The University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia in an urban setting. Founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin, UPenn’s alumni include Warren Buffet, Gloria Allred, and John Legend. With an acceptance rate of just 5.68%, this Ivy League is a very competitive school. Its undergrad population is about 10,000. Here are some tips for the supplement:
Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, how will you explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania? For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer these questions in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay. (300-450 words)
Typically, schools will ask a version of the above and the below in one question: “why x school.” But here, they’ve broken it into two parts. The first part (above) can also be read as “why x major/program.” We advise our kids to develop an academic niche throughout high school. This should be a specific area of expertise (i.e. Russian Literature is better than just English). When applying to your school of choice, your mission should be to show that you and that school are a perfect fit academically. Start off by telling the origin story of your academic niche. This shouldn’t be a big deal, emotional story. It can be as simple as talking about how you picked up a copy of a Dostoevsky book in 8th grade and became determined to slog through it. Next, do a deep dive into the academic offerings at Penn. Identify the major or program that best aligns with your niche and talk about the courses offered (high-level classes only). Talk about the professors from that program and the research their doing and why it interests you. Then, write a conclusion.
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)
This prompt also requires some research. Look into the extracurriculars and clubs offered at the school that align with your niche. Write about why those are interesting to you and connect the dots between what you’ve accomplished academically and in terms of extracurriculars in your niche. Finally, talk about the location of the school and why that’s interesting to you. Is Philadelphia significant to your area of expertise? Does being in an urban environment make a difference? Then, conclude.
If you wish to submit a resume, please upload it here (not required).
We have a rule at TKG, which is that all of the “optional” parts of an application are required. Write a resume. Make sure it’s no more than one-page and is nicely formatted. Create a header with your name and contact information. Also include your high school, GPA and expected graduation date at the top. Talk about each of your activities with a line of description. Include any hobbies or interests that align with your academic niche. Pretty simple.
The UPenn app is pretty straightforward, but the key is making the connection between the school and your own academic accomplishments/ambitions. It’s easy to write this application well, but in a world of lowering acceptance rates, your task will be to write it exceptionally.
Need some help crafting a resume? Call us. We’re experts at helping students effectively highlight their accomplishments.