Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words)
UPenn Thank You Note Slides
Q: What is this essay's goal?
A:
The prompt tests your capacity for gratitude and reflection.
The key is choosing an unexpected person.
Explain a specific, delayed realization.
Q: Who should you thank?
A:
Avoid the obvious: Don't pick your parents or a favorite teacher.
Select an "unsung hero" whose impact you didn't appreciate until much later.
Examples: a rival who pushed you to be better, a janitor whose quiet dignity taught you about respect, a younger sibling who taught you patience.
Q: How to structure the note?
A:
Follow this three-part narrative.
The Specific Memory: Address the person directly. Start with a concrete moment you shared.
The Delayed Realization: Explain what they did and why its true meaning only became clear later.
The Thank You and Lasting Impact: State your gratitude explicitly. Connect their action to the person you are today.
Q: Can you provide a concrete example?
A:
A Specific Memory: "Dear Coach Sarah, I'm not sure you'll remember, but during that regional final, you took me out of the game after my second error. I was furious."
The Delayed Realization: "You told me, 'This moment doesn’t define you.' It wasn't until I mentored a struggling new member of my debate team that your words clicked. I realized you were teaching me my value wasn't just in performance, but in my ability to contribute from a different role."
The Thank You and Lasting Impact: "Thank you. You taught me a lesson in resilience that has become my bedrock. It's a lesson I now try to pass on."
How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)
UPenn Community Essay Slides
Q: What is this essay's goal?
A:
The prompt tests your understanding of community as an exchange.
Show what you will take from Penn.
Show what unique perspective you will give back.
Q: How to start the essay?
A:
The essay should begin with a specific, personal story.
The story should show how you developed a perspective on community.
Example: "As the only artist in my high school's coding club, I learned that solutions come from bridging different mindsets."
Q: How will Penn shape your perspective?
A:
Connect your past experience to a specific community at Penn.
Explain what you hope to learn.
Example: "At the Penn Electric Racing team, my interdisciplinary approach will be strengthened by learning mechanical engineering from dedicated members, making me a more effective collaborator."
Q: How will you shape Penn?
A:
State what you will contribute to that same community.
Example: "My design perspective will help the team build a car that is not only fast, but also intuitive and beautifully designed."
Q: Final check?
A:
Did you name a specific community at Penn?
Did you avoid a generic "I'll join a club" statement?
Does your essay show an exchange, not just a one-way street?
College of Arts and Sciences: The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? (150-200 words)
UPenn Arts & Sciences Essay Slides
Q: What is this essay's goal?
A:
The prompt tests your intellectual vitality.
Start with a specific question, not a subject.
Show a plan to bridge two different departments to answer it.
Q: How do you find your question?
A:
Ask a specific, guiding question.
Instead of "I am curious about history," try "Why do societies choose to forget certain parts of their history?"
A good question is a testament to your genuine curiosity.
Q: How do you use the "2-Department Bridge"?
A:
The best way to prove you understand Penn's curriculum is to connect resources from two different departments.
Example: To explore historical memory, you would bridge the History Department (to understand the events) and the Psychology Department (to understand the cognitive biases behind forgetting).
Q: How to structure the essay?
A:
The Question (≈ 40 words): Open with your specific, guiding question.
The Penn Bridge (≈ 120 words): Name a specific course, professor, or program from Department A and explain how you would connect that resource to another specific resource from Department B.
The Outcome (≈ 40 words): Conclude by describing the unique insight you hope to gain from combining these two fields.
School of Engineering and Applied Science: Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics with depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you plan to pursue your engineering interests at Penn, particularly within the intended major you selected. (150-200 words)
UPenn Engineering Essay Slides
Q: What's the strategic goal?
A:
Engineers solve problems. Show you think like one.
The essay must prove your passion for a specific field.
Connect your problem to specific resources at Penn.
Q: How to state a problem?
A:
State a specific, niche engineering challenge.
Example: Not "I want to study Computer Science," but "I want to use machine learning to design more efficient battery systems."
This shows you have a plan.
Q: How will Penn help you solve it?
A:
Name a specific professor, lab, or course.
Explain the connection. Do not just list resources.
Example: Research with Professor John Smith, an expert in battery design, will provide the foundation to solve the problem.
Q: What will your impact be?
A:
Show how your training will prepare you to be a leader.
Example: This experience will prepare me to build technology that doesn't just advance a field, but directly saves lives.
The essay must show you are a contributor.
Q: Final check?
A:
Did you avoid a generic "Why Engineering?" essay?
Does your essay show a specific connection between your passion and Penn?
Did you avoid vague goals like "I want to innovate"?
School of Nursing: Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of a global and multicultural society by preparing its students to advance science that impacts healthcare. Why have you decided to apply to Nursing? Where do you see yourself professionally in the future and how will you contribute to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 words)
UPenn Nursing Essay Slides
Q: What personal story reveals your motivation?
A:
Identify a specific moment you witnessed a health inequity.
Example: Describing a time you translated for a neighbor who could not understand a doctor’s instructions.
Example: A summer job managing patient data exposed you to the gaps in healthcare access.
Q: What is your future role?
A:
Connect your personal story to a specific nursing career path.
Example: The translation experience drives me to become a bilingual family nurse practitioner to bridge communication gaps in immigrant communities.
Example: The data job inspires me to become a nurse researcher, focusing on community health models for underserved populations.
Q: How will Penn help you?
A:
Explain how specific Penn resources will enable your professional goal.
Example: The Office of Equity and Inclusion will provide a framework for my work. Clinical placements at HUP will give me hands-on experience in urban health.
Example: I will study under a professor whose research focuses on community health models, providing the foundation for my professional goals.
Q: Final check?
A:
Did you avoid a generic "Why Nursing?" essay?
Does your essay show a specific, actionable plan for your career?
Did you explicitly connect your goals to Penn's mission of equity?
The Wharton School: Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues. Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it. (150-200 words)
UPenn Wharton Essay Slides
Q: What's the strategic goal?
A:
Connect a large-scale issue to a specific business solution.
Show you think like a leader who can analyze complex problems.
The core is to show how Wharton will train you for your specific purpose.
Q: What specific issue is important to you?
A:
Don't pick a broad topic. Focus on a specific business angle.
Example: The challenge of creating viable carbon credit markets in emerging economies.
Example: How to scale sustainable packaging in consumer goods supply chains.
Q: How will Wharton's "toolkit" help?
A:
Name specific resources that directly address your issue.
Example: Research with a professor on the economics of renewable energy transitions.
Example: A concentration in Business, Energy, Environment and Sustainability.
Q: What impact will you make?
A:
Explain how Wharton's education enables your contribution.
The education should be a means to an end.
Example: Wharton's curriculum will give me a deep understanding of market dynamics, which is necessary to build a sustainable lending system.
Q: Final check?
A:
Did you avoid a generic "Why Wharton?" essay?
Did you connect a specific problem to Wharton's mission?
The Digital Media Design Program: Discuss how your interests align with the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania? (400-650 words)
The Huntsman Program:
1. Tell us about your background and interest in the target language you selected. (50-125 words)
2. The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally-minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and around the world. What draws you to a dual-degree in international studies and business, and how would you use what you learn to address a global issue where these two domains intersect? (400-650 words)
Huntsman Program Essay Slides
Q: How to write the language essay?
A:
The essay must prove your interest is personal.
Start with a specific moment that sparked your interest.
Connect this moment to your background or a unique cultural insight.
Avoid listing courses. Show a story of genuine curiosity.
Q: Can you give an example?
A:
Example: "My interest in Japanese began on a family trip to Tokyo. I was fascinated by the way the language's honorifics revealed a deep respect for others, a value I share from my own family's cultural traditions."
Q: What does the second prompt prove?
A:
The essay must prove you understand global problems need an integrated approach.
Show a global issue that can't be solved by business or international studies alone.
You have a plan to use the combined skills to solve that issue.
Q: How to define your global issue?
A:
Identify a specific, niche issue at the intersection of business and international studies.
Avoid general topics like "climate change" or "global poverty."
Example: "The challenge of securing intellectual property rights for traditional indigenous art in global markets."
Q: How to use the two lenses?
A:
Wharton Lens: Analyze the issue from a business perspective. Name a specific Wharton resource.
College Lens: Analyze the same issue from a political or cultural perspective. Name a specific International Studies course or professor.
Example: "The challenge is a business problem of market access and a cultural problem of preservation."
Q: How to write the Huntsman synthesis?
A:
Argue that the two degrees together are the only way to solve the issue.
Show how the Huntsman Program's integrated curriculum will give you a unique worldview.
This is the most critical paragraph.
Q: Final check?
A:
Did you avoid a generic "Why Huntsman?" essay?
Did you connect a specific problem to the program's mission?
Reflecting on the intersection of scientific inquiry and strategic thinking, what questions, problems, or opportunities would you hope to explore through LSM? How might the integration of life sciences and management shape your approach to these challenges? Your response should go beyond how LSM might advance your career and instead focus on the ideas, values, or issues that animate your interest in the program. Please ensure that this essay is distinct from the response addressing your alternate school choice. (400–650 words)
Vagelos LSM Essay Slides
Q: What is the purpose of this essay?
A:
The essay must prove you understand problems need an integrated approach.
Show a specific problem that can't be solved by life sciences or management alone.
The essay proves your intellectual purpose, not your career goals.
Q: How to define your intersecting issue?
A:
Identify a specific problem at the intersection of life sciences and management.
Example: "The challenge of scaling a new gene therapy for a rare disease, balancing scientific efficacy with economic accessibility for patients."
Example: "The ethical and logistical challenges of implementing an AI-powered diagnostic tool in under-resourced healthcare systems."
Q: How to use the scientific lens?
A:
Analyze the issue from a life sciences perspective. What are the biological or research questions?
Example: "The scientific challenge lies in understanding the gene-editing mechanism and its long-term effects. I would explore this through courses in genetics and molecular biology."
Q: How to use the strategic lens?
A:
Analyze the same issue from a management perspective. What are the economic or policy questions?
Example: "The strategic challenge is the high cost of development and its equitable distribution. I would explore this through courses in healthcare management and public policy."
Q: How does LSM bridge this?
A:
Argue that neither discipline alone can solve the problem.
Show how the LSM curriculum forces you to combine these two perspectives.
Example: "The LSM program's core seminars would force me to reconcile the scientific imperative with the economic model, creating a holistic approach to the problem."
Q: How to describe your future impact?
A:
Conclude by stating how your LSM education will enable you to explore a new solution to your issue.
Frame yourself as a future innovator at the intersection of science and business.
Example: "This integrated training will enable me to design a new healthcare model that not only advances science but makes it accessible to all."
Q: Final check?
A:
Did you avoid a generic "Why LSM?" essay?
Did you connect a specific problem to the program's mission?
Did you show a plan to use the combined skills to solve that issue?
The Jerome Fisher Management and Technology Program:
Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words)
Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words)
Jerome Fisher M&T Program Slides
Q: How will you use M&T to explore your interest?
A:
The essay must prove you are a problem-solver who can integrate business and engineering.
Your interest in both fields is genuine and connected to a specific problem.
Your essay is a strategic narrative, not a resume.
Q: How to structure the M&T essay?
A:
Part 1: The Problem. Start with the specific issue you want to solve.
Part 2: The Bridge. Detail how M&T resources will provide the solution.
Part 3: The Impact. Conclude with a clear vision of your future contribution.
Example: "The challenge of scaling a new medical device from prototype to production requires two lenses. I will use Wharton's 'Operations Management' course to create a supply chain model. I will use a Bioengineering course to refine the device's manufacturing process. Both are needed to bring the device to market."
Q: What problem have you solved that shows leadership?
A:
Leadership is influence, not a title.
Creativity is problem-solving, not just art.
Q: How to structure the leadership essay?
A:
Part 1: The Problem. Start with a clear problem you solved.
Part 2: Your Solution. Describe your creative solution and actions.
Part 3: The Takeaway. Conclude with the insight you gained about leadership.
Example: "A software bug threatened to erase a year of club data. I led a team to redesign our database using a low-code platform. This experience taught me leadership is creating systems that empower others, not just solving problems."
Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn’s coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals? (400-650 words)
UPenn Nursing & Healthcare Management Slides
Q: What does this essay prove?
A:
You have a clear, personal motivation for a career at the intersection of nursing and business.
You understand that these two fields are not separate, but must be integrated to solve complex healthcare problems.
You have a strategic plan to use specific Penn resources to achieve your goals.
Q: What is your origin story?
A:
Start with a specific observation that sparked your interest.
Do not say "I want to help people." Instead, show a problem you saw.
Example: I saw a new medical device fail because no one had considered its cost of production or patient accessibility.
Q: How will Penn bridge these fields?
A:
Name specific Penn resources from both the nursing and business schools.
Connect a Wharton course (e.g., 'Healthcare Systems') with a Penn Nursing research lab (e.g., the 'Center for Health Outcomes').
Example: I will use the 'Healthcare Entrepreneurship' course at Wharton to develop a business model for a new medical device. I will then use Penn Nursing's 'Center for Health Equity Research' to ensure the device is accessible.
Q: What is your future goal?
A:
Articulate a specific, dual-focused career goal.
Show how the combined degrees are essential to achieving it.
Example: I plan to lead a health tech startup that implements mobile clinics in underserved communities, a mission that requires both a clinical understanding of patient needs and a business model for sustainable growth.
Q: How to structure the essay?
A:
Part 1: The Origin Story. Introduce the problem you observed.
Part 2: The Penn Bridge. Detail your plan to use Penn's dual resources.
Part 3: The Future Goal. Conclude with a clear vision of your future contribution.
If you were to join the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER), which science major and which engineering major are most interesting to you at this time? (150-200 words)
How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in the VIPER majors listed above. (400-650 words)
Vagelos VIPER Essay Slides
Q: What is the purpose of your majors?
A:
Justify the pair. Explain why both majors are necessary to solve a single, specific energy problem.
Use the "Science is Why, Engineering is How" model.
The science major provides the fundamental theory; the engineering major builds the application.
Q: What majors work best?
A:
Choose a pair that is not obvious.
Connect them to a specific energy problem.
Example: Physics and Electrical Engineering to research quantum tunneling in solar cells.
Example: Chemistry and Materials Science to research new catalyst materials for biofuels.
Q: How to write the majors essay?
A:
State your two chosen majors.
Connect them directly to a specific energy-related problem.
Use the "Science is Why, Engineering is How" framework.
Example: "I will use chemistry to understand the fundamental limitations of battery cathodes. I will then use chemical engineering to overcome those limitations by designing a new production process."
Q: How to approach the VIPER essay?
A:
This essay must prove a deep, integrated passion for energy research.
Show how a dual-degree is essential to your specific vision.
The essay should be a strategic narrative.
Q: What is your VIPER origin story?
A:
Start with a specific technical challenge from a past project.
This challenge is your "why VIPER."
Tell a story of a problem you faced.
Example: "My project on material degradation in lithium batteries revealed a gap in my knowledge. I understood the chemistry, but not the engineering needed to fix it."
Q: How does VIPER solve your problem?
A:
Show why VIPER is the only way to overcome the challenge you introduced.
Explain how specific program features are essential.
Reference faculty, labs, and research.
Example: "The Chemistry curriculum provides fundamental theory. The Chemical Engineering curriculum provides tools to scale discoveries into technologies."
