The University of Pennsylvania is a private, research institution in Philadelphia, PA. UPenn is the only Ivy League school with an undergraduate nursing school, but they are probably more famous for its business school, the Wharton School of Business. UPenn has around an 8% acceptance rate, however, they strangely did not release an acceptance rate for the Class of 2026, so this number is from a previous year. If you are serious about Penn, we highly suggest thinking about applying early. They choose a good chunk of the class during early decision and have a higher acceptance rate of around 15% ED. UPenn changed their supplement a bit this year so we wanted to break down it and give some tips on how to craft a stand-out supplement.
Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words)*
This is probably one of the more creative supplement questions we have seen in a while. There are two ways to approach this. One would be to use the text of the note to answer this question, however, they encourage the other route and we do as well.
The first step is to think about who to write to. It’s best to choose someone that will let you talk about yourself in some way. This might sound callus but every question can and should be used to highlight something about yourself. If you choose a teacher whose class was meaningful to you, you can use this to highlight an academic passion. You can choose a coach and showcase your commitment through the lens of sports. If you choose a family member, you can get personal about something important to you. Take some time to think about which person best aligns with something you want to showcase about yourself.
The next step is to write the letter. Make a mental note about how writing this letter feels. How easy or hard was it to write? What emotions did you have at the time? This can be part of your essay. Once you are happy with your note, give it to the person. Take some more mental notes on this experience as well. How did they respond? What did they say? Quick side note, it’s ok to choose someone you can’t give it to. Maybe they passed away, maybe they were from a different chapter of your life and you don’t have their contact info, etc. You can still reflect on the experience.
Now it’s time to write this essay. It should feel like a story. You should introduce the person and tell the reader how you know them. You can also write about why they need to be thanked. The next step is to write about writing the letter. Meta, we know. You can choose to include some of the text from the letter or not in this story. It’s a short essay so feel out if you have time or not. Then write about giving the letter to your person and how it felt and what they said. This prompt is creative so feel free to get creative in your writing and response.
How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)*
Penn really cares about on-campus life. They are looking for people who are going to do more on campus than just study. This is your opportunity to prove you fit that bill. They use the word “community” in this prompt and that sometimes freaks students out. Mostly because they think they have to talk about an ethnic or religious community. While you can 100% write about that, there are a lot of different kinds of communities that are just as good to write about. People who love poetry are a community. A volunteer group can be a community. People who live in a certain area can be a community. You probably belong to a wide number of communities.
The first step is to do a little research. Specifics in this essay are your friend. You should look into clubs, opportunities, and campus life at Penn to do this essay right. You should choose on-campus spaces and clubs that already align with something you are doing. For example, if you are in a dance club at your high school, you could write about the arts and theater community at Penn. UPenn has several community hubs. These include an LGBTQ center, a Black Student Union, a Writers Community, and a Community Service house. If you don’t know what to talk about, this is a good place to start. But you can also look into specific clubs that align with your interests.
Once you talk about how a community or two on campus relates to a community you are already a part of, it’s time to talk about how you would interact with it at Penn. You can include both what you would hope to get from the community and what you would give back. These essays work best if you also talk about why this community is important to you and a bit about your history with it so far.
Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, describe how you intend to explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania. (150-200 words)*
This essay essentially asks “why do you want to go here?” And asks you to answer academically. Penn has four undergraduate schools and you should do some research not only into your school of choice but also on what majors they offer.
Most Penn students won’t declare a major until their sophomore year. You can always change your mind later, but in this essay, you should act like you have your entire academic journey mapped out 100%. In general the more specific about your academic journey you can get the better. For example, saying you want to be an English major is fine. Saying you want to major in English with a concentration in Theory and Cultural Studies with a minor in Art History is better.
The first step in this essay is to introduce an academic passion you have, how you fell in love with it, and how you have already pursued it in some way. For example, maybe you read a book on crime statistics and it made you interested in Criminology. You did research on your own, fell in love with it, and now you hope to major in it at Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences. The next step is to mention some specific higher-level classes, a professor, and any specific opportunities that drew you to studying your interest at Penn. For example, if you were writing about Criminology at Penn, you could talk about why you want to take Quantitative Methods for Public Policy and Neighborhood Dynamics of Crime. Quick note, avoid any 100s level classes. These are usually introductory classes and they are similar across schools. It's better to look at higher-level classes because they are more university-specific. For example, Forensic Analysis is a better choice than Criminology 101.
Once you have talked about classes, name a professor that you would want to assist in research and what drew you to them. It should look something like, “I would love to assist Dr. Charles Loeffler. I am very interested in his research into criminal record expungement and juvenile crime because...”
You can also mention specific academic opportunities on campus. For example, the criminology department houses the Crime and Justice Policy Lab. You can also talk about academic opportunities on campus at large. Penn has CURF or the Center for Undergrad Research and Fellowships. You could also talk about how Penn lets students take classes across their 4 undergraduate schools. Or how you are interested in Academically Based Community Service (ABCS) courses. Anything specific to Penn and academic is fair game here, however, this essay is short, so you might not get the chance to mention everything you want. That is fine. Focus on your major and streamline your essay.
UPenn’s supplement takes a little time researching and also a little time having a moment with someone important in your life. Give yourself enough time to take it on. Their essays are not particularly long or tricky, so take a deep breath and do your best.
Still don’t know where to start? We got you covered. Reach out here.