| Full-time undergraduate program |
After the usual process of gathering information about Penn, it was up
to finishing the application. Unlike other schools, Penn did not allow
the common application. Despite this, there were an interesting choice
of essay topics, such as the ever popular "Please recount for us Pg. 214
of your Autobiography." Other essays aren't that much different from
other schools; "tell us about something that you've had to encounter in
your life and what you've learned form it, tell us about yourself, etc."
It is fairly obvious that Penn prides its diversity, so if you are able
to get that through on your application, it is a major plus to you. Penn
wants to know what you will contribute to their campus, helping it to
become a more interesting place.
If your application is deemed worthy, you will be contacted by an alumni
of Penn for an interview. Usually set in informal locations, these
interviews are opportunities for a prospective student to try to impress
the alumni, albeit not in an overt way. While it is nice to recount some
of your accomplishments, the interviewer has your resume, and so is
looking more for the personal aspect that is left out of the application.
After the interview is the waiting game. For many Penn students such as
myself, a letter is mailed saying that while not giving formal notice of
acceptance in so many words, says that it is "very interested in you,
and is in the final stages of reviewing your application."
If accepted, Penn tries VERY hard to get you to matriculate there, more
so for Wharton that the College of Arts and Sciences, the Nursing
School, and the Engineering School.
Advice that I have is:
1.)make it a point to get in contact with the admissions officers at
Penn, and even better go visit them. It will be a major help to your
chances of getting in.
2.)Realize that Penn is very competitive, with the Wharton school at
times being more competitive than Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. Have Back
up choices.
3.)Emphasize diversity in your application. Not only as a subject on the
whole, but what makes you special and can contribute to Penn's campus.
4.)Be yourself in the interviews. Dress nicely, BE ONTIME, be courteous.
Otherwise, the interviewer will realize that you may be nervous, and
they get tired of kids sucking up to them.
5.)START EARLY!!!Get ahead of the rest by starting early. Penn also
loves early applicants, so this will help you if you're sure Penn is for
you.
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University of Pennsylvania Admission & Application Surveys
