have it—be honest and authentic in your answer.

You should have a clear idea about which VIPER majors you're interested in. Be prepared to name specific UPenn majors and provide reasoning, in the form of classes you'd like to take or professors you'd like to study with.

5 Tips for Acing the UPenn Supplement

Hoping to write amazing UPenn supplement essays? Follow these key tips to do so!

#1: Use Your Own Voice

The point of a college essay is for the admissions committee to have the chance to get to know you beyond what's featured in other parts of your application. Your admissions essays are your chance to become more than just a collection of statistics—to really come alive for your application readers.

Make sure that the person you're presenting in your college essays is yourself. Don't just write what you think the committee wants to hear or try to act like someone you're not—it will be really easy for the committee to tell you're lying.

If you lie or exaggerate, your essay will come across as insincere, which will at best diminish its effectiveness and at worst make the admissions committee think twice on accepting you. Stick to telling real stories about the person you really are, not who you think UPenn wants you to be.

#2: Be UPenn-Specific

All of your UPenn essays should be UPenn-specific. Don't be generic in your answers—the admissions committee should get the idea that you know about UPenn and that your answer is specific to that school, not about college in general.

Don't waste your time telling the admissions committee that UPenn has a world-class faculty—first of all, the admissions committee knows that and second, many universities do. Talk about why UPenn is the right school for you and be prepared to give real, concrete examples.

#3: Do Your Research

You can make your essay UPenn-specific by doing your research. Look into the course catalogue, visit your prospective major's website. Schedule a meeting with a professor or current student if you can. The more specific information you have, the better.

#4: Avoid Clichés and Overused Phrases

When writing your UPenn essays, don't use clichés or overused quotes or phrases. The college admissions committee has probably seen numerous essays that state, "Be the change you want to see in the world." You can write something more original than that!

Each of the UPenn essays asks you something specific about your experience or background. Your essay should be 100% you —you don't want the admissions committee to think, "Anyone could have written this essay."

#5: Check Your Work

Your UPenn essays should be the strongest example of your work possible. Before you turn in your UPenn application, edit and proofread your essays.

Run your essays through a spelling and grammar check before you submit and ask someone else to read your essays. You can seek a second opinion on your work from a parent, teacher, or friend. Ask them whether your work represents you as a student and person. Have them check and make sure you haven't missed any small writing errors. Having a second opinion will help your work be the best it possibly can be.

#6: Have a Spike

What's a spike, you ask?

In short, a spike is something that makes you stand out. Something that no (or very few) other applicants have.

When you're applying to college, it's tempting to seem well-rounded and interested in all the things.

Don't do that.

Your application won't stand out if you're mediocre in band, on the track team, and on student council. It will stand out if you travel to Japan to perform with a world-class performance ensemble or qualify for the Olympic trials in shot put.

When your focus is on one thing, you'll be better at it than if you have to split your time and attention. It will also be more impressive on your resume.

Final Thoughts

Your UPenn essay is an important part of your application. Depending on the specific school you're applying to, you may have to write three or more essays.

No matter which school at UPenn you're applying to, keep in mind:

• Be authentic.
• Highlight your best qualities.
• Use specific examples of UPenn courses and professors you want to study.
• Be generic.
• Make anything up about yourself.
• Split your focus by talking about too many different ideas.

What's Next?

If you're applying to UPenn, you're likely applying to other colleges on the East Coast, too. Check out our expert guides to the Williams essay , the Tufts essays , and the Harvard essay .

Need help writing your Common App essay? Our tips will show you how to write a Common App essay guaranteed to make you stand out from other applicants!

Hayley Milliman is a former teacher turned writer who blogs about education, history, and technology. When she was a teacher, Hayley's students regularly scored in the 99th percentile thanks to her passion for making topics digestible and accessible. In addition to her work for PrepScholar, Hayley is the author of Museum Hack's Guide to History's Fiercest Females.

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UPenn Essays: The Best Examples

Writing UPenn essays needs careful consideration and you can start bylearning from our supplemental essay examples . You should also learn how to write a college essay to increase your chance of getting acceptaed. Your cahnces of admission to the University of Pennsylvania are certainly affected by your essays.

The University of Pennsylvania supplemental essays  include fairly standard prompts, such as the “Why this college?” essay and “What do you bring to the community?” essay. But it’s up to you to make these common essay topics your own! Read on to learn how you can stand out in your UPenn essays!

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free strategy call here . <<

Article Contents 7 min read

Upenn essays prompt 1.

Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, how will you explore your academic and intellectual interests at The University of Pennsylvania? (300-450 words)

Your goal in writing this essay is to convey why you are perfect for UPenn and why UPenn is perfect for you and your academic and professional goals.

The idea here is to write an essay that will show the admissions committee how you are going to benefit from their academic environment and how it will help you grow as an academic and a professional.

I have always excelled academically. I loved school, I enjoyed my lessons, and my teachers were my idols. Apart from sucking in the knowledge my teachers bestowed on me, I always did independent afterschool research to deepen my understanding of new subjects.

From a young age, I knew I would join the “knowledge” business. The best way I knew to go about it would be to create my brand of self-help e-books.I started selling these books – and, to my surprise, they were soon being printed in hard copies.

I soon realized that as “knowledgeable” as I considered myself, I had no idea how to run a business. As my publishing business scaled quickly, I soon realized that I needed more than a degree to run my business efficiently if I wanted to continue to grow.

I started my research and soon found that UPenn was the undergraduate business school for me.  The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is where I want to learn, especially focusing on programs like Entrepreneurship & Innovation Concentration and Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program: Scaling Your Business.

I also intend to share my personal and professional experience with the UPenn community. I hope to join the Penn Social Entrepreneurship Movement (PennSEM) , where I plan to implement both my Wharton education and my past involvement in the business field to help local communities build new social enterprises. In the past, I’ve worked closely with my local Big Sister chapter and would love to use that experience to help PennSEM reach new boundaries in the broader community – beyond campus walls. I can bring my experience in organizing and leading workshops and networking events and help the club reach a wider audience. Most importantly, I can learn about how to lead such organizations from the other members of the club.

At UPenn, I hope to learn how to effectively interact with my peers and fellow entrepreneurship enthusiasts as my journey in the business world has been solo for the most part. When I leave Wharton with my business degree, I know I will become an accomplished business leader who has truly mastered both the theory and practical aspects of entrepreneurship. (442 words)

I apply to UPenn with the blessings and the support of my community on a small island in the Pacific Ocean. My family runs a small hotel on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We have owned the hotel for three generations – and it continues to provide a livelihood for 20 families who have become part of our family.

When I graduated from the only high school on the island, it was these families that came together to pay for my college tuition, which I hope to use at UPenn. They gave me the responsibility of becoming an efficient business leader who can transform that small hotel into a world-class resort.

I intend to deliver on their expectations by studying in the Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability program, which will help me grow the business with consideration for the environment and my community as a whole.

Apart from being one of the top universities in the world, UPenn also has the best research and development facilities. This attracted me because I want to learn in an institution that has a long history as well as the latest innovations in the business field. We also decided that it would be best because we loved that it is a place where I could feel at home with over 130 nationalities on campus. This is the first time I will be traveling far from home. I hope to learn about various cultures and meet as many people as I can by participating in on-campus communities. I aim to join the Penn Environmental Group as I know how important nature is to both the hotel industry as well as humanity as a whole. Living on a small island in the middle of an ocean also gives me a unique perspective on global warming and rising sea levels. I hope to create awareness via workshops and conferences and perhaps even work towards a solution that prevents an irreversible calamity.

I have also set my eyes on the Penn Club Swim. I aim to participate in activities like being a lifeguard and teaching about safety in the water.

I hope to give back to the UPenn community by sharing the personal experiences of my rich culture. We have traditions that are built on the need to rely on one another and I hope to build this sense of closeness and connection with my classmates (439 words)

At Penn, learning and growth happen outside of the classroom, too. How will you explore the community at Penn? Consider how this community will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape this community. (150-200 words)

This prompt is meant to test how well you will fit in the university’s community as a whole and what kind of knowledge and experience you can bring to the incoming class. The campus hosts thousands of students and they all bring their backgrounds, experiences, cultures, and traditions with them. The question is, how will you contribute to that melting pot, and what will you take from it?

Perhaps, the best advice here would be to delve deep within yourself and consider unique experiences and circumstances that shaped you into who you are today.

By day I am a businessman, and by night, a writer. Well, at least that is the dream I hope to realize at UPenn – that of being a successful, innovative businessman and a writer at the same time.

Although I started writing in high school, I have never really developed that passion because, like every child growing up in a middle-class family, writing wasn’t exactly as encouraged as becoming a doctor, an engineer, or a lawyer. So, I had to put that “hobby” – as my parents called it – on the back burner as I went through school.

I look forward to attending UPenn because it gives me the chance to earn my business degree as well as pursue my writing via clubs like Curiouser, where I can explore the surreal fiction writing sphere, and Penn Innovators in Business , where I will learn to guide the next generation of business leaders with my writing.

 I also get to make my parents happy by becoming a successful businessman with my business degree – two birds one stone, as the saying goes. (186 words)

UPenn essays – example 2.2

I love singing and The Inspiration A Cappella is the UPenn club for me.

Ever since I found out about this club, I have been following the group’s YouTube channel. I’ve enjoyed every single video and dream of being among them. Anyone that has watched the club perform – or even watched their videos – can see how much they work to achieve that harmony. And that is something that can’t be done without a bond being formed among the members.

I want to be a part of that camaraderie. The beauty of acapella is that everyone needs to do their part or it won’t work – I can see how they “sync” and hope that my voice can enrich this already established group in the future. I bring over four years of singing) experience – several high school awards testify to my “prowess” – but, more importantly, I bring my passion for singing. Being an African, music is an inherent part of our culture, and it would be my pleasure to share my experiences and knowledge of our endemic music traditions. I even have ideas of weaving these beats into a work that appeals to the younger generation – in the hopes that they will also want to discover more about the “foreign-yet-familiar” sounds they experience. (200 words)

Writing college application essays is an art that can be mastered with time and practice. Don’t rush the process, take time to understand the question, and formulate your answers with care. Keep improving your draft until you are happy with the final essay. And, don’t forget to use a spell-check or grammar tool.

If at all you find this to be a daunting task, you can go through some sample college essays . They might help spark a few ideas that you can build on to create your admission essays when the time comes.

Alternatively, you can also look for college essay review services to make sure you have the best essay you can submit.

Want more tips for writing?

Do not exceed the word count. You can certainly write less that the required word count, but not more.

The most important thing here is that you address the prompt. Your answer should be built around the prompt and include your unique input, the values you bring to the community, and what you expect to gain when you leave the campus.

You should also include the tangible (technology and facilities) and intangible (school spirit and ethics) assets of the college, as well as the traditions it upholds.

If you can put all these together, then you will have a well-balanced essay.

You have to remember that supplemental essays are just one part of your entire college application packet. Instead of thinking of the essays as a single entity that can boost (or thwart) your chances, you should think of creating a whole application package that will combine to increase your chances.

So, focus on writing good supplemental essays and combine them with a good application package.

UPenn requires two supplemental essays for new students. But, there are several more that are required by students who seek admission to programs like Digital Media Design, Nursing and Health Care Management (400-650 words), and Seven-Year Bio-Dental Program (250 words). There is also an essay prompt for transfer students about why they transferred from their previous colleges (4510 characters ). More details can be found on the UPenn admissions page .

UPenn also requires potential candidates to write personal essays.

UPenn has set its goal to admit some of the top students by setting its admission GPA to 3.9. That means you will need to have scored almost all A’s to get in. But, you can find out how to get into college with a low GPA if you don’t have that near-perfect score.

The general rule of thumb is to avoid controversy at all costs. While it is good that you have your thoughts and views, your UPenn college admission essay is not exactly the place to express them. Why rattle the cage that will be your home for the coming 4 years?

Yes. Topics to avoid are political and social hot topics that are provocative to anyone on any side of the aisle. In short, if it is in the news and debates and clashes are going on about it, it is a topic best avoided. Again, here too – while it is admirable that you have a stance, your college admission essay is not the platform to express it.

Essays are your chance to explain how you and the university will co-exist for the next few years. While your essay needs to reflect you, there is a limit to how personal you can get. There is a difference between personality – which you should write about – and personal – which you should be careful with.

Your essay should tread lightly on personal topics like romance, trauma, sexual content, and radically offensive topics.

In short, use common sense and ask: would I tell this to a stranger? If the answer is, “no” you should skip the topic.

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October 19, 2023

Tips for Answering the University of Pennsylvania Supplemental Essay Prompts [2023 – 2024]

The University of Pennsylvania, or Penn, was established in 1790 and is one of the oldest universities in America. This prestigious Ivy League school is known for its top-notch research as well as its undergraduate programs that focus on practical applications grounded in a strong liberal arts foundation. It accepts the Common Application or the Coalition Application and requires a Penn writing supplemental in addition to the general Common/Coalition Application essay. Your supplemental essay helps Penn gain a more holistic view of you as a potential student. The Penn website states, “Our ideal candidates are inspired to emulate our founder Benjamin Franklin by applying their knowledge in ‘service to society.’” Through your Common Application, the admissions committee is aware of your grades and test scores, and understands the level of rigor in your curriculum within the context of your high school environment. Use the supplemental essay to demonstrate how you are an ideal match for Penn and how Penn will help you to accomplish your life goals. Illustrate how you engage with and think about the world around you. Communicate your thoughts, values, and perspectives so the admissions committee can understand what is important to you!

Penn offers a binding early decision option with a November 1 deadline. Consider this option if Penn is your first choice, because the rate of admission is higher during the early decision round. In addition, if Penn is your top choice and you have any alumni ties, early decision might be the best approach. In the past, candidates with alumni affiliation received the most consideration during the early decision program. Keep in mind, applying to any school via binding early decision will limit when and how you can apply to other schools. You are allowed to apply early decision to Penn and early action to other nonbinding or nonrestrictive early action programs. Always check with the specific schools for guidelines. 

Before you sit down to begin writing your essays, do your research to learn as much as possible about Penn’s approach to education. Familiarize yourself with the unique character of the school, read through the website, get a sense of the campus and academic atmosphere, visit the campus (if possible), speak with students, and imagine yourself studying at Penn. In short, identify what makes the school a good fit for you. 

Penn is located in the city of Philadelphia and offers an exceptional education in a diverse urban setting on a primarily residential campus. Penn provides many opportunities for students to investigate various areas of interest. The availability of learning hubs is an example of how the school fosters the active and dynamic exploration of ideas. Think about how you might embrace this approach and the overall academic climate at Penn.  

It should come as no surprise that Penn is steeped in tradition. Although the curriculum at Penn is flexible, it has a high-quality liberal arts and science foundation. The four undergraduate schools (College of Arts and Science, Penn Engineering, School of Nursing, and The Wharton School) pride themselves on providing an integrated and functional education. The Penn site states that students “combine theoretical and practical thinking while developing the tools they need to innovate and lead in a world that demands an increasingly broad perspective.” Consider how these values will affect your experience at Penn. 

Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words, only required for first year applicants)

First, consider your overall application to Penn, because you want to shed light on something you have not mentioned in any detail elsewhere. The person you write to should be someone who has had a positive impact on you – on your life, your way of thinking, your identity, your interests, or in any other significant way. This is a short note, so use concise language to explain what you are thanking them for, how what they did (intentionally or not) affected you, and why you are grateful.

How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)

This prompt is meant to address the interplay of how you might add to and benefit from the extracurricular atmosphere at Penn. How will you participate in the Penn community and contribute to it in meaningful ways? You only have 200 words in which to express what excites you most about the Penn community, provide some insight into how you might engage with it, and reveal how you might both enhance and grow from it based on your individual identity and perspective. Among other things, this prompt provides an opportunity to express your cultural background and unique interests. Consider the diverse population of students and their experiences in light of your own identity and perspectives. 

Also consider the Penn community within the context of the city of Philadelphia. Remember that Penn’s founder, Ben Franklin, was focused on service to society, and that begins with the dynamic community around you and expands from there. Overlay your individual story with the community at Penn. This essay requires you to look at your identity and perspective and to consider the ways in which you mesh with the Penn community. How might it affect you, and likewise, what impact might you have on those around you? What do you bring with you based on your life experience? What might you gain though your potential interactions/opportunities/exchanges with others in the community at Penn?

The school-specific prompt will now be unique to the school to which a student is applying. Considering the undergraduate school you have selected, please respond to your school-specific prompt below. (For example, all applicants applying to the College of Arts and Sciences will respond to the prompt under the “College of Arts and Sciences” section).

For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer this question in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.

For this response, you will address the school-specific prompt (School of Nursing, College of Arts and Science, The Wharton School, or School or Engineering and Applied Science) in 150-200 words.

Although each prompt is slightly different based on the school to which you are applying, the underlying question is the same: how does Penn support your intellectual and academic interests, and how do your goals align with the specific mission of the school? Do your research into your school of choice. How will it prepare you to achieve your goals? You must demonstrate an understanding of yourself by articulating your personal connection to the program’s mission. Consider why you are a good fit for the undergraduate school (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, The Wharton School, or Penn Engineering). What specific academic, service, and/or research opportunities might enhance your journey and help you accomplish your goals? Include examples of how your personal experiences make the program at Penn a good fit for you. How will the opportunities at Penn expand, nurture, and support your interests and aspirations? In closing, remember to address why you are driven to attend the program at Penn and how a Penn education will help you to effect change in the world.

Students applying to dual-degree and specialized programs should address the prompts above in terms of the single-degree school choice in your response. Your interest in the coordinated or specialized program can be addressed in your program-specific essay. 

Note that additional essays are required if you are applying to one of the Coordinated Dual Degree and Specialized Programs offered at Penn. These responses have limits that range from 400 to 650 words. Although these individual prompts are not addressed in detail here, keep in mind that each one asks you to share specific examples and experiences that demonstrate your potential for success, along with your enthusiasm for and attraction to the particular program. These programs are a significant commitment, so you need to convey your genuine dedication. The admissions committee uses your essays to determine whether you will be a good match for the particular dual degree or specialized program to which you seek admission. 

This is a competitive application process, and you are up against an increasingly competitive group of applicants. Although Penn withheld admission rates for the Class of 2027 in an effort to put the focus back on students rather than low admissions rates, it received 59,463 undergraduate applications, and only 2,420 enrolled in the first-year class. If we look back at previous years that had fewer total applicants and similar class sizes, the acceptance rate for the Class of 2027 is likely in the 4% to 6% range. 

Here are a few more numbers to consider. Over 90% of the students admitted were in the top 10% of their high school class, with an average SAT score of 1535 and an average ACT score of 34.5. Effectively communicating the intangibles through your essays is the best way to differentiate yourself among this prestigious crowd. Use your essay responses to discuss what is meaningful to you, project the value you could add to the campus community, and convey how Penn is the ideal place for you to achieve your dreams for the future.

Take a deep breath, and try not to be intimidated by this process. Start early to allow yourself enough time to thoroughly research, prepare, and complete all aspects of your application. All these components must come together in a compelling way to present you as a highly competitive applicant. Penn is interested in your personal stories, life experiences, hopes, and aspirations. It seeks to attract and foster great thinkers and future leaders who will play constructive roles in society. Take the appropriate time and invest the necessary energy to reveal your best self!

Marie Todd has been involved in college admissions for more than 20 years. Marie has both counseled applicants to top colleges and evaluated more than 5,000 applications for the University of Michigan’s College of Literature, Science, and the Arts; College of Engineering; School of Kinesiology; School of Nursing; and Taubman College of Architecture. Want Marie to help you get accepted? Click here to get in touch .

Related Resources:

• Five Fatal Flaws to Avoid in Your College Application Essays
• Four Ways to Show How You’ll Contribute in the Future
• Three Tips for Parents of Applicants

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, examples of upenn supplemental essays.

I'm working on my UPenn application, and I'm kind of stuck on the supplemental essays. Does anyone know where I can find some good examples to get inspired? I want to get a sense of what successful essays look like. Thanks in advance!

I understand that you're looking for inspiration to craft your UPenn supplemental essays. While it's great to glance at examples for guidance, remember that each student's story and experiences are unique, so it's important to focus on your own voice and perspective. That being said, I can suggest some resources where you can find examples of successful supplemental essays for UPenn and other schools:

1. CollegeVine's Essay Guides - CollegeVine has guides for various schools, including UPenn, that provide a breakdown of each essay prompt and advice on how to approach them. You can find an overview of UPenn's essay requirements, tips, and some examples here: https://www.collegevine.com/schools/university-of-pennsylvania/essay

2. University's own resources - Some universities, like UPenn, may have advice or sample essays on their admissions website. You might come across students’ successful essays that were published with permission.

3. Reddit's Applying to College Subreddit (r/ApplyingToCollege) - Students often share their successful essays on this platform. However, be cautious when browsing as some essays might not be representative of successful applications.

4. Books: There are several books available that compile successful college essays, such as "50 Successful University of Pennsylvania Application Essays" or "50 Successful Ivy League Application Essays." These can be found online or at your local library or bookstore.

5. Reach out to current UPenn students or alumni - Connecting with current students or alumni who have been through the application process can provide valuable insights and examples. They can share their experiences and what worked for them during the application process.

Regardless of where you find examples, remember that the key to writing a strong essay is authenticity. Focus on showcasing who you are, what you're passionate about, and how UPenn aligns with your aspirations. Good luck!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

College Admissions

Why upenn college essay example 1 – penn supplement.

• The Albert Team
• Last Updated On: March 1, 2022

College essays are hard to write, especially when they’re for competitive Ivy League colleges like the University of Pennsylvania.

Here’s the deal:

College essays are 100 times easier to write when you have examples of what is both good and bad.

By the end of this post, you’ll have a better understanding of how to approach the question, “Why Penn?” in your application. We’ll walk you through exactly what makes this admissions essay effective and what could have been better.

Let’s start with why this essay works.

Why this admissions essay works:

• The student opens with a succinct and clear direction of where the essay is heading. He gets straight to the point and dives right into the meat of the essay.
• The second paragraph demonstrates to an admissions counselor that this student has done his research on the school—in turn showing the counselor that this student is a serious applicant. Demonstrated interest is crucial in today’s competitive admissions scene to stand out from the rest of the pack.
• The student breaks down his key message into three subsections: academics, extracurriculars, and student life. By doing so, the student stays true to the first paragraph in providing a clear direction throughout the entire essay.
• Paragraphs 4-5 are particularly effective because they epitomize demonstrated interest; in this case the student draws on his own experiences visiting the school campus.
• In paragraph 5, the student starts explaining to the admissions counselor how he can fit into the Penn community; as important as it is to convey to the counselor that you’ve done your research, arguably the most important part of “Why X?” supplements is helping the reader understand where you fit into the school community. The student answers this question by talking about his previous world experiences.
• The student concludes with a short and sweet ending and draws on a cultural food item of Philadelphia, where Penn is located. What this essay demonstrates well is the fact that while introductions and conclusions are important, the main content of the essay is the most important component of all. Students often get bogged down trying to think of attention grabbers and clever ways to open and close their essays; as a result they end up not developing the meat of their essay well enough to demonstrate to the reader that they have done their research and can fit a specific niche within the school’s community.

How this Why Penn  essay could have been better:

The student did a great job demonstrating to the reader that he had done his research; however, the essay itself could have been more creative in its approach. The introduction and conclusion are succinct and effective; however, a more unique introduction would have drawn the reader in faster. The student made up for this with the quality of the content of the essay.

Since first setting foot on campus two years ago, I have found that Penn has always stood out in my search for the perfect university. Every aspect, from the flexible academics to its urban environment, to the diversity of the student body seems to readily match the setting in which I hope to immerse myself over the next four years.

Academically, I hope to continue pursuing my interests in economics and business, international studies, and French. Unlike many other schools, Penn openly encourages such breadth of study, believing the skill sets developed through different subjects to be universally interdependent and pragmatic in the real world. Through Penn’s one-university system, I would work towards my B.S. in Economics through Wharton while simultaneously taking courses in international studies in the College, and even have the opportunity to hone my accent in France for a semester. In 2012, I would graduate from Penn knowing my education over the past four years helped build my foundation as a better critical thinker who can apply core business and teamwork skills in any field.

All the while, I would be actively building on my high school extracurricular experience at Penn. I plan to continue my studies in economics outside of the classroom through Penn’s Undergraduate Economics Society both to continue improving my leadership skills and to join the club’s campaign to stimulate interest in economics on campus, an objective of mine at my high school since my junior year. I would also like to take part in editing and writing in the club’s unique International Undergraduate Journal of Economics. To stay active, I hope to join the Men’s Club Tennis at Penn, and I look forward to building on my experience with elementary-age children through the West Philadelphia Tutoring Project.

But perhaps above all, it is the student community at Penn that has attracted me the most. My first time strolling down Locust Walk with my family seeing all the club representatives left and right trying to convince students to join their causes was just amazing. There was an air of perpetual excitement and community, a feeling that Penn’s student body is extremely tightly knit. In October, I was even lucky enough to shadow two Huntsman Program freshmen on my third visit to campus. Staying overnight with a student from Morocco concentrating in French, but who was studying Spanish, as well as a student from Oregon targeting German, I found that I felt very comfortable living and learning in the diverse environment at Penn.

Sitting in on several classes, I also discovered Wharton’s unique MGMT 100 course to be perhaps the ideal class to tie together my experience in teamwork, interest in community service, and enthusiasm to immerse myself in a real-world business environment. Armed with an open mind and experiences from my travels to a multitude of countries across Asia, North America, and Europe, as well as my volunteer work at events such as the International Children’s Festival and the East African Center’s Evening for Africa, I believe I will bring a very unique and worldly perspective to campus, an outlook I hope to share and broaden working with some of the brightest students from around the globe at Penn.

With so many new doors to open, I know a college experience at Penn will prove challenging, yet undoubtedly rewarding. I look forward to a fulfilling four years of hard work, fun, and cheese steaks.

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15 UPenn Essay Samples That Worked

Updated for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle.

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The University of Pennsylvania, also known as UPenn, is an Ivy League university that provides students from all over the world with a world-class education. With over 4,700 courses, 150 majors, and 500 clubs and organizations, there is truly something for everyone. The school offers over eight specialized programs. This includes the Bio-Dent Seven Year Bio-Dental Program, which allows students to earn an undergraduate degree in biology and a DMD degree from the school of dentistry in only seven years. Undergraduate students can also take classes at Wharton, which is among the most prestigious business schools in the world. Ultimately, the University of Pennsylvania is an outstanding choice for students to create their future, with exceptional academics, cultural events, landmark buildings, and a bustling campus life.

Unique traditions at UPenn

1. The Naked Quad Run: Every year on the night before the last exam, Penn students take off all their clothes except for shoes and sprint around the school's quad. The tradition began in 1997 as a way to celebrunte the end of the semester in a fun and rally way. 2. The Button Game: Penn's button game is an indoor scavenger hunt that takes place during the Spring semester. The game includes making designs out of buttons and other clues located around campus. 3. Senior Tree Planting: For the class of 1996 and beyond, Penn seniors are invited to plant a tree in West Philadelphia in a ceremony. The tree planting ceremony symbolizes the students' commitment to Penn and to the community. 4. The Red Cross Fire Companies: Penn's oldest student-run organizations date back to the 1800s when students formed the Fire Companies. The Fire Companies fought small fires on campus, performed drills to maintain their skill and performed service activities for the local community. 5. Homecoming Heroes: Penn celebrates their student and alumni achievements by designating a select group of Homecoming Heroes. The Heroes were chosen for their exceptional contributions to the University and their dedication to Penn's mission.

Programs at UPenn

1. Wharton Global Ambassadors: A student-run organization that works to establish relationships with like-minded business professionals from all over the world. 2. Penn Community Garden: An organization dedicated to providing fresh produce to individuals and families in need in the nearby community. 3. Penn Program for Public Service: An organization providing a platform for interdisciplinary service projects that promotes meaningful community engagement. 4. Engineering Without Borders: A student-run organization that links engineering technology and knowledge to empower people in developing countries. 5. PennSocial Justice: A student-led organization fostering social activism to create a just and sustainable world.

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Real Essays from UPenn Admits

Prompt: considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, describe how you intend to explore your academic and intellectual interests at the university of pennsylvania..

Storytelling has always played a leading role in my life. My childhood was spent obsessing over the fantastical stories of others, losing myself in the escapism of J.K. Rowling’s Wizarding World and Rick Riordan’s Camp Half- Blood. Amidst the turmoil of adolescence, I found solace in writing stories of my own. This love of creative writing continued into high school, with hours spent typing late into the night, racing to get all of my ideas on the page before exhaustion hits. Pride fills me when I at last conclude a draft. Even as I stumble through numerous rewrites, I never stop returning to that feeling.

My love of storytelling has since expanded to other areas and disciplines. In theater, stage management, directing, and arts management have been exciting ways to tell stories collaboratively. Since founding my school’s literary magazine, literary editing has engaged me as a way to further my bibliophilia with more active engagement with the text and its author. From my IB Business Management course, marketing has appealed to me as a more pragmatic form of storytelling. 

As a student at the University of Pennsylvania's College of Arts & Sciences, I could pursue every avenue of storytelling that interests me. The English Department would be a perfect fit for me academically, as it emphasizes exploring a wide array of media. Fascinating seminars from “Writing Women” to “Television and New Media” would give me excellent grounding in the craft of storytelling. The Creative Writing Concentration would hone my abilities as a writer in fiction, nonfiction, playwriting, and screenwriting. During summers, a RealArts@Penn internship in publishing would empower me to learn more about literary editing; the Penn Summer Abroad in London program would expose me to literature and theater in one of the world’s greatest urban centers.

Outside of my major, I would explore storytelling across the College of Arts & Sciences. Within the Theater Arts Department, courses in dramaturgy, theater management, and technical theater would provide theoretical understanding; hands-on experience stage managing productions would add practical training – and of course, the joy of live theater – to my learning. The Consumer Psychology minor would be the ideal program to further my interest in marketing. This minor would give me an excellent basis in marketing strategy, advertising, and creativity in business, enabling me to explore the fascinating intersection of business and storytelling.

By fully embracing the academic and extracurricular opportunities, I know I would thrive as a student and storyteller at the University of Pennsylvania.

Essay by Abby

English major interested in creative writing, theater, & film

Prompt: Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words)

To my beloved Lita (short for grandmother in Spanish), you inspire me daily. I exist because of you, but better yet, I can write this letter today because of you. To come to this country from Colombia with a child in hand, not knowing any English, and starting a successful business is a task I know only someone as strong as you could accomplish. The difficulties I encounter and persevere through pale compared to the sacrifices you made for your family. Your tenacity to achieve a better life for you and your family is with me in every major decision. Your love reminds me of the warmth we should all show each other. Your food, of what joy is to me. I love our late-night tea sessions, conversations about the politicians we despise, and your stories about your life in Colombia. I’ve learned to fight when it gets hard, support those who support me, and never worry about the odds, all from your life and journey to this country. But, most importantly, I’ve learned to make peace with my identity and celebrate it alongside you, Colombian food, and Spanish music.

Your eternal admirer, Anthony

Essay by Anthony Busatta

Yale '27 | SWFL native who hates the heat but loves everything else about it.

Prompt: How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)

Growing up in a racially homogenous society has both its challenges and benefits. Despite being born in the US, I am Japanese at heart, yet face a lack of acceptance in my community. Discrimination is a daily reality. On crowded trains, I find an empty seat next to me, bearing the name gaijin-seat (foreigner seat). Locals referred to me as gaijin rather than the polite form — gaikokujin. Simultaneously, I’ve encountered a unique form of admiration since childhood, with people fixating on my physical attributes: eyelashes, cheekbones, head shape. 

My first-hand experience of both subtle discrimination and excessive admiration has profoundly shaped my perspective on social issues. It serves as a driving force behind my research project on the gender wage gap in South Korea, aiming to comprehend implicit bias and its pervasive societal impact. These experiences have granted me profound insights into the complexities surrounding discrimination and bias, motivating me to contribute to mitigating their effects and fostering inclusivity. I look forward to contributing to Penn’s community, drawing upon my unique experience, and actively participating in organizations such as SIC, The Social Impact Consulting Group, to further the goal of creating an inclusive society, regardless of background or appearance.

Essay by Anastasia P.

Russian-American Pre-Law Track Freshman @ Harvard University

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5 Strong UPenn “Thank You” Essay Examples

What’s covered, essay example 1 – the power of the arts, essay example 2 – turning a flaw into a talent, essay example 3 – girl dad, essay example 4 – thank you for the music, essay example 5 – middle school english.

• Where to Get Feedback on your UPenn Essays

Founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania is one of the eight Ivy League institutions. Its beautiful campus features unique red-and-green-brick buildings, gorgeous tree-lined paths, and lots of tributes to Ben Franklin. In addition to its elite academics, UPenn is also known for its thriving student life–it’s even nicknamed “the social Ivy.” UPenn also enjoys the benefits of being situated in the heart of Philadelphia, just a stone’s throw from myriad museums, gardens, cathedrals, and historic sites, including Independence Hall.

Between its superb academics, vibrant social scene, and prime location, UPenn is one of the most competitive schools in the country. As a result, your essays need to shine, to set you apart from other smart, talented applicants. In this post, we’ll break down five responses to UPenn’s “Thank You” supplemental prompt, which was just added during the 2022-2023 applications cycle. We’ll lay out what each essay did well, and any areas for improvement.

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized.

Read our UPenn essay breakdown to get a comprehensive overview of this year’s supplemental prompts.

UPenn “Thank You” Prompt

The following essays respond to this prompt:

Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150 – 200 words)

Since this prompt is a recent addition to UPenn’s list of supplements, and doesn’t fit neatly into one of the classic supplemental essay boxes (like “Why School?” or “Why Major?” , you may not be quite sure where to start. To help you out, we’ve compiled five responses real students wrote to this prompt. You can read the essays below, and get our breakdowns of each one’s strengths and weaknesses.

Dear Mrs. Peterson,

After finishing my drawing of Timothée Chalamet this semester, I was stunned by its beauty—it was one of the first pieces that I was proud of. Because of the debacle with the charcoal drawing of my sister last year, I avoided drawing another human. Yet, you persisted in encouraging me to tackle this challenge; from achieving Timothée’s chiseled cheekbones to highlighting his curls, you always stood by my side—even when I wanted to quit.

Honing my artistic abilities was only a portion of what you taught me. You always encouraged me to be vulnerable, and I am gratified by our insightful conversations. From consoling me through the stress of finals to supporting my aspirations of becoming a lawyer, you never wavered in listening to my stories. You weren’t just my art teacher, but my shoulder.

I am inspired by how you lead your life with compassion and authenticity. Watching you build a community through dialogue furthered my own love of interaction as an instrument to foster connection. Thank you for being my guidepost. You made a home for me in your class, and it saddens me that I will be leaving it soon.

Gratefully,

Future Empathetic Lawyer

What the Essay Did Well

A strong hook is an essential part of any essay, to really draw a reader into the story. This writer does an excellent job immediately grabbing our attention by describing a tangible object that represents why they are thankful to their art teacher, which is a far more powerful technique than just saying something general like “You have made me a much better artist.”

The drawing of Timothée Chalamet also serves as an anchor for the traits the writer wants to highlight about themselves, such as risk-taking (taking on the challenge of drawing “his chiseled cheekbones…[and] curls” ) and perseverance ( “you always stood by my side” ). Remember that showing your reader something about yourself, through a tangible example like an art project, makes your points far more convincing than just telling them you are a certain way, as then you’re just leaving them to take your word for it.

The writer also seamlessly transitions from talking about their drawing to talking about how their art teacher has helped them in general, with the line “Honing my artistic abilities was only a portion of what you taught me.” This line provides the perfect jumping-off point for the writer to show us how their teacher has supported them in non-art contexts as well.

Finally, in a big-picture sense, the writer strikes a great balance between highlighting their art teacher’s virtues, and how those virtues have helped them grow and develop their own personality. With this prompt, there’s a risk that you end up talking too much about the person you’re thanking, and not enough about yourself–remember, you’re the one admissions officers are trying to make a decision about! But this writer avoids that pitfall by always connecting the things they admire in their art teacher to qualities they have developed themselves.

What Could Be Improved

There is not much room for improvement in this essay. The author directly connects the values they have learned from their art teacher to tangible experiences, which ensures their essay will stand out even from other essays written about teachers.

The only point in the essay that reads a little strangely is the inclusion of the word “empathetic” in the student’s signature. Although we can read between the lines that they learned empathy from their teacher, that actually isn’t a value they name outright. They do highlight vulnerability, compassion, authenticity, and connection, so to make the end of the essay feel more cohesive, they could either replace “empathetic” with something like “compassionate,” or just make sure they do explicitly include empathy in the body of the essay.

Dear Mr. Gonzalez,

I want to take a moment to thank you for the encouragement and support you have given me throughout my high school career. You have been a great teacher and mentor, and I am lucky to have you in my life.

However, I would especially like to thank you for helping me discover my gifts and turning them into abilities. All my life, I have been told that my love of talking with anyone and everyone was an annoyance at best and a flaw at worst. You decided to turn this “flaw” into one of my greatest joys. You taught me how to meticulously craft words and introduced me to rhetoric. Before, I never noticed how perfectly my skill for speaking and writing played into my other skills and talents.

You helped me learn that I grow best when thrust into high-pressure situations. The speeches and the competitions you signed me up for made me incredibly nervous but also incredibly proud.

You taught me that anything you love can be used to bring you happiness, and, more importantly, to help others.

Much appreciative,

This student uses this letter to say a touching, genuine thank you to a teacher who has helped them “turn [a] ‘flaw’ into one of [their] greatest joys.” Rather than highlighting a more generic trait like work ethic, the writer chooses a core value that shows they are able to deeply reflect on how they became the person they are, and how this teacher helped them with that development.

The writer’s impressive ability for introspection is also shown by their description of how their loquaciousness has always been a part of them (which we understand from the line “All my life” ), but their teacher was the first person to help that quality blossom. Rather than framing the essay around a quality that someone else taught them directly, they show that they understand growth can happen in a variety of ways, which in turn shows that they are a mature, emotionally intelligent person.

The author begins their essay very generically, by thanking their teacher for “encouragement and support” and saying that he is a “great teacher and mentor.” Remember, the point of any college essay is to help distinguish yourself from other applicants, and these lines could have been plucked from just about anybody’s “Thank You” essay.

Especially given the low word count, the student should use each sentence purposefully, rather than wasting space on general pleasantries. They would be better off starting the letter with the line “I would like to thank you for helping me discover my gifts and turning them into abilities.” As noted above, this personal, specific reason they are grateful to their teacher is really the heart of the essay, and thus should be given as much attention as possible.

Along the same lines, cutting the general introductions at the beginning would also give the writer more space to explain how their teacher helped them become more confident in their gifts. Rather than just saying that he “taught [them] how to meticulously craft words and introduced [them] to rhetoric,” the writer should provide us with an anecdote that shows what their teacher did specifically to improve their speaking and writing skills. This might look something like:

“I will never forget breaking down some of history’s most famous speeches with you, from the Gettysburg Address to ‘I Have a Dream,’ and slowly starting to understand how I could use these great orators’ techniques myself.”

Likewise, in the third paragraph, the student should provide context for how they reacted to high-pressure situations before their teacher started signing them up for speeches and competitions. They could include something along the lines of “In the past, I always shied away from the spotlight and never felt confident enough to pursue my passion for public speaking, but your faith in my talents pushed me to break past my mental boundaries.” By telling us what the student was like before meeting Mr. Gonzalez, this line emphasizes the importance of the lesson they learned from him.

Finally, in the last sentence of the letter, the student says that their teacher has taught them “to help others.” However, the essay never discussed helping others, so this lesson comes out of nowhere. Especially in the conclusion, you want to be sure that the points you make are supported by the rest of the essay. In the case of this student, that means they would be better off just sticking with the line “You taught me that anything you love can be used to bring you happiness,” as that is a quality they have discussed in detail.

I’ll always remember the times you corrected our Arabic-speaking friends when they greeted you with Abu Jack [Jack’s father] instead of Abu Julia [Julia’s father], proudly breaking the patriarchal tradition of referring to parents by the name of their eldest son, even when their first child is a daughter. Despite our disagreements on everything from economics to foreign policy, your simultaneous open-mindedness and commitment to your values remind me to appreciate intellectual plurality grounded in respect.

Thank you for motivating me to constantly learn more with your encyclopedia-like knowledge of the world. For inspiring me to see beauty in language, history, literature, and science. For strengthening my empathy through every late-night dinner debate. For spending hours discussing each book we share, from Sapiens to Sophie’s World.

Please never stop asking me for advice on your poetry to gauge whether your metaphors translate to English. Never lose the softness in your heart that makes you cry while we watch Coco for the third time because it reminds you of your family. Keep reminding me to “demand evidence and think critically,” even though I tease you for buying a sweatshirt plastered with the phrase.

Your mini-you

Although many other applicants are likely to write letters to parents or other family members, this writer ensures her essay will still stand out by structuring her essay around stories and anecdotes that are personal to her relationship with her dad. Her father’s rejection of a “patriarchal tradition,” two specific examples of books they have read together, and her description of one of his favorite sweatshirts all show what makes their connection different from any other between a father and daughter.

More broadly, these personal anecdotes help readers understand this writer’s background as a whole, not just her relationship with her dad. The essays are admissions officers’ number one resource for understanding how you’ll fit into their campus community as a person, not just a student, and this essay gives us a clear sense of the intellect and compassion this writer would contribute to late night conversations with her roommate, interactions with the dining hall staff, and all the other “little moments” that truly define a college experience.

Unfortunately, this essay falls into the trap outlined in our breakdown of Essay Example 1: we learn more about the author’s dad than we do about her. We know he breaks patriarchal tradition, has encyclopedia-like knowledge, loves poetry, and gets emotional when watching the movie Coco, but we don’t learn anything concrete about this student’s values, only that she admires these qualities in him.

To improve this, the author can reframe some of her ideas to be more focused on herself. For example, take the paragraph:

“Thank you for motivating me to constantly learn more with your encyclopedia-like knowledge of the world. For inspiring me to see beauty in language, history, literature, and science. For strengthening my empathy through every late-night dinner debate. For spending hours discussing each book we share, from Sapiens to Sophie’s World.”

Instead of spending most of the space highlighting her father’s virtues, she should rephrase this paragraph to be grounded in actions she has taken as a result of feeling inspired by her father. This could look something like:

“Your encyclopedia-like knowledge of the world has motivated me to linger by paintings in museums for a few seconds longer, to make sure I fully grasp the artist’s intentions, give Moby Dick a second chance even though I couldn’t get past the third chapter on my first attempt, and start self-studying Italian.”

As you can see, fleshing out her ideas in this way will take up space, and right now the essay covers too much ground for her to do this for each point she makes: she touches on Arabic culture, disagreements they have had, films and books they’ve enjoyed together, and general values she has learned from her father like empathy.

Narrowing her focus will give her the space she needs to make the essay more personal, and also communicate in a more cohesive way what her dad has taught her, as right now readers might leave feeling confused about what the most important lesson she has learned from him is. Choosing just one or two things to focus on will make the essay feel more unified.

Dear Mrs. Charles,

Entering your classroom, it was the lively music that drew me in, yet it would be your energetic voice that would hook me into the countless lessons about history for the next nine months. There was no dull moment, only excitement and the curiosity to learn more. You have instilled beyond knowledge, but more importantly, the inquisitive admiration for education and especially America, an impression so deeply indented in an immigrant like me. You looked out for me even when I was too insecure about my residential status to ask for help. With my first ever letter of recommendation, you have since advocated for my academic career. Amidst overwhelming college applications, I sobbed reading your note, “Good Luck My Perfect young woman – You deserve the world!” You continuously believe in my potential, and that faith has emboldened me to be the resilient woman I am today. Thank you, Mrs. Charles, for encouraging me when things seemed impossible, mentoring me when I was lost, and strengthening my confidence when no one was there. It has been an honor to be your student, and I cannot wish for any other teachers to have changed my life this way.

This student’s genuine gratitude towards her teacher comes across in her strong personal voice, which is reflected in engaging lines like “there was no dull moment” and “the inquisitive admiration for education and especially America, an impression so deeply indented in an immigrant like me.” We can tell that the student’s appreciation for her teacher comes from moments that were truly formative for her, and that authenticity wins us over by pulling at our heartstrings with strong word choices and phrasings.

Although this essay does a great job of expressing the emotional depth of this student’s relationship with her teacher, it lacks the specific details to evidence how this relationship has grown over time. For example, the student writes:

“You have instilled beyond knowledge, but more importantly, the inquisitive admiration for education and especially America, an impression so deeply indented in an immigrant like me. You looked out for me even when I was too insecure about my residential status to ask for help.”

While these lines are compelling, and speak to how the teacher looks out for the writer as an individual, not just a student, we don’t get any details about how she “instilled beyond knowledge” or “looked out for” the student. An anecdote that provides some of those details would give us a clearer sense of why this relationship is so meaningful to this student. That might look something like:

“You went out of your way to meet with me every week as I prepared for my mock debate on the pros and cons of the American public education system, a system that, as an immigrant, I had always admired. I had been too nervous about my residential status to ask you for help understanding the points my peers knew instinctively, and so it meant the world to me when you asked me to join you for a snack at your desk after class one day. This discrete support made me feel simultaneously looked out for and empowered.”

Finally, this essay would look better on the page if it were split into two or even three paragraphs. A huge block of text on the page can be daunting, and you don’t want to turn off your readers before they even start. Plus, breaking up your ideas into smaller paragraphs can also make your essay easier to understand, as your reader can focus on one point at a time, rather than trying to keep everything in mind simultaneously as they’re reading.

Also on a structural level, the writer should have a signature of some kind. If you were writing a note to someone in a non-college essay context, you wouldn’t leave it unsigned. So, while it’s a small detail, to be true to what the prompt is asking, this student should include a signature.

Dear Mrs. King,

Even though it has been five years since I’ve stepped into your English classroom at Harrison Middle, I remember the sound of your enthusiastic voice and genuine smile like it was yesterday.

Your energy was contagious and your quick wittedness unmatched. The way you effortlessly enthralled the entire class with your love for writing is something I will never forget. When you organized a classwide debate based on our argumentative essay topics, you captivated everyone to the point where enthusiastic shouts bounced off the walls of the room.

You made us feel warm and comfortable. As a rigorous teacher and thinker, your lessons impacted me in and out of the classroom. The door to your classroom was always open if I needed advice, helping me navigate everything from friendships to high school applications. In your presence, I felt like a friend instead of a student, because that was just your comforting nature. Thank you for the moments with you in middle school that will stay with me for a lifetime.

Warm regards,

This essay’s greatest strength is the author’s use of vibrant, playful language, which helps readers vicariously feel Mrs. King’s enthusiasm and energy. For example, the “enthusiastic shouts bouncing off walls” and feeling “like a friend instead of a student, because that was just your comforting nature” drop us right into Mrs. King’s classroom, and allow us to vicariously understand why this student respects her so much.

This essay’s biggest issue is that most of the writer’s points are very generic, and could have been written by anyone, about any teacher. The point of this prompt is to highlight certain aspects of your personality by describing values you have learned from someone else, but the details we get about Mrs. King are very surface-level, like the sound of her voice, smile, and love for writing. As a result, we don’t learn much about either the teacher’s personality or how she has impacted the writer.

The author should instead include stories that show us specific values and lessons they have learned from this teacher. For example, the line “As a rigorous teacher and thinker, your lessons impacted me in and out of the classroom,” could be about nearly anything. To make this line more informative, the writer needs to get much more specific about what their point is, along the lines of:

“When you took us on a field trip to see a production of Hamlet which had recast Ophelia as a man, you challenged me to reconsider how societal standards, which I like to think I’m able to transcend, unavoidably impact my interpretation of literature.”

This version both identifies a particular aspect of the writer’s personality (their ability to push back on preconceived ideas) and something specific Mrs. King did to help them develop that aspect. As a result, admissions officers now get what they really care about: information about who this student is, and how they would fit in at their school.

Where to Get Feedback on Your Essay

Want feedback on your UPenn “Thank You” essay before you submit? That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

University of Pennsylvania Essay Examples (And Why They Worked)

The following University of Pennsylvania essay examples were written by several different authors who were admitted to UPenn. All names have been redacted for anonymity. Please note that CollegeAdvisor.com has shared these essays with admissions officers at University of Pennsylvania in order to deter potential plagiarism.

For more help with your UPenn supplemental essays, check out our 2020-2021 University of Pennsylvania Essay Guide ! For more guidance on personal essays and the college application process in general, sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

How did you discover your intellectual and academic interests, and how will you explore them at the University of Pennsylvania? Please respond considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected. (300-450 words)

For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer these questions in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay.

Make no mistake—in my family, Saturday night Scrabble is no slight affair. For the better part of my childhood, I struggled to get the upper hand against my parents’ eloquent lexicon. Eventually, I found the solution in a paper by Dutch economist Jacques Polack, the architect of the International Monetary Fund: in it, he outlined how to best leverage the scarcity of the tiles involved, applying economic principles to optimize the otherwise-mundane game. Aside from revamping my Scrabble skills, his research taught me that business economics govern everything from the global economy to a board game.

Gradually, economics also became a cornerstone of my day-to-day life. Now, when my 6:35 AM alarm rings, I consider the Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility before slapping the snooze button — will my nine minutes of fragmented slumber garner more utility than the alternative (a cup of freshly brewed coffee)? In debate rounds, I’ve found that the root cause of political and social problems can be found by delving into interest rates, quantitative easing, or volatility indices. However, only after working with Congressman DeSaulnier did I realize the far-sweeping effects of economic legislation. One of my most memorable projects — preparing a brief scrutinizing the social, political, and economic effects of H.R. 4674 (the College Affordability Act) — showed that even minor decreases to college tuition tackled cyclical poverty through education, with the resulting butterfly effect benefitting millions. I was hooked. After convincing the Congressman to become a co-author, I aspired to one day use economic and political principles to author similarly innovative policy.

The Business Economics and Public Policy concentration at the Wharton School offers the perfect opportunity to intertwine those passions. I appreciate Wharton’s holistic approach to teaching the global economy: courses like Nations, Politics, and Markets cover the big picture of the international markets, while Housing Markets dissects the minutiae of a single industry, isolating areas that need improvement. I also look forward to courses like Professor Eisenhower’s Communication and the Presidency — effective communication is still the bridge that turns effective ideas into tangible social change. I hope to put those lessons to use by brainstorming legislation at the Wharton Public Policy Initiative, where I’ll have the opportunity to collaborate with a uniquely diverse student body, challenge my preconceptions, and catalyze novel ideas. Clubs like the Penn International Impact Consulting offer the opportunity to collaborate with NGOs an ocean away, simultaneously letting me have a tangible social impact and helping me develop an international network. These four years at Penn will leave me with more than just a degree. From mastering the economics of Scrabble to pioneering solutions to society’s most pressing problems, they’re the first step to having a global impact.

Why this University of Pennsylvania essay worked, according to an ex admissions officer

This essay is playfully clever. The author begins with a simple game of scrabble but quickly we are transported into economic theory, which they begin to apply to all their daily happenings. The author brings us into a parallel world where everything can be analysed, and potentially solved, in economic terms. They are specific and cite actual laws and cases. We realize that this student lives, eats, and breaths in this economically obsessive universe. This is when the author brings us back to our own campus.

They speak about their own achievements and how they will translate to the community at UPenn. They refers to specific classes, professors, and clubs that are offered at University of Pennsylvania. We can visualize this person on our campus, but they do not leave it there. They wrap up their 4 years at Penn, and by doing this we see a graduate. They then reference how, with these Penn experiences, they can impact the world. It all began with a scrabble game and we are returned to the scrabble table with a clear image of what this student can accomplish with an offer from University of Pennsylvania. Remember, beyond writing a great essay, students must be prepared to ace every part of the admissions process. Take our quiz below to find out just how much you know about college admissions!

I was eight when my first business idea struck. Each day, classmates would approach me with a string of questions about homework: Is Russia in Europe or Asia? What’s the commutative property? How do you spell ‘satisfied’? One day, my third-grade self thought, Why not charge a quarter for each answer?

After hearing my proposition, my dad laughed so hard he could barely repeat it to my mom. “She’s born for business!” he exclaimed.

His words stuck with me. Years later, those words propelled me to take Wharton’s Coursera Marketing class, which left me fascinated by the psychology behind marketing: Why do all the girls at school wear Lululemon leggings when Nike’s are cheaper? Why is SmartWorld Coffee right next to Starbucks? Even calculus problems on price optimization made me wonder, How do businesses price their products? As I explored, I uncovered the answers to many of these questions, even making my own findings in product-pricing last year. “Born for business” or not, I realized that I had discovered something I truly loved.

Last July, at Leadership in the Business World (LBW), I not only nurtured my burgeoning passion for business, I also experienced a glimpse of what attending Wharton would be like.

Between case studies, site visits, and discussion-based lectures, LBW embodied the interactive learning culture I thrive in. Analyzing the merits of Google’s growing power with Professor McCaffrey challenged my preconceptions of monopolies, and discussions about customer centricity with Professor Fader left me with a new perspective on equity versus efficiency. Everything I learned was both thought-provoking and engaging; I was eager for more.

And I did get more — in the form of hands-on learning. In the first week, I made investments as a venture capitalist in the Startup Game simulation; by the last week, I was pitching a startup to a panel of investors. No matter what it was, I could practice what I had learned in context. I was excited to discover that this reflects Wharton as a whole. When my Teaching Assistant, Mona, described her Management 100 project, I felt a sense of déjà vu: the desire for practical application that motivated her to help local immigrants grow their businesses also guides my own endeavors. For example, after LBW, I applied my knowledge of customer segmentation while establishing a service organization to partner with Key Club. Recognizing that the key psychographic was stay-at-home/team-mom type parents, I quickly attracted 30 dedicated members. In essence, Penn students engage with their education in a way that’s directly relevant to the world — a practice that matches my own learning style perfectly.

Furthermore, at Wharton, I can unify my core interests in business and civic engagement. Behavioral Economics — a concentration rarely offered by undergraduate business programs — would deepen my understanding of the human decision-making process, helping me answer questions about everything from athletic wear to coffee. Meanwhile, a secondary concentration in Social Impact and Responsibility would help me approach business problems through a social impact lens. Together, both concentrations would teach me to apply my business acumen toward my love of service.

Beyond the classroom, I hope to join the Social Impact Consulting Group (SIC), where I plan to implement both my Wharton education and my past involvement with nonprofits to help local communities. Over the last few years, I’ve worked intimately with the local Big Brother/Big Sister chapter, and I would love to use that experience to help the Philadelphia chapter that Penn’s SIC Group counsels.

In short, I’ve fallen in love with Penn in its entirety. Between the strong theme of practical application and the 6AM runs along Spruce Street, the eclectic atmosphere of the Kelly Writers House and the Greek Lady French Toast, Penn is the perfect blend of vitality, collaboration, and interdisciplinary learning. It is this community that I hope to make my home for the next four years.

My first visit to Philadelphia was a unique one. With car keys for the second time, the world at my disposal, and a desire to try a cheesesteak for the first time, I took the two-hour drive to Philly. While I dispensed my entire paycheck throughout the duration of the trip, my only regret remains trying Pat’s and Geno’s and perhaps also losing my car privilege for three months. In all seriousness, knowing I’d only have time to visit 1-2 places, I decided to do a self-guided tour of Penn, a school I had already researched extensively. Nestled in a bastion of intellectualism, culture, and history in a city I dared to learn so much from stood this behemoth of a school, and it was after this tour that I decided to apply to UPenn’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

My experience with engineering began with taking apart my dad’s Dell Inspiron desktop. Fascinated by the complex arrangement of the parts and the intricate designs that lined the parts themselves, I was too young to understand what the term “engineering” even encompassed. Engineering to me was not just about building computers, which I’d eventually pursue, but optimization. I was obsessed with choosing graphics cards and CPU’s, always pursuing maximum efficiency in terms of size, speed, and price of the final product. Naturally, this kickstarted my journey into circuitry; I still remember by first series circuit. The logic behind the placement of the wires excited me. The troubleshooting required when I wasn’t met with success filled me with purpose. Later, the power to utilize my Arduino to power code into my projects rendered my options limitless.

Indeed, my rather bizarre voyage to campus affirmed my intuition that UPenn was the school for me, but it was the substance of my research that confirmed that the SEAS, in particular, was compatible with my academic goals and interests. To my delight, I discovered that as stringent as an electrical engineering degree at Penn would be, I could also apply to earn a minor in Energy and Sustainability. Beginning with the Engineering Probability course (ESE 301), I’d start off learning what I love, combinatorics and advanced topics such as the Bernoulli schema that I am already studying outside of school now. Even more exciting would be the culmination of my entire Penn education during my senior year, when I’d partake in the Senior Design competition. Through this project competition, I’d have the privilege of applying real-world knowledge obtained at Penn by presenting my work to expert judges in my field.

In addition to my passion for electricity and circuitry, I am deeply interested in biomimicry, a field that became the cornerstone of my studies outside of school because of a simple realization: all around me lies genius. Thus biomimicry, the practice of applying designs and process from nature to engineering, one that I’m determined to develop with an Energy and Sustainability minor by applying energy-storing processes of leaves to solar cells—a longstanding point of research outside of school—constantly motivates me. While this aspect of engineering is one that I haven’t tangibly sought out in high school through formal clubs or competitions because of my work commitments, my extensive personal studies through books and online resources have instilled in me a desire to explore it further in college. Fascinatingly enough, I’d find a home to do this at Penn, where the engineering blog even has a hashtag for coverage of biomimicry. A few weeks ago, I even bookmarked an article about a student researcher developing a method to render the production of biofuel more efficient by mimicking giant clams, only to later discover that the article was published by UPenn. Ultimately, attending Penn would mean an opportunity to not only learn from the best, but also access resources to better the world around me, following in the footsteps of so many other Penn innovators.

What I like about this essay is that the author begins with a casual air. We envision a typical high school senior who grabs the car keys and has a day-trip adventure. They are a tourist exploring the very specific cultural highlights of Philly and entering the University of Pennsylvania campus. Almost with this student’s first step into the gates, we realize this “typical high school senior” is completely immersed in the world of engineering. They take us from an endearing story of taking apart a family computer as a child to discussions of circuitry, logic, wires, and powercodes.

For most of us, this conversation would go over our heads. However, the story remains clear, and the student’s pure love of engineering is unmistakable. This student speaks the engineering language. The author then explains where this passion for engineering will lead them. They let us know what principles they hope to discover next. They mention their goals, their minor, what they will take as a senior (bringing us four years in), and they finish by creating a place for themselves amongst the collection of UPenn innovators that have come before.

There is an energy to this person’s essay that suggests pure progression. They will take advantage of every minute on campus. This essay embodies the transformation of a kid with a Philly Cheesesteak to a veritable scholar, and I would be excited to have this transformation evolve on the University of Pennsylvania campus.

3:31 PM: Notebook and camera clutched in each arm, I prowl the streets of Detroit.

3:54 PM: As I find myself hunting along a line of apartments encased by steel-frame construction, I figure it might make for a story. What is going on here?

3:55 PM: I ask an African-American woman who slumps against the charred-brick wall, surrounded by a sea of translucent trash bags. She tells me, and I am horrified.

Horrified to know she was kicked out. Horrified to learn that the developers had doubled the rent, cut the power, harassed her and threatened to burn down her apartment when she fought to stay. Horrified to hear that she hated her dark skin, hated the way she was born.

Horrified , that the Webster Dictionary taught me gentrification means positive change.

While the woman I had encountered was in dire straits, her undoing was the making of me. In talking with her, my eyes were opened to the atrocities that ordinary people live through, and I could no longer sit back and allow them to go unnoticed. As a journalist, I have the ability to give voice to the silenced, to take someone’s story and broadcast it over an intercom. That day, I wrote her story in hopes that even one more person might understand her story and learn of the ugly in a word disguised by the good.

Since then, I have strived to reach larger audiences. Through writing articles and meeting with legislators through The Borgen Project, I have continued to immerse myself in poverty matters and deepened my interest in the intersection of Sociology and Economics while growing as a writer. While researching, I find myself investigating urban sprawl or income disparity, and hundreds of questions flood my mind. At Penn, the possibility of pursuing my curiosities are embedded in both the school’s academics and geography.

With twofold interests in urban matters, I seek The College’s Urban Sociology concentration with an Economic Policy minor; this, I find conducive to exploring both the socio-political and economic nuances of poverty alleviation. Additionally, I am concerned about gentrification, and educating myself on the matter in one of the most gentrified cities in America provides the natural setting for first-hand observation and research. Fairmount, located only two miles outside of Penn, is a neighborhood undergoing excessive black gentrification in Philadelphia. One day, I hope to work alongside mentors such as Dr. Grazian–whose expertise spans both the economic and social dynamics of Philadelphia neighborhoods–and direct a case study detailing effects of Fairmount gentrification. In developing a multifaceted worldview, it is my ideal to pursue my intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania, in a place itself as culturally rich as Philadelphia.

The University of Pennsylvania, with its strong emphasis on pre-professional learning is ideal as a learning environment. That focus is what drives many students with an eye to the future. We hope to apply our learning, impact the real world in ways that inspire change.

I find the Cognitive Science program, specifically its concentration in Language and Mind most appealing. As someone who places great emphasis in words, the idea of analyzing the cognitive aspects behind linguistics, whether philosophically, psychologically, or computationally draws upon various fields that showcase various perspectives on the meanings of language. It’s fascinating that despite the various languages and cultures there can be a biological scientific breakdown explaining the complex processes underlying syntax and semantics.

I am fascinated with the study of semantics, especially as it relates to both personality and gender. Because the World Well-Being Project touches on the topic of extroversion versus introversion, I would hope to be involved. This topic has interested me since reading Quiet by Susan Cain, which I also wrote about for Teen Line’s blogs. The language of both gender and personality are particularly intriguing; research suggests that for males, possessive pronouns are strongly associated with relationships like girlfriend and husband while for females, the nouns existed primarily on their own. List of most used words also differ along personality traits. I wonder why researchers persist in correlating the language to the Big Five Traits (which carry their own significant connotations) rather than to other classificatory systems.

Two other UPenn labs offer me routes to follow my current interests: The Cultural Evolution of Language lab under Dr. Roberts and the Cognition and Development Lab under Dr. Weisberg.

In the last decade, texting lingo has changed the way many speak. I find myself wondering whether spoken language will lose its richness as common vocabulary shortens and simplifies. The idea of experimental semiotics that Dr. Roberts utilizes is fascinating in that we can watch how a newly-created language progresses, thrives, or decays.

The Cognition and Development Lab under Dr. Weisberg, on the other hand, focuses primarily on development, interviewing children and exploring what exactly is going on when they enact pretend stories. I still remember one instance of my five-year-old self playing pretend princess at an after school program; a fifth grader had snapped at me in annoyance to stop using the word “pretend” in our play activity. The next five minutes had me tripping over my own words, finally giving up in frustration when for some reason, I couldn’t avoid saying pretend in my games. The rest of the day was spent sitting in a huff in the corner, hugging a pillow. Thinking back, I can’t fathom why I enjoyed living in a fantasy. It seems out of character to the Katie today. Discovering how play helps with growth is one of the major questions surrounding the study of children; its effects on cognition could be impactful in parenting theories because fantasy play probably has a significant role in the development of the brain.

While not an academic interest, acapella singing remains intellectually stimulating to me. Joining groups like Pennyo or Pennsori will allow me to practice singing and speaking in Mandarin or Korean. These include musical genres that I have been exploring for several years, allowing me to learn about culturally embedded vehicles for aesthetic language. They will provide me with another way to explore language and culture.

The differences between the word clouds can be read into farther than simply, girls say “I love you” more and guys talk about video games – rather, there are small details that are indicative, whether of true gender differences or cultural norm commonalities. The language of personality, on the other hand brings up questions – why use the Big Five standard over others? The traits are often associated with a strongly positive or negative implication in society – which directly correlates to the words found in the clouds. It would be interesting to analyze social media aspects on neutral traits as well, as shown with the introversion/extroversion in order to find correlations between how language is use and how differently it is processed by personality categorizations like the more detail-oriented versus big idea thinkers.

At Penn, learning and growth happen outside of the classrooms, too. How will you explore the community at Penn? Consider how this community will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape this community. (150-200 words)

Philadelphia is known as the City of Brotherly Love, and Penn lives up to that ethos. The community there is uniquely supportive, diverse, and vibrant. Having competed as a member of the USA Debate Team, I look forward to bringing my experience to the Penn Debate Society, and hopefully, representing the school at the World University Debating Championships., Beyond competing at tournaments, I appreciate last year’s collaboration debate with The Economist and the Bard Prison Initiative; to broaden the team’s horizons, I’d love to arrange similar events with other think tanks, nonprofits, or community organizations.

After four years of pick-up basketball at Sycamore Valley Park, I look forward to joining the intramural team, where I’d connect with the Penn community on the court while getting some much-needed practice on my jump shot. To preserve my tradition of attending Friday prayers, I’ll join the Muslim Student Association. Both through social gatherings or community work at the Masjid al-Jamia, I’m excited to work with a community of Muslims from around the world. Finally, I hope to join the Penn Student Government–it’d be both a new experience and help me gain experience advocating for the interests of the student body.

Too often, I have found myself walled-in by hard lines and expectations. At school, I belong to multiple circles, but I find myself contributing only a portion of my personality to each. In my community, there is just no all-encompassing space.

Penn makes a family out of us multipotentialites. Penn students refuse to be defined by one thing, a unique culture through which I can thrive as a liberal-arts-focused student enthusiastic about STEM. As a creative writer, I’ve gravitated towards writing science-fiction, imagining futuristic worlds where people online-shop for faces, or where simulation technology has allowed us to learn history by experiencing it. By writing for t-art, I am afforded the possibility of acting as a liaison between the Humanities and STEM worlds through innovative creative expression. On other days, I see myself merging my skills as an urban sociologist and journalist to report about the surrounding city through The Daily Pennsylvanian . On Mondays and Thursdays, I might find myself playing Mahler with the Penn Symphony Orchestra. Above all, I envision myself strolling through Locust Walk each day, tracing the footsteps of Andrea Mitchell to Elizabeth Banks, chatting with friends about the first presidential debate to the origin of “irregardless.”

This essay is successful because the author clearly starts in a place that is limiting their potential. They are excited and curious to spread their proverbial wings. The author has carefully researched opportunities at UPenn and seamlessly interwoven their own accomplishments and talents, with cited academic and extracurricular UPenn opportunities.

This author creates a very clear image of what type of contributor they will be on our campus. Their interests are diverse and limitless, or so it seems. The author’s specificity in mentioning the days the Orchestra plays, the Locust Walk, and past UPenn scholars shows their love for the school. This essay describes a person who is ready to blossom, has intellectual and cultural curiosity, and will add to the community at University of Pennsylvania.

These University of Pennsylvania essay examples were compiled by the advising team at CollegeAdvisor.com . If you want to get help writing your University of Pennsylvania essay supplements from CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

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