| Full-Time undergraduate program |
The most important thing about the admissions process at any top tier
academic institution is differentiating yourself from the crowd. You
are competing with tens of thousands of highly qualified individuals all
vying for a very small number of openings. In my opinion, the best time
to accomplish this feat is in your personal statement. Remember that
all of your extracurricular activities and impressive non-academic
achievements all look the same when typed in the "Extracurricular
Activities" section. There is no section labeled "Life Experiences,"
but it is those experiences that have shaped you into the person that
you are. In your essay, you have the opportunity to show how these
activities and experiences have impacted your life and how you are a
well rounded individual as a result. The interview might also be an
ample opportunity to do this as well. My interview process was geared
towards giving me an opportunity to speak one-on-one with an alumni from
Penn, not towards the selection process. I was allowed to ask any
questions that I pleased, but I doubt that my "interviewer" had much say
in whether I was accepted or not.
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University of Pennsylvania Admission & Application Surveys
