The University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. About 10,000 undergraduate students attend the school that is known for top-notch business and liberal arts programs. The acceptance rate for the class of 2024 was 8%.

Penn’s supplement has not changed since last year, but as always, we like to take a fresh look at things. Our notes are below:

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)

Penn is not messing around with these questions. The wording is concise and nowhere do they mention the word “undecided.” If you are the kind of student who wants to figure things out when they get to college, Penn is not the place for you. They are looking for passionate high school students who are going to enter Penn with a clearly defined academic plan, and then execute it. Let’s break the question up into two parts:

“How did you discover your intellectual and academic interests?”

This is where you’ll tell Penn your origin story, which is an anecdote about how your academic interests came about. Explain why you want to study X major. We focus on small stories here, often those that take place a few years back when a light bulb went off or a budding interest came to the forefront. Just be careful that you’re not suggesting that you understood complicated subject matter at age five. To answer this part of the question, you do not need to mention Penn. Just flesh out your academic interests with a story, which will serve as a direct lead into the second part of the supplement.

“How will you explore them at the University of Pennsylvania?”

The rest of your response will explore how your interests and Penn’s offerings intersect. Ground your anecdote from above at Penn by showing how you’ll further your interests. You’ll need:

Your intended major: Yes, in writing! Tell Penn that you’re applying to study X major.
Two upper-level classes that you want to take, along with reasons why: Let’s say you’re applying to Penn to study political science. You’ll then want to find two upper-level courses (200 and above) that align with the things you’ve done thus far in high school. Rely on coursework, jobs, internships, online courses, and books that you’ve read to explain why you want to take two courses. You shouldn’t pick introductory level courses because those are not specific to Penn.
A professor who you’d like to learn from or do research with. While you’re on the homepage of your major, look into the expertise and interests of all of the professors. It does not matter which one you pick, but you need to be familiar with their line of work in order to successfully pitch yourself as a valid addition to their research team. Again, rely on your knowledge and explain why you’d be a good fit.
Penn specific opportunities. If there is an internship, study abroad program or special opportunity that is ~truly~ Penn specific, you can include it here. Just make sure that you’re not writing about something that can be found at any other colleges.

After you’ve found all of the information, take a look at what you have. Just like with your common app essay, there should be a narrative flow to your supplement. Weave details about Penn’s academic offerings in with information about yourself to show that there is a strong link, and that Penn is the only place you can truly advance your goals.

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)*

The first prompt is all about academics, and the second will address how you’ll spend your time outside of the classroom. And again, the structure is set up perfectly.

First, look into Penn’s student clubs and organizations. You can start with this link, but you’ll need to dig deeper into the depths of Google. Looking at the clubs on Facebook and Instagram (if they have one) is another option. If you end up going to Penn, you can join any club that you want. But for this supplement, you need to write about something that makes sense within the context of the rest of your application. This means that the club that you choose should be an extension of something that you did in high school. Following this method will allow you to answer the second part of the supplement: how your identity and perspective will help shape this community. The wording here is a bit intimidating, but they’re really asking how you’ll contribute to the club.

So if you write about a literary magazine, explain how you revamped the one at your high school. In essence, explain how your past experiences will make you a good fit for the club. Keep this in mind: your excitement about joining the club should be clear to the admissions team, but you should spend an equal amount of time explaining how you’ll contribute. Once you’re done writing, edit! Go through several rounds of revisions until you’re sure that you’re submitting your best work.

Penn is looking for focused students who can clearly explain their goals both inside and outside of the classroom. Start your research process now!

If you want help brainstorming and crafting stand-out essays, contact us here.