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How to Write the Penn State Supplemental Essays 2021-2022

Penn State University has one optional essay for all applicants. Applicants to the Schreyer Honors College are required to submit two additional essays, and BS-MBA applicants must submit eight additional short essays.

Admissions officers can have a hard time distinguishing between applicants when thousands of students send in the same test scores and GPAs. Essays are highly valued in the decision process since they allow admissions officers to see your character and values. In this post, we’ll share how you can write essays that will be sure to impress the admissions officers at Penn State.

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Penn State Supplemental Essay Prompts

All applicants (optional), please tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at penn state. this is your opportunity to tell us something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records. (500 words), schreyer honors college applicants (required).

Prompt 1 : What would you like to do for the next few years if you didn’t go to college? (800 words)

Prompt 2 : How will our society be remembered in 100 years? (800 words)

BS-MBA Applicants (Required)

Prompt 1: Why do you want to attend Penn State? (150 words)

Prompt 2: Select the scientific discipline above [below] that is MOST interesting to you. Why do you want to devote 4 years of college studying it? (200 words)

• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
• Biotechnology
• Mathematics
• Microbiology

Prompt 3: Inclusiveness and Diversity: In an increasingly global community, it is essential that students gain cultural competency. In what way have you demonstrated a commitment to this mission? (200 words)

Prompt 4: Goals: Discuss your career aspirations. How would the Science BS/MBA program help you reach those goals? (200 words)

Prompt 5: Leadership: Please discuss your leadership and collaboration skills. Give recent examples of how they have been demonstrated. (200 words)

Prompt 6: Resiliency: Transitioning to college can be a challenge. Discuss the adjustments you believe you will need to make in order to be successful as you transition from high school to a college environment. (200 words)

Prompt 7: Describe your biggest commitment. (150 words)

Prompt 8: Describe a time when you helped someone else succeed. (150 words)

All Applicants (optional)

While this essay is technically optional, we still strongly encourage all applicants to complete it. Writing an optional essay provides admissions officers with more information about you, helps your application stand out, and further expresses your interest in the college you are applying to. 

One of your main objectives in all college essays should be to depict yourself as a strong addition to a specific college’s community. A good response will contain a reflection on your experiences to demonstrate a specific personal quality that you think will set you up for success at Penn State. To brainstorm, ask yourself: What do I need to succeed at Penn State? What are my strengths? 

You’ll need to think of examples that demonstrate the traits that will set you up for college success. Though the prompt says that you can pick “something about yourself, your experiences, or activities,” your choice should be something that you can show through a story or anecdote.

Almost any poor topic can be strengthened if you make it more specific:

Don’t pick something too broad, like “I have formed many friendships in different settings.” However, you could write a detailed account of a specific friendship or friend group you formed after switching high schools, explaining how you developed the skills to not only survive, but thrive in a new social community. Then, you can discuss how, at any college, but especially a big school like Penn State, forming a social network is crucial for academics (study groups, peers to help with homework, collaborators for group projects, etc.) and for making the most of your college experience.

Avoid focusing on an experience that virtually all applicants will share. “I made it through high school” is not a strong response. However, you could write about an illness you faced that almost jeopardized your ability to succeed in school. Through detailed storytelling, you could show the reader that you developed time-management skills and perseverance, which, as you can guess, are absolutely crucial for college success.

Great responses to this prompt can be quite personal since more formal academic and extracurricular activities might already be covered in your application. For example, you could relate difficult family or friendship situations you’ve negotiated to your ability to navigate a diverse and complex college community.

Regardless of which aspect of your identity, experience, or activity you pick, be absolutely sure to avoid generalizing. Many students write a 500 word essay that never uses specific examples. While these essays might sound smooth, they are almost entirely composed of clichés and generalizations. Here’s an example so you can get a better idea of what we’re talking about.

A student could write something like: 

“I have volunteered for over five years at my local food pantry. This experience has made me more appreciative of what I have, and more determined to give back. I know I’ll take these values with me to Penn State.”

Note that these sentences do not refer to a specific instance or give concrete examples. They give a general description of one activity and then make generic, high-level assertions about the results of that activity.

A strong essay will push beyond this level of resolution:

• Describe what you did at the food pantry.
• Show the perspective this has given you by giving an example of how you changed your daily activities or interactions with others as a result of this experience.
• Link these changes to success in college by discussing how you’ll dive into volunteer opportunities and community organizations. Use specific examples of clubs or organizations at Penn State, such as the Lion’s Pantry, which is dedicated to addressing student hunger.

A few words of caution: Some students will have too many things they want to squeeze into this essay. While you may feel like you’ve just left so many crucial details out of your application, you should resist the temptation to use this essay as a “catch-all” for everything “not already reflected in your application.” Note that the prompt asks you to share “something” not already included—not everything! This essay should be focused and cohesive, telling a story that proves you can succeed in college.

If you truly feel that important information has been left out of your application, try to incorporate it into your activities section, other essays, or, if all else fails, the “additional information” section of the Common App.

Schreyer Honors College Applicants , Prompt 1

What would you like to do for the next few years if you didn’t go to college (800 words).

This might be a future you never considered for yourself if you always imagined going to college, or perhaps you’ve always wanted to stray from the “traditional” path. Either way, the purpose of this question is to see what else intrigues you and how you would choose to contribute to society if you weren’t getting an education. You are given 800 words to elaborate, so this should be a detailed and well thought out response.

Admissions officers don’t want to hear that you would play video games in the basement for the next four years. They are looking for engaged students who will enrich their community, so your essay should highlight these qualities in yourself. There are many different ways you could spend your time, but you need to have a strong connection and explanation as to why you want to devote the next few years to whatever you have chosen. 

Let’s look at a few sample essays:

• A student who loves his Spanish class could write about how he wants to spend the next few years travelling around Spanish speaking countries to become fluent in the language and experience the culture first-hand. He might discuss how he plans to start in Spain and work at a restaurant in Madrid because the cuisine looked so good when he researched it for a project. Then he might go to Costa Rica and camp in rainforests with wildlife. His last country might be Argentina, where he would get a full-time job to gain experience working in a large city.
• A student who has always dreamed of being a music producer would explain how she would fly to LA with a suitcase, her guitar, and a dream. She would share the battle between excitement and fear inside of her as she applies for jobs at record labels and gets to sit in on her first recording session. While she knows that it’s a difficult career path, her passion will help her persevere. She would be vulnerable about her aspirations and dreams, but her interest in music production would shine through.
• A student who values his family more than anything else might discuss how he would stay home and work for his family’s business. He could talk about the expectations his family always had for him to work alongside his dad, uncle, and cousins. Maybe he would describe what a typical day would look like if he stayed at home: his little sister waking him up in the morning, driving to the store with his dad, catching up with customers, learning how to manage the company’s finances from his uncle, and heading home to enjoy dinner with his whole family after a long day at work.

What do all of these examples do well? They have personal reasons for why they have chosen what to pursue. The first student wants to travel (his what ) because he loved learning about Spanish language and culture (his why ). These essays also have strong emotional attachments which makes the reader care more about what the student does. For example, the second student includes what she would think and feel as she tries something new, providing evidence to her passion and determination. Finally, by including detailed descriptions about how the student will spend their time, it is clear they are committed and driven individuals. The daily routine the third student describes not only shows what he plans to do, but also his values, such as his family. Remember, you have 800 words so you shouldn’t be afraid to use them all!

Schreyer Honors College Applicants, Prompt 2

How will our society be remembered in 100 years (800 words).

This prompt isn’t just asking you to look into the future and write a history textbook. By identifying how you think society will be remembered, you are actually sharing what values you think are most prevalent in our society—whether you agree with them or not. Again, you are given a sizable amount of space, so take some time to consider your answer.

A successful response will include three things:

• What values you believe will be remembered 
• What specific events exemplify these values
• How your generation (or you) will impact how society is remembered

Let’s break each of these down a bit more.

First, you want to consider some values that you feel best capture the current state of the world. Asking yourself a few questions might help inspire some ideas:

• What issues do you hear about in the news all the time? 
• Are there certain events from the past decade that stick out in your mind? 
• What emotions do you feel when you hear about current events? 

These questions should help you come up with a list of issues, events, and emotions you can find similarities amongst. If you write about gun control, school shootings, and feelings of terror or hopelessness, you could talk about how society values personal independence over securing the future. If you have vaccines, the pandemic, and resilience, you might believe society values innovation and technology. By the end of this little exercise, you should have two or three values you think best represent our current society.

Don’t feel like you have to address every aspect of society. In fact, since you are only focusing on two or three values, you will need some specific events that epitomize the values you are trying to convey. For instance, if you believe society will be remembered for loving material goods and needing instant gratification, you might cite the rise of fast fashion over the past decade, with specific stores and brands that have led the way, and how the quality is sacrificed for an increase in quantity. Perhaps you feel society will be remembered for destroying the planet because people value themselves more than the environment. In that case, you could talk about the increasing frequency of climate disasters like the Australian wildfires, hurricanes destroying islands, and the California drought. You want to make sure you provide some concrete examples to support why you think the values you chose are prevalent enough to be remembered 100 years from now. To further strengthen your essay, you can include personal connections and your emotional response to the events you discuss. 

The last thing you should include is the impact your generation will have on the way society is remembered. For example, maybe you believe that since past generations were selfish and greedy we will be remembered by these values. However, as part of a generation that has grown up seeing the consequences of immense greed, you and your peers will work to level the playing field and lift up those in poverty. After your generation gets a chance to repair the work of your predecessors, you think society will be remembered for showing kindness when it mattered most. Including the role you will play—either you specifically, or as a member of the younger generation—shows admissions officers that you are motivated and inspired to try, even when faced with monumental challenges. Penn State wants Honors students who will change the world. If your essay can prove how you hope to be a part of positively impacting the world, you will show you are a good candidate for the Honors college.

BS-MBA Applicants, Prompt 1

Why do you want to attend penn state (150 words).

This essay prompt is common across many colleges, as it’s used to differentiate candidates based on their level of interest in the school. Due to the small word count, you will need to express interest in Penn State with room for naming only 2-3 major things that you like about it. As this prompt is given through the BS-MBA program, you should definitely focus on that at some point in the response. 

Because of the limited space, it is not enough to respond to this prompt with generic sentiments about Penn State, such as location or its strong sports culture. To start addressing this prompt, you may have to do some research (the school’s site is a great starting point). Specifically, Penn State’s BS/MBA program has Student Profile videos on YouTube. These are a great place to start to gain a better understanding of the reality of being a student in this program.

While researching Penn State, dig into programs and extracurriculars that pique your interest, as well as your major’s departmental offerings and available concentrations. If anything catches your eye, explore it further until you feel confident speaking about the opportunity in detail, and how it helps you achieve your goals. 

Here’s a good and bad example:

Bad: Penn State’s amazing BS/MBA program appeals to me because the business models around curing diseases such as pediatric cancer have always fascinated me.

Good: I am really intrigued by the BS/MBA program because I am heavily invested in raising global awareness of pediatric cancer via a sustainable business model. I plan to pursue my passion for this both in and out of the classroom, researching cell malfunctions in labs while helping organize events such as Penn State’s annual Thon. I look forward to dancing during Thon weekend to help bring awareness to and raise money for a cause I care so deeply about. I plan to continue organizing events and initiatives that address this issue after college as well, by organizing non-profit concerts and corporate presentations. With both a science background and a business-oriented skill set, I will amass the tools I need to continue bringing awareness to pediatric cancer cures and research.

The former response is vague, and the resource mentioned can be found at almost any school. This latter response demonstrates a genuine interest in a unique opportunity at Penn State and links it to personal aspirations.

A commonly forgotten component of the “Why School” essays are extracurriculars and social life. College isn’t only about academics, but also what you do outside of the classroom. You should also look into extracurriculars or clubs that you want to join, and tie them into your current interests. 

For example, you could say something along the lines of: “As someone who is very environmentally conscious, I started a month-long educational initiative through the Eco Club at my high school, in which the rest of the board and I hosted workshops on how to live more sustainably. Some of my favorite topics were slow travel and how to reduce waste while eating out. At Penn State, I look forward to joining the Bridge Initiative; becoming a volunteer consultant will allow me to continue educating others on how to reduce our environmental impact.”

BS-MBA Applicants, Prompt 2

Select the scientific discipline above [below] that is most interesting to you. why do you want to devote 4 years of college studying it (200 words).

This essay calls for your to narrow down your interest in the BS-MBA program to the specific discipline that you plan to pursue during the program. Although you can pick up to three from the selection provided, you can only write about one – so choose carefully. Research the different divisions on Penn State’s site and then make an informed decision about the discipline that most appeals to you.

When discussing why you are passionate about a subject, it is important to show, rather than tell readers why you feel that way about it. Be sure to use vivid imagery and specific details to describe experiences you’ve had with the subject and how you want to pursue it in college. You can talk about the curriculum, such as specific classes you want to take, or research projects you want to join. And you can bring in other factors relating to the subject as well, such as clubs or extracurriculars. Below are good and bad examples:

Bad: “I’ve always been interested in the nutritional content of the food I eat. In high school, I gravitated towards the sciences but was most passionate about AP Chemistry. In college, I wish to bring my two interests together to pursue my ultimate goal – a career in the food science industry.”

Good: “I love food. But even more than that, I love exploring the science behind my favorite meals. As soon as I learned how to read, I pored over the nutrition label on the packaged foods in our pantry. I longed for answers to questions that no one around me seemed to care about, such as what riboflavin was, how my Cheetos were always the perfect shade of neon orange, and why bread could become toast but not vice versa. At Penn State, I hope to finally find the answers to my copious chemistry-related questions and use my findings to gain a new perspective on the molecules I consume for energy. In addition to the chemistry discipline, I plan to join extracurriculars such as the Food Chemistry Club, where I can immerse myself in the world of food processing at a deeper, scientific level.”

Bad: “I love probability and chance, so naturally, I became interested in statistics as a potential discipline during my time at Penn State. I plan on joining an existing research project or even starting my own project to create a project, applying what I learn from Penn State’s renowned statistics department outside of the classroom.”

Good: “Why do people fear airplane rides more than their daily commute when they are statistically more likely to die on the road than in the air? How do we predict which team will win a championship while factoring in nationwide attitudes towards them? I constantly juggle predicaments of probability in my mind; by choosing the statistics discipline within Penn State’s BS/MBA program, I hope to find an outlet for my myriad of inquiries. I plan to use the strategies from my coursework to embark on my own research project, creating a machine that can juxtapose statistical improbabilities with public perception. I can flesh out this idea at HackPSU, teaming up with my peers to make a machine that can measure people’s attitudes while calculating statistical probabilities in the real world. I can further develop my project via Invent Penn State, where I will take advantage of the company connections at my disposal to ensure my lifelong passion becomes tangible.”

BS-MBA Applicants, Prompt 3

Inclusiveness and diversity: in an increasingly global community, it is essential that students gain cultural competency. in what way have you demonstrated a commitment to this mission (200 words).

“Cultural competency” is defined as the ability to appreciate and accurately interpret other cultural traditions and the actions and words of people from other cultures.

This might lead you to ask: what counts as another culture? There are some obvious cases, such as someone who actually comes from a different country, or from a radically different part of this country. However, there are often many cultural divisions within a single community. Your school might include students from a variety of racial, ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

A word of caution: This prompt does not ask about a time when you talked with someone who was different from you—it asks about your “commitment to this mission.” Your goal should really be twofold:

• To show that you understand what “cultural competency” means.
• To show that you have been and will continue to be committed to it.

To accomplish these goals, you need to describe significant , lasting interactions with people who are different from you. Furthermore, The best responses will go above and beyond: they will show how you have tried to help others gain cultural competency, too.

Great responses could involve describing just a single, big effort you’ve made. Some answers are really obvious fits: maybe you’re involved in a club that focuses on race relations at your school; maybe you’ve done mission trips with your church that have required you to respect and interact with the locals and their culture. In these cases, you can describe actual interactions with specific individuals that show your interest in understanding and working with people from different backgrounds.

If you don’t have one “big” example, then choose a few smaller ones. You could discuss choosing to do a history presentation on the history of immigration to the US, anti-racist political activism you’ve been involved in outside of school, and efforts you’ve made at your summer food service job to communicate better with foreign tourists who speak limited English. Try to thread these different experiences together to depict an interest in cultural inclusiveness that cuts across different features of your life.

Bonus points: because this essay is for the BS/MBA program, it’s even better if you can tie cultural competency to success in science or business. If applicable, you could discuss your research on the differential health outcomes for people of different ethnic backgrounds in your city, or your internship with a transnational business that has required you to expand your cultural skills.

However, if there’s no real link between your cultural experiences and business/science, don’t force it. Your first priority here is to demonstrate that you’re committed to cultural competency.

Regardless of whether you focus on just one experience or several, be very mindful of avoiding clichés and vagueness. It’s incredibly easy to write a 200-word essay on a topic like this that never really gets into the specifics of your experience. A vague essay might show that you know what cultural competency is, but it won’t tell the reader anything about your real-life commitment to it. Avoid general, cliché phrases like “I have interacted with many people who are different from me,” or “I have learned so much from…” Instead, show that these things are true through specific examples.

Another risk is stereotyping or making over-generalizations about cultural groups. The last thing you want to do is to end up sounding culturally insensitive as you respond to a prompt about cultural competency. You can avoid this danger by focusing on your own experience, goals, motivations, and growth. What strategies have you developed to interact with those who are different from you? What have you learned about yourself? How have these experiences shown you the importance of multicultural acceptance? If possible, have a parent, teacher, or other third party review your essay to be sure it doesn’t include any accidentally offensive material.

BS-MBA Applicants, Prompt 4

Goals: discuss your career aspirations. how would the science bs/mba program help you reach those goals (200 words).

Remember that one significant admissions factor for combined degree programs is whether the admissions committee thinks you’re really committed to this path. The admissions committee doesn’t want to give a coveted spot to someone who will change their mind about following through on the MBA after a year or two of college. This means that you need to show both specific long-term goals that fit with the program and deeper motivations that will carry you through 5-6 years of rigorous education.

To get started, dig down and describe your career goals in as much detail as you can—while still conveying a broad, bold vision for your future.

Some students focus on something like achieving a particular rank in a certain company by a certain age. However, this type of career aspiration isn’t the best choice: it is too arbitrary and too specific and doesn’t convey a lot about your underlying values.

Instead, think about a particular problem you’d like to solve or a legacy you’d like to leave. Perhaps you want to bring truly affordable solar cells to a mass market. Or, perhaps your goal is multi-tiered: you want to forge a path for minority women in biotech startups in the short term, and in the long term you want to move to the public sector, using your entrepreneurial experience to address inequality in healthcare outcomes.

Even if your goals are currently quite vague, you can still make them sound clear and worthwhile. For example, maybe you know that you want to do something at the intersection of chemistry and entrepreneurship, but you’re just not sure about the specifics yet. That’s fine! If your goals are still unclear, you’ll just have a little more work to do in the other sections of your response.

Once you determine your career aspirations, spend a little bit of time reflecting on why you hold these aspirations. While the prompt doesn’t explicitly state that you need to explain the reasons behind your career choice, the best answers will at least allude to your deeper motivations. If you show what drives you, then you provide additional assurance to the admissions committee that you’re really committed to completing the BS/MBA program.

Since you don’t have very many words, you’ll probably need to integrate this explanation of “why” with your explanation of the goal itself. This might mean sharing a short anecdote about your first-hand experience of rising sea levels and then connecting that experience to your desire to work on solar power to cut carbon emissions. Or, you might briefly describe a personal medical experience which gave rise to your desire to improve medical technologies.

Once you’ve established what your aspirations are and why you hold them, it’s time to focus on Penn State’s BS/MBA program. This means doing more than just talking about the basics of the program (the fact that it allows you guaranteed admission, or that it could potentially shorten your time in school).

Visit Penn State’s BS/MBA website and carefully scour it for details that fit your goals. Pick just a few specific features of the program and talk about them in your response. These can include a particular course, a professional training resource, a research program, an interdisciplinary opportunity, or even a particular professor (but be careful not to just name-drop–explain the professor’s work and its relation to your interests in detail). For example, instead of saying “I plan to join Penn State’s BS/MBA program to get a deeper understanding of both science and business,” say “I plan on taking advantage of the BS/MBA’s hands-on professional development initiatives. I plan to network with pharmaceutical companies during the career-oriented field trip, discussing the business model behind products from companies such as Johnson & Johnson and Pfizer.”

Link the skills, competencies, or background that these resources provide to the attainment of your career goals. This means getting a little technical. Do you need to learn a certain management strategy to succeed as the founder of a biotech startup? Great! Talk about that specific strategy and how you’ll learn about it in a given course offered through Penn State’s BS/MBA.

BS-MBA Applicants, Prompt 5

Leadership: please discuss your leadership and collaboration skills. give recent examples of how they have been demonstrated. (200 words).

Penn State’s BS/MBA sees itself as a training ground for future leaders on the frontiers of both science and business. They want to admit students who can work with and lead others.

“Leadership” and “collaboration,” the words used in the prompt, have become overused buzzwords in college applications. This means that one of the keys to a successful response to this prompt is to avoid just repeating these words and various synonyms. Instead, you focus on the “examples of how they have been demonstrated.” Show, don’t tell comes heavily into play here – it’s possible to write an exceptional response to this prompt without ever actually using the word “leadership” or “leader.”

Before you choose your examples, note that the prompt asks for a “recent” example. Ideally, this means in the last two years. You should definitely not go further back than your freshman year of high school. Additionally, try not to repeat activities or experiences you’ve discussed in detail elsewhere in your application.

You can pick more than one example, but keep in mind that this essay is very short . Offering a quality, detailed depiction of your leadership in just one situation is definitely preferable to just listing every leadership role you can think of.

If you hold formal leadership roles, this is definitely a great place to discuss them. However, don’t just list off and briefly describe your titles. Instead, describe what your leadership role involves. If you’re the president of a club, you could describe a “day in your life”—use vivid language to bring your responsibilities and skills to life. If you’re on student council, pick a particular initiative and use a detailed depiction of that situation to exemplify the leadership and collaboration skills that you’ve developed.

If there are no obvious formal leadership roles for you to cite, or if you’ve already discussed them in your Common App essay or other supplemental responses, then you should think outside the box.

Effective but unconventional responses can include:

• A depiction of how you’ve worked with peers on group projects.
• A leadership role you’ve taken on in your family.
• An instance when you took charge in extreme situations (getting lost on a hike, for example).

Once you’ve chosen your example(s), double check to make sure that these examples are conveying skills –this is, after all, the point of the essay.

If you choose just one example, your essay should focus on depicting a “moment” in that experience that demonstrates the skill that you are claiming you possess . An example of this:

• You could depict a moment of conflict (and how you resolved it) in your local church choir, which you chair.
• Demonstrate how you used your interpersonal skills to calm the situation, your strategic thinking skills to propose a solution, and your organizational skills to execute that solution.

A strong version of this essay wouldn’t just state what you did. Instead, it would set up the moment with detailed descriptions of what you felt, said and did.

If you choose to use more than just one example, here are a few ways to organize those examples. You can:

Use complementing experiences to show different facets of your leadership and collaboration. 

Perhaps you’ve been class president (requiring clear communication as a leader), worked in a restaurant as a member of the waitstaff (requiring a lot of collaboration), and interned with a local politician (where you found yourself leading other unruly interns by setting a good example). You can unite these examples under the thesis that you are a good verbal and non-verbal communicator who knows when to give directions and when to collaborate with others.

Emphasize a common thesis about your leadership.

Maybe in all your leadership experiences, you’ve found yourself in the position where you have to hold others accountable for their mistakes. You could give several examples of different instances (different roles) where you’ve developed the skills to do so.

Find a unifying theme of your leadership.

You could choose several examples of your experience leading in a high-pressure office setting. Here, the uniting theme is where the examples actually take place.

If a lot of your experience has been with biology research, you could choose several examples of times when you’ve collaborated or taken on a leadership role in a laboratory setting.

If you choose to thematize something like this, be sure that you’re still highlighting skills that you’ve gained, not just the setting or shared content of your experience.

BS-MBA Applicants, Prompt 6

Resiliency: transitioning to college can be a challenge. discuss the adjustments you believe you will need to make in order to be successful as you transition from high school to a college environment. (200 words).

To start out, brainstorm the major differences between your life as a high school student and the experiences you expect you’ll have in college. If you really don’t know what to expect, try to talk to friends or acquaintances who have already transitioned to college, or peruse some articles on the topic.

Here are a few of the major differences between high school and college for most students. Use this list as a jumping off point to consider what changes will be the most challenging for you.

• Moving away from home
• Having a less structured schedule and more freedom
• Larger class sizes, at least in introductory courses (this will definitely be true at a large school like Penn State)
• Acclimating to a completely new social environment
• Establishing healthy habits on your own
• Picking your classes and your major
• Communicating with professors
• Navigating a massive campus
• Managing your own finances

However, these are all general challenges that will affect most students – so you should also keep in mind any extenuating circumstances you might personally have that could foster more challenges specific to your situation. Noting these will add dimension to your essay as it will set you apart from others and keep your response sounding specific and genuine.

Once you’ve identified the differences between high school and college that matter the most to you, you’ll need to frame these as “adjustments.” How will you need to change in order to succeed at college?

• If you’re really close to your family members, you’ll need to develop patterns for staying in touch with them, and also find a new support system at college.
• If you are used to a super-structured school day, followed by extracurriculars, you’ll need to develop time management skills to make good use of the time between classes that is almost inevitable in college.  

Your goal here isn’t to argue that you already are prepared for college. Rather, it’s to show that you know what you need to do to succeed in college. The admissions committee wants to see that you have a strategy.

Of course, ideally, you can also show that you have the basic tools to implement this strategy. For example, if you focus on adjusting socially, you might talk about strategies you used to adjust socially to your high school and discuss how you plan to scale those strategies up for your transition to college.

In such a short response, your goal should not be to exhaustively list all the adjustments you’ll need to make to successfully transition to college. Instead, pick 2-3 and use personal examples to show that you’ve thought through this question carefully and have a solid plan to manage your transition.

BS-MBA Applicants, Prompt 7

Describe your biggest commitment. (150 words).

The prompt’s phrasing (“your biggest commitment”) dictates that you choose just one commitment—and it needs to be one that is obviously substantial. If it’s not the sort of thing that a reader would automatically think of as “big,” you need to be able to convincingly argue that it is, in fact, a sign of substantial responsibility in 150 words or less.

Strong options include:

• Family or interpersonal commitments.
• Significant leadership roles that you’ve taken on, or even academic commitments (a heavy course load, for example).
• Outside-the-box choices could also work here. For example, maybe you’re an avid rider; in that case, you could discuss the weighty commitment of ensuring the health and happiness of your horse.

It’s also possible to choose more abstract commitments. Perhaps you’ve committed to interacting with friends and family with absolute honesty. Or, maybe you’ve made some sort of religious or spiritual commitment. If you want to discuss a spiritual commitment, be sure to depict the role of that commitment in your everyday life—for example, through prayer, community service, or scriptural readings. If you’re not able to give these sorts of concrete depictions of what an “abstract” commitment in your life means, then it might be best to stick with a more straightforward topic for this essay.

As you’ll notice, the general supplemental questions ask about your activities and experiences, as do other questions in the BS/MBA-specific part of the supplement. This means that you will have already covered a lot of ground, and likely already discussed a number of things in your life that qualify as commitments. Though it might seem difficult, try not to double up on anything you’ve already discussed in detail (it’s fine if you’ve mentioned it in passing).

Once you’ve chosen a topic, it’s time to begin writing. Though there are many ways to go about filling your 150-word limit, the best responses will include specific depictions that show why this commitment is the “biggest” in your life. It’s easy to use up to 150 words with generalizations. Instead, try to depict a “moment” that exemplifies the weight of your commitment. If you’re talking about your commitment to caring for an ailing parent, this could mean describing in detail a moment of crisis when you were there for them, such as when you had to take them to the hospital. If your topic is academic, this could mean putting the reader into your head at a moment when you were stretched to your limits by your courses, such as the night before a big test.

If no single “moment” can convey the significance of your commitment, you can take a higher-level approach. If you’re writing about a leadership role you hold, this might mean describing the broader pool of people who depend on you, or what the consequences would be if you fail to fulfill your responsibilities. Though this approach is slightly more “zoomed out,” you still should use specific examples and vivid details whenever possible.

While your goal is to convey that you are comfortable taking on responsibilities and have a track record of following through, you don’t want to make yourself sound too overburdened. Use caution especially if you talk about a family or personal commitment. The admissions committee should not discriminate against applicants with personal or familial struggles, but there is a chance that they might subconsciously worry that you have too many burdens to succeed in an intensely rigorous academic program.

You don’t need to explicitly address this concern ( don’t say something like “I am committed to taking care of my mother, but this won’t detract from my ability to do well in college”). Instead, try and show that this commitment is not an obstacle by subtly emphasizing how you’ve already balanced it with myriad other responsibilities. For example, you could briefly describe how you’ve managed to help care for your ill mother while succeeding in high school and at multiple extracurriculars.

Overall, try to sound passionate and enthusiastic despite the weight the commitment holds in your life. Focus on the good parts to show your resilient and committed character, showing what you get out of the experience rather than just what you put into it. For instance, if you took piano lessons every day for 12 years, you could talk about how you have conquered a really difficult piece or composed your own piece. If you care for an ailing parent, talk about how this has strengthened your relationship with them, and how you are more capable and independent as a result of helping them out. Admissions officers want to see that you are able to handle a rigorous program, and showing examples of your optimistic attitude in the face of challenge can offset some of their worry about if you will fare well in the program.

BS-MBA Applicants, Prompt 8

Describe a time when you helped someone else succeed. (150 words).

College admission essay prompts are designed so that admissions officers can learn more about you – this prompt, however, is asking you to speak about yourself through the lens of helping someone else. You need to show rather than tell admissions officers about a time you helped someone succeed. You must also strike a balance between relaying their story with your own narrative within a small word count.

Typical examples of helping someone can happen within volunteer organizations, a tutoring role, sports coaching, or your family. Think about these situations and about the people who depend on you. Ruminate on how helping them succeed has personally affected and changed you. Did helping your younger brother with his math homework ignite your passion for teaching? Did helping a senior at your local senior center spark a friendship that crossed generations? Has coaching a student with learning disabilities inspired you to campaign for more inclusivity in sports and the world at large?

Your setup for this prompt should roughly follow the following format: A specific, vivid scene with you and the subject of your response and then a smooth transition into a bit of background as to what you did for them and how they succeeded. Then, discuss how the experience affected you and wrap it up with a sentence or two on how you plan to take the lessons you learned with you to the BS/MBA program, Penn State, your future career, or your greater approach to life in general. 

Where to Get Your Penn State Essays Edited for Free

Do you want feedback on your Penn State essays? After reading your essays over and over, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. Since they don’t know you personally, they can be a more objective judge of whether your personality shines through, and whether you’ve fully answered the prompt. 

You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. We highly recommend giving this tool a try!

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Freshman 101: applying to the schreyer honors college as a current student.

The Schreyer Honors College recently opened its annual application to current students and released its admission decisions to prospective Penn Staters.

One might think that Schreyer is exclusive to students who were accepted as first-year applicants, but current students are able to gain admittance, too. Whether you didn’t get in the first time or you’d like the benefits of being a Schreyer Scholar, you’re still able to shoot your shot.

Here are the two ways current students can become Schreyer Scholars:

Schreyer Application

Current students may apply to the honors college until May 15. This is a great way for current students to get comfortable in Penn State and later decide whether or not honors coursework is right for them.

There is a series of prerequisites, though. In addition to the application that includes two essay questions and an academic reference, students must meet Schreyer’s GPA and semester standing requirements. Applicants must possess a cumulative GPA of at least 3.70 at the time of the application, an application semester GPA of at least 3.50 for rising juniors, and 3.70 for rising sophomores. Students must also have at least one full-time semester completed at Penn State and a minimum of four full-time semesters remaining before graduation.

Even though current students entering the college don’t receive an Academic Excellence scholarship, Schreyer still offers all of the benefits that a typical scholar would receive.

You can visit Schreyer’s website or check out the Schreyer Handbook for more details on the program. The application closes on May 15.

Paterno Fellows Program

Students enrolled in the College of Liberal Arts can gain admittance to the honors college through the Paterno Fellows Program.

Unlike Schreyer, there is no application process for the Paterno Fellows Program, and any freshman or sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts is eligible. Students who are interested in the program can register on the Paterno Fellows database.

Once registered in the program, students must complete a series of prerequisite honors courses and keep at least a 3.5 GPA to become a Schreyer Scholar after one year.

You can check out the Paterno Fellows website and requirements to learn more about this option.

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About the Author

Frankie Marzano

Frankie is a senior accounting and economics major from Long Island, NY. You can probably recognize him as the typical Italian-American with slicked back black hair. He is an avid fan of the New York Rangers and Mets, along with every Penn State Athletics team. Follow him on Twitter @frankiemarzano for obnoxious amounts of Rangers and Penn State content or email him at [email protected] .

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Amplified Learning

Honors students at Penn State are empowered to learn and lead across our twenty undergraduate campuses , engaging in exclusive programs offered by both our academic colleges and the Schreyer Honors College. They receive support for their academic, extracurricular, and social interests in their ideal campus setting, benefiting from the extensive resources of a global university and the personalized attention of a private institution. It’s the ultimate blend of opportunity and support.

Small Classes, Robust Experiences

At Penn State, small honors classes offer a dynamic learning environment where students work closely with distinguished professors on complex global issues. These classes provide personalized instruction, in-depth discussions, hands-on learning, and detailed feedback.

For even more customization, independent study courses allow students to collaborate with faculty to create curriculum that aligns with their intellectual goals. Outside the classroom, students enhance their education through academic conferences, service-learning projects, experiential learning, and study abroad trips, broadening their global perspective.

The Sapphire Leadership Academic Program empowers future business leaders with unique leadership curriculum, professional development opportunities, and access to real-world business leaders through workshops and seminars.

The Paterno Fellows Program encourages students to challenge themselves in areas traditionally associated with the liberal arts, such as ethics, service, leadership, communication, and intercultural awareness. It is one of the only programs with a unique pathway that prepares current Penn State students for entry to the Schreyer Honors College.

Signature Engagements

Signature Honors Engagements at Penn State connect students and faculty with influential global figures through enriching experiences. These include the Honors Lecture Series, where distinguished speakers offer deep insights and research findings, and the Dilemmas of Democracy Program, which fosters year-long discussions on democratic challenges, culminating in a formal lecture and symposium.

World-class university.

QS World University Rankings, 2025

Alumni network that connects you for life.

Colleges with most alumni who are CEOs of Fortune 500 companies.

Academic Influence

Diverse Communities of Inspired Leaders

Penn State honors students lead in a range of civic and leadership activities, building valuable connections with peers and mentors.

Through community service, career coaching, literacy workshops, and social events, they engage actively in their communities. Their dedication to advocacy fuels their involvement in student organizations that address issues facing marginalized groups and expand career opportunities. Additionally, access to career resources and alumni mentors further promotes diverse perspectives and understanding.

Student-Adviser Connection

The connection between honors students and their advisers is essential to ensure our scholars thrive. Honors advisers guide students in optimizing their course selections, utilizing academic resources, and ensuring they are in the best major for their academic and career aspirations. Advisers also help students prepare for their honors thesis.

Perks and Recognition

Honors students at Penn State benefit from enhanced student services and special recognition of their accomplishments, including:

Priority course registration

Access to honors study lounges

Elevated library access with faculty-equivalent borrowing privileges

Honors housing at select campuses with special resident events

Honors notation on transcript

Honors recognition at Commencement

Schreyer Honors College

Consistently ranked among the nation’s top public honors colleges, the Schreyer Honors College offers students unparalleled opportunities for growth and success. Scholars benefit from one of the largest alumni engagement programs on campus, which helps them expand their professional networks and excel in competitive fields.

To gain entry, new Penn State students must submit a supplemental application for the Schreyer Honors College alongside their Penn State application. Current students with outstanding academic records may also be considered for admission with approval from their academic department.

Honors Programs by Campus

Campus-specific honors programs provide unique academic and extracurricular enrichment tailored to each location.

As part of the Penn State admissions process, students are automatically considered for these campus-based honors programs, each with its own selection criteria, ensuring a personalized fit for their academic journey.

• Greater Allegheny
• Lehigh Valley
• New Kensington
• Wilkes-Barre

Financial Support for Academic Success

Joining honors programs at Penn State often comes with financial support, easing the burden of expenses for students tackling challenging honors courses and commitments. Students can combine honors scholarships with other campus, college, and University scholarships to help cover their total costs of attendance.

Millenium Scholarship plus icon

Penn State’s Millenium Scholarship supports students pursuing STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). It covers the cost of in-state tuition and room and board for a standard double room, or the cost of out-of-state tuition that may be combined with other awards up to the full cost of attendance. In preparation for their Penn State journey, Millenium Scholars attend a six-week bridge program ahead of their first academic semester. 

Schreyer Scholarship plus icon

Students enrolled with the Schreyer Honors College receive a $5,000 Academic Excellence Scholarship , renewable for four years. Need-based scholarships and grants supporting student research, study abroad, and internships are also available through the Schreyer Honors College. Nearly $8 million in grants and scholarships are awarded every year. 

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Your Journey As a Scholar Starts Here Apply as a First-Year Student for Fall 2025

December 2 (11:59 PM EST) is the deadline to apply to the Schreyer Honors College for admission for Fall 2025.

Thursday, September 26, 2024 Dilemmas of Democracy

Eddie Glaude, Jr., the James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor at Princeton University will present Race and Democracy: America is Always Changing, but America Never Changes.

Through the Years History & Traditions

Learn about the rich history of the Schreyer Honors College — with stories and milestones that build upon what Penn State has done for nearly two centuries.

What Sets Us Apart The Schreyer Advantage

Receive an outstanding honors education at a top-tier public research university. Supercharge your education at Penn State and become a Scholar in the Schreyer Honors College.

A Community of Inspired Leaders

Learn about how our Scholars live, learn, and lead in the classroom, their communities, and around the world.

300+ honors courses taught by leading faculty

300 incoming first-year scholars, the latest from schreyer news & events, scholar and track star serving as a resource for young athletes august 17, 2021, stem libraries announce fall 2024 events for graduate, undergraduate students aug 27, 2024, penn state welcomes new cohort of emerging academic leaders for fall 2024 aug 20, 2024, $3 million estate gift to promote research, belonging and academic excellence aug 8, 2024, new faculty offered opportunities to enhance teaching with technology practices jul 26, 2024, upcoming events, donuts with the dean, career fair prep workshop, resume writing and resume updates, schreyer neighborhood bash, academic deadlines, thesis check-in for fall 2024 graduates, graduation activation, honors option deadline, schreyer plan due.

I have two older brothers who graduated from the Honors College, and I was able to see them go through their college experience and all the opportunities they had. I visited them a few times in Atherton Hall, which made me fall in love with the College. I saw this as a place where I can find great opportunities and do some really great things. Brenden Sosnader ' 19 Computer Science, Statistics

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Small Honors College, Large University Why Schreyer?

The Schreyer Honors College is truly unique. Our position within Penn State means that we can give our students access to the amazing resources of a major research institution while providing the support and community of a small liberal arts college. It's really the best of both worlds.

Joining the Honors College means that you will join a group of students who define the best in academic achievement, but who are also committed to changing their communities, their workplaces, and the world for the better.

What Sets Us Apart The Schreyer Advantage

The Schreyer Honors College is widely and consistently recognized as one of the top undergraduate programs in the United States. With access to distinguished faculty, smaller honors class sizes, and individualized support, the honors experience at Penn State is designed to position students for success.

Top Honors College

Penn State's Schreyer Honors College is one of seven public university honors programs that received a top rating from PublicUniversityHonors.com.

300+ Honors Courses

A vibrant learning experience led by captivating instructors. These small, enrollment-capped classes are driven by lively, challenging discussions and energetic debate.

IUG Programs

Earn a bachelor's and a master's degree within five years.

Our Community

Live among motivated students who are committed to making the most of their undergraduate experiences both inside and outside of the classroom.

Honors Thesis

As a Scholar you are required to complete an undergraduate honors thesis representing the culmination of your honors experience.

Priority Registration

Schreyer Scholars are able to schedule classes first — well before course registration begins for most Penn State students.

$7,900,000+ Awarded

Over 7.9 million dollars is awarded to Scholars in grants and scholarships on a yearly basis to support our mission.

Signature Study Abroad

We believe a well-developed and experience-based global perspective is critical to your success, wherever your path might lead after graduation.

Start Here, Go Anywhere Where Our Graduates Go

• Recent Graduates
• Five- and Ten-Year Outcomes

Recent Graduates (2021-22)

Graduating with honors from Penn State opens up a world of opportunity. Scholar alumni can be found working, serving, and learning on six of the seven continents and all around the United States at top-tier graduate schools, leadership positions in commerce and industry, and some of the most esteemed public service initiatives.

Wherever you want to go from here, the Schreyer Honors College will help you get there.

Five- and Ten-Year Outcomes (2016-17 and 2011-12)

The Schreyer Honors College tradition of academic excellence follows our Scholars well into their futures. Review the breakdown of post-baccalaureate degrees obtained by Scholars five and ten years after they've graduated from the Honors College.

The five- and ten-year outcomes project was a collaboration between Schreyer Honors College Career Development and Penn State's Office of Planning and Assessment. All data was collected from the National Student Clearinghouse to create a complete and accurate picture of the paths our Scholars took in post-baccalaureate work.

Schreyer offers so many unique experiences and for me, a pre-med student, it was touring Weill Cornell Medicine. It made me feel like no matter what I wanted to do — no matter what my ambitions were — Schreyer found a way to make them possible by giving me the support and foundation and outlet to pursue them. Siddhi Deshpande ' 22 Neurobiology

Your Academic Path Honors Courses & Options

Honors courses are a central component of the academic experience offered at the Schreyer Honors College. To serve our diverse and engaged student body, more than 300 of these honors courses are offered across a variety of subjects — whatever your interests and goals might be, you'll find honors courses to suit them.

Engaged Study Honors Courses

An honors course is a vibrant learning experience led by captivating instructors. With small classes of students, honors classroom dynamics are driven by lively, challenging discussion and energetic debate. Below are some examples of honors courses.

Science, Ethics, Policy and Law

Representing Women and Gender in Literature, Art and Popular Culture

Artistic Patronage in Europe

Mesopotamian Civilization

Enhanced Courses Honors Options

An honors option is an agreement between you and the instructor of a course, with the approval of your honors adviser, to incorporate honors elements into a non-honors course. This gives the completed course an "honors attribute" on your transcript, and the credits count toward Schreyer Honors College requirements . Honors option requests are submitted via the Student Records System (SRS) and are due the 3rd Friday of the semester.

When you design an honors option, the aim is to provide significant enrichment without changing the core course. Honors option work may substitute for specified regular (syllabus-prescribed) work, or it may be additional. The honors option work should account for between 10 and 25 percent of the course grade, not as extra credit but embedded in the course grade.

There are two models for the honors option, traditional and review essay, as explained below.

• Tenure-line faculty (titles of assistant professor, associate professor, or professor) can supervise honors options in any format, subject to approval of your honors adviser
• Other instructors (titles of lecturer, instructor, teaching professor, research professor) can only supervise the review essay option unless they have approval of the Schreyer Honors College
• Graduate student instructors may not supervise honors options
• Adjunct (non full-time) instructors may only offer honors courses with special permission from the lead honors adviser of the department where the course is located (which may be different from the student's major), and from the Associate Dean of the Honors College. Do not propose an honors option with an adjunct instructor before consulting with [email protected] .
• Traditional
• Review Essay

Traditional Honors Option

For eligible faculty, honors options can take any form consistent with the general description above, subject only to the approval of your honors adviser. The range of possible honors option work is very broad — everything that could be part of an honors course, if that course existed. In courses with a professional practice orientation, additional or more intensive practice does not in itself constitute an acceptable honors option. There should always be a strong component of scholarly inquiry and reflection.

Review Essay Honors Option

While a traditional honors option may take many forms, the Faculty Advisory Committee of the Honors College has approved a standardized model based upon a review essay. This model has wide applicability across disciplines and majors and guarantees honors-appropriate enrichment.

This model of the honors option is required when the instructor is not eligible to offer the traditional honors option. It is strongly recommended for eligible faculty who are relatively new to Penn State, or have not previously offered honors options. It can be an attractive option for faculty who are eligible and experienced, but who are concerned about the time commitment of traditional honors options involving research or project supervision.

What is A Review Essay?

A review essay is a comparative analysis of several pieces of scholarly literature on a particular topic. It is a free-standing version of the "literature review" that is typically an early chapter of the undergraduate honors thesis. The pieces reviewed, typically journal articles, should be related rather than random, but they should be sufficiently different in questions posed, approaches used, or findings/results, to make for interesting comparisons in the review essay. The review essay should demonstrate your ability to summarize multiple works efficiently, analyze and critique them (going beyond "compare and contrast" to assessing the extent to which they ask the most important questions and get reliable answers), and suggest next steps for research.

The choice of scholarly articles is key to the successful and intellectually worthwhile completion of the honors option, so you should discuss this extensively with the instructor. The selected articles should be related but not redundant, keeping in mind that multiple people may be working on nearly identical things and getting them published in different journals.

Expectations for the Review Essay

While review essays can be of varying lengths and can be about varying numbers of works, for the honors option review essay we require the following:

• 4 to 6 scholarly articles under review
• Uniform overall organization: statement of overall topic or question, discussion of articles, summary with directions for future research
• Appropriate page length as determined by the instructor and honors adviser, subject to review by the Honors College

The honors option proposal for review essays does not have to list the specific articles, because that level of detail may not be possible by the submission deadline. The proposal should, however, specify the topic of the review essay, the number of articles to be reviewed, examples of journal titles, the expected length of the review essay, and a deadline within the semester for finalizing the articles to be reviewed.

It’s through Schreyer that I found my business fraternity. I’ve found so many different people who have been great friends, but who have also helped me network professionally. Jonathan McKellar ' 18 Mathematics, Economics

Your Academic Path Honors Courses & Credit

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Pennsylvania State University | Penn State’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Select-a-prompt short response.

Short Answers

What do you hope to get at Penn State as a Schreyer Scholar to help you accomplish your future goals and aspirations?

If you were able to go anywhere in the world, outside of the country you currently reside, where would you go and why?

Tell us about your leadership experiences (community roles, family contributions, research, clubs, organizations, etc.) and why leadership is important to you. Describe the challenges and/or successes you’ve faced in these roles.

List awards or other recognitions you have received in or outside of school over the last 4 years. Which award or recognition means the most to you and why?

Tell us about a book or other media that has made you think about something in a new way.

Consider a time when you had to collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds or with different perspectives. How did this experience contribute to your personal growth and understanding of others?

Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups, including: shared geography, faith, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities or groups to which you belong and describe how it has influenced your life over the last four years.

Please use this space to share information you would like us to consider that has not been discussed elsewhere in your Schreyer Honors College application. This could include obstacles you’ve overcome, something you’re proud of that is not discussed elsewhere, or anything else you choose.

Personal Statement Short Response

Please tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at Penn State. This is your opportunity to tell us something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records.

Extracurricular Essay

Please use this space to list or discuss your activities other than academic work during the last several years (for example: school organizations, jobs, athletics, the arts, community service, religious groups, or other individual interests).

Schreyer Honors College Essay 1

Describe a problem you‘ve solved or a problem you‘d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could take to identify a solution.

Schreyer Honors College Essay 2

Isaac Asimov wrote: “Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.” Do you agree? Is such censorship ever justified? If not, explain why. If so, who or what should determine which books are read and which books are forbidden.

Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (BS/MD) Short Response 1

Describe one non-academic activity during your high school years that has been the most meaningful to you.

Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (BS/MD) Short Response 2

Write a personal statement indicating why you want to be a physician, why you want an accelerated program and why you’ve selected this Penn State/Kimmel program.

Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (BS/MD) Short Response 3

Describe what you think your strongest qualities are as well as weaknesses that you would like to improve upon.

Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (BS/MD) Short Response 4

Tell us about a time you were unsuccessful and how you grew from this experience.

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Penn State Honors College Essays; Yale Supplemental Essays

Written by College Coach Guest Author on October 27th, 2021

Bright Horizons College Coach occasionally features blog posts written by guest authors. You’ll find more information about each guest author in the About the Author section on the blog post.

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Pennsylvania State University Essay Guide 2019-2020

Found in the heart of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University (PSU) is a public, land-grant university with a multitude of locations and the primary campus being at University Park, Pennsylvania. PSU has an undergraduate body of over 40,000 students, with an admission rate hovering in the low to mid-50s over the past three years. For the Class of 2022, the middle 50% of applicants had a high school GPA between 3.55-3.97 out of a 4.0 scale and SAT score between 1250-1430 or ACT score between 28-32.

According to the 2017 US News & World Report , PSU ranks #50 overall for best college experience for undergraduates and is ranked #14 among national public universities. Many factors contribute to a student’s evaluation: academic record, standardized test scores, personal statements, cultural and geographic background, and activities. PSU strives to look at the holistic individual and chooses a diverse class of students in all aspects of life.

For students admitted for Fall 2019 and following, PSU has slightly modified its general education curriculum. The baccalaureate degree consists of no less than 120 credits, where students are permitted to take courses beyond the minimum. PSU allows for early action admission, direct application into a major of study granted the student satisfies requirements and also has several special accelerated programs. To list a few at the University Park campus, there is the seven-year BS/MD program, the five-year BS/MBA, the Schreyer Honors College, and many more at one of 18 other PSU affiliated campuses.

To help you with the writing process, we wrote this essay guide specifically for PSU’s supplemental essays. 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.

The Penn State Essay Prompts

Prompt 1: please tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at penn state. this is your opportunity to tell us something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records. we suggest a limit of 500 words or fewer..

With the incredible amount of applications submitted each year, try to make the admission officer’s job easier by writing a concise, unique, fluid essay . The essay should tell a story that gives the officer an idea of what kind of person you are while allowing yourself to show off a bit . For example, have you participated in community service or have volunteering experience that has taught you a lesson that can translate to your success at Penn State? Do you play any instruments or sports that have allowed you to travel or gain insight into other cultures? Are you from a military background, has the process of moving to different homes helped you learn to adapt quickly?

To find that desired topic I suggest creating a list of experiences or activities and then writing a short description for each one. This will help with the second prompt because, even if the topic you start with doesn’t end up being the final choice, you can start to pick the activities that mean the most to you. Also, you will have already started brainstorming and writing about your general experiences that may be useful in essays for other schools.

Prompt 2: Please use this space to list or discuss your activities other than academic work during the last several years (for example: school organizations, jobs, athletics, the arts, community service, religious groups, or other individual interests). You may already have an activities resume or list prepared and should feel free to paste it into the space below. We suggest a limit of 500 words or fewer.

The key to this prompt is to brainstorm a few categories (e.g. traveling) in addition to the ones listed and write a quick sentence or two about each activity within that category. Make sure that the description highlights the key takeaways from each activity as you want to try and keep the supplemental essay under 500 words. However, even if the word total exceeds 500, don’t fret as the flow and significance of the activities can mean more to the admissions officer.

If you have only a few activities you would like to describe, feel free to go into more detail and write a compelling story so that the admission officer can understand your passion for said activities. However, if you have too many topics and are unable to sufficiently describe each activity, you can pick one for each category or choose which are most important to you.

Other Program-Specific Prompts

5 year ms/mba of eberly college of science, prompt 3. select the scientific discipline above that is most interesting to you. why do you want to devote 4 years of college studying it (astronomy & astrophysics, biochemistry and molecular biology, biology, biotechnology, chemistry, mathematics, microbiology, physics, statistics) (200 words max).

Think about what has interested you in and out of school, do you have a curiosity or passion for any of these subjects? Have you considered how business will factor into your academic plans?

Prompt 4: Inclusiveness and Diversity: In an increasingly global community, it is essential that students gain cultural competency. In what way have you demonstrated a commitment to this mission? (200 Words Max)

Cultural competency refers to your ability to communicate and interact with people of different cultures. This could be attributed to traveling to different countries or meeting people of various backgrounds in your neighborhood. In this essay, you should demonstrate that you are able to recognize your own views, acknowledge cultural differences, have a positive attitude towards others, and plan to continue doing all of these things in the future.

Prompt 5: Goals: Discuss your career aspirations. How would the Science BS/MBA program help you reach those goals? (200 Words Max)

Your career aspirations can be at any moment after graduation, even 20 years down the road. What is important is that you have some idea of where you what to be at each stage and that you include it in your response. You should also do research on this program, find out what previous graduates did, and look at the curriculum to determine what this program has to offer that is unique and interesting to you.

Prompt 6: Leadership: Please discuss your leadership and collaboration skills. Give recent examples of how they have been demonstrated. (200 Words Max)

Pick one or two examples at most to effectively paint a complete story of you as a leader. If you are unable to think of an example, explain a hypothetical but realistic situation where you can showcase your leadership and collaboration skills.

Prompt 7: Resiliency: Transitioning to college can be a challenge. Discuss the adjustments you believe you will need to make in order to be successful as you transition from high school to a college environment. (200 Words Max)

Whether you believe you need to make adjustments or have already made them, make sure you include a broader list and then narrow down the answers to respond to this prompt.

Prompt 8: Describe your biggest commitment. (150 Words Max)

This prompt allows some flexibility if you think one aspect of yourself has not been thoroughly showcased, you are able to go into more depth here.

Prompt 9: Describe a time when you helped someone else succeed. (150 Words Max)

Think about your family, friends, peers, or even strangers and create a list with a brief description under each potential answer.

Prompt 10: Using three adjectives, how would you like others to perceive you? (3 Words Max)

Do not overthink this answer , one solution could be to try and summarize your previous prompts so that each adjective has a supporting essay to go along with it.

Schreyer Honors College

Prompt 11: describe a typical day in your life in 2050. consider what your professional life will look like, what technologies you might use, and how you will interact with your personal network (friends, family, etc.) and the world at large..

This prompt allows you to be creative, but you should contain your answers to what you would be able to gain specifically from being a Schreyer Honors student (i.e. the network perks and additional educational benefits). Try to look for previous Schreyer Scholar testaments to the benefits of being one of these students.

Prompt 12: Describe a situation in which you moved outside your comfort zone, interacting with people whose experiences and/or beliefs are different from your own. What was your initial response and how did you adapt? Walk us through the situation and explain what impact it had on you.

Approach this question in a multitude of ways:

• Have you traveled to a new country with family or by yourself?
• Have you met anybody during community service who has left a lasting impact?
• Did you partake in work that involved being adaptive?

Regardless of the specific situation, be sure to include how you were initially presented with an uncomfortable situation, how you thought to remedy the situation, what you chose to execute in action, and the overall response.

Prompt 13: “A picture is worth a thousand words” refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single picture. If you could submit a selfie from anywhere in the world that would tell us about your beliefs and passion, where would you take this photo? What insight would this photo provide about you?

Again, think about what you want to show the admissions officer that you have been unable to explain in previous essays or your resume.

This essay guide was written by Victor Shen , PSU Class of 2018. If you want to get help writing your PSU application essays from Victor or other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

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schreyer honors college essays

<p>I’m a little disappointed to know that the application won’t be released until September, so I can’t get a head start. Does anyone know what the essays were last year, or any year for that matter? Do all three of them basically follow the same guidelines as the Common App. essay (as far as length and how you’re supposed to show yourself through them) ? Also, if anyone has been accepted there, do you have any tips, advice, or could you post how life has been at the college for you? Thank you!!</p>

<p>the essays are up</p>

<p>but i don’t know how long they’re supposed to be</p>

<p>Really? where can I find them?</p>

<p>[Schreyer</a> Honors College](<a href=“ http://www.shc.psu.edu %5DSchreyer”> http://www.shc.psu.edu ), then go to the “future students”, then “how to apply”, then “essay questions”</p>

<p>thanks so much! (:</p>

Academic Enrichment Honors Courses & Options

Honors courses are a central component of the academic experience offered at the Schreyer Honors College. To serve our diverse and engaged student body, more than 300 of these honors courses are offered across a variety of subjects. In cases where an honors course is not available, Scholars have the option to inquire about an honors option.

Honors Courses

Honors courses should have specific enrichment goals beyond the regular version of the course. If there is no regular version, especially in the case of “special topics” courses, the baseline for building on enrichment goals should be non-honors courses at that level in the department.

Schreyer Honors College Faculty Advisory Committee's statement on honors courses:

Honors courses engage students deeply, creatively, and ethically with the complexities of a scholarly subject. Honors courses challenge students to examine underlying frameworks, evaluate details of a subject, synthesize those details, and create, develop, or construct an advanced perspective. The content and assessment methods of honors courses provide enhanced opportunities for independent and innovative thinking.

This statement reserves to the instructor all decisions about how this engagement with complexity should happen, but we recognize that many instructors are open to additional guidance.

Suggestions for Design or Refinement of the Honors Course Syllabus

Relate honors enrichment to the honors college mission.

If our mission is to have real relevance, it should be expressed in signature aspects of the honors experience such as honors courses. Because the official statement of our mission is very general, we have reformulated it (while also considering our vision and values statements) in more specific terms based on the work of several faculty committees . Any honors course that engages with one or more of the four themes (Scholarship, Ethics, Global Interdependency/Respect for Human Differences, and Collaboration and Leadership) meets our expectations for enrichment. Note that the “Academic Excellence with Integrity” aspect of our mission has been elaborated under “Scholarship” to highlight the importance of scholarly communication, which is a reliable emphasis for most honors courses.

Consult with Departmental Honors Advisers

Especially for faculty who do not have much prior experience with Schreyer Scholars, the department honors adviser (some majors have more than one — see the honors advisor listing here ) can tell you what honors students expect from honors courses in your major. They may also be familiar with past honors course offerings.

Don't Sell Regular Courses Short

Over the past few decades Penn State and other large universities have significantly improved large-group instruction. It's no longer enough simply to reference the smaller class size of honors courses, or their focus on discussion, as guarantees of worthwhile enrichment. It is important to specify the nature of the enrichment in the syllabus, so students understand what to expect.

Honors Options

Most Schreyer Scholars will take one or more honors options during their time at Penn State, and instructors of a regular (non-honors) course may be asked by a student to offer this enrichment opportunity. The decision to offer (supervise) an honors option is always yours as the instructor. Here is some important information to help you make that decision, and to guarantee a worthwhile enrichment experience if you agree.

Please contact [email protected] with any questions related to honors options.

Overall Purpose & Expectations

Like most honors programs and colleges nationally, Penn State does not have enough honors courses across the curriculum (especially in the upper division) for students to meet their honors credit requirements solely with honors courses and the eventual honors thesis. A successful honors option should give the student a significantly enriched experience for part of the course, sufficient to justify an honors transcript notation and satisfaction of requirements.

There are many worthwhile forms of enrichment, and several possibilities are suggested in our discussion of honors courses above. We specifically don't want honors options to “pile on” the same sort of work, e.g. longer problem sets or essays but with the same content or prompt.

In the past we also insisted that honors options should remove some part of the syllabus-prescribed graded work in order to add a corresponding amount of enriched work. While the preferred honors option model removes some part of the syllabus-prescribed graded work in order to add a corresponding amount of enriched work, we also permit enriched work to be additional rather than substituted for regular work. However, in all cases without exception (a) the enriched work must count for between 10 and 25% of the course grade, and (b) the total grading rubric must equal 100%. In other words, if the enriched work is additional, the other work must be pro-rated down to 75 to 90% of the course grade according to the percentage assigned to the enriched work.

Eligible Courses & Instructors

All courses are nominally eligible for the honors option, however, in practice some courses are not a good fit such as lower-level world language, math or science below Penn State's standard first-semester placement, etc. While there is no policy against honors options in courses where an actual honors version is available at the campus, it's probably a good idea to decline those requests unless there are special circumstances.

While it is legitimate for a student to propose an honors option in something outside their major, whether general education or purely elective, you are certainly entitled to inquire about their genuine interest in enrichment in the course. There is always some element of necessity (fulfillment of requirements) in student requests for honors options, but some genuine degree of enrichment interest is necessary to justify your extra work as an instructor.

The only instructors who may not offer honors options by college policy are graduate students and adjuncts — this is to protect them from exploitation as people who are paid by the course (and who, in the case of grad students, are primarily here for something else.) We will consider exceptions to the rule for adjuncts if they have the support of their department, as expressed by the lead honors adviser to the Schreyer Honors College associate dean for academic affairs. Teaching faculty may offer honors options on the same basis as tenure-line faculty, unless their department specifies otherwise. If you are teaching faculty, please make sure the proposed honors option is consistent with your time and resource constraints — for instance, the student shouldn't propose to do work in your lab if you don't have one!

Proposal Process & Approval Path

Students must propose the honors option via the college's Student Records System , but they shouldn't submit that before discussion with the faculty member. Once submitted—which should be by the end of the third week of the semester—the instructor will receive an automated email prompt to review the proposal. You may approve it, return it for revisions, or reject it, but that last option should only be if the student submitted without consultation with you, or if they submitted against your wishes. Once approved, whether initially or after revisions, the proposal goes to the student's honors adviser for review; while this is usually pro-forma, the honors adviser is our agent and is expected to return proposals for revision by the student if they don't meet the standards described here, or if they lack sufficient detail. Our office also does a cursory review of all proposals to make sure they have sufficient detail, since the honors option is a contract for specific work.

Closing the Loop

The proposal should be clear about the expected work product and when it's due — which should be no later than the last day of classes for the semester. Assuming the work is completed satisfactorily, you enter the course grade in the usual way in LionPath (taking into account the percentage assigned to the enriched work in the proposal, and our overall policies above). There will be no special notation in LionPath that the student is doing an honors option, so it's up to you to remember although our office will send a reminder late in the semester.

Students sometimes want to cancel (rescind) an honors option, and they can do so by doing a petition in our Student Records System prior to the last day of classes. While they don't need your permission as the instructor to do that, they should certainly consult with you first. This is especially true if they proposed substitute work, since if the enriched work isn't completed, they will need your approval to revert to the usual work.

Enriched work done poorly (or even not at all) impacts that percentage of the course grade assigned to it (from 10 to 25%), but the course will still get the honors notation. A student might therefore drop from A to B for the course, get the honors notation, while totally failing to complete the enriched work. While this is rare, we encourage you to build incremental deadlines into the proposal, or to have the enriched work due early enough that any deficiencies can be addressed.

I know that in Schreyer, I have a community that embodies everything there is to love about Penn State.  Whether it's sharing our passionate blue and white spirit at the football games or collaborating on team projects for honors classes, the family I have made in Schreyer has certainly shaped my Penn State experience. Hannah Lombardo ' 20 Science BS/MBA