The meaning of 'community' - what this UPenn prompt is asking?

Hey guys,

Here is a prompt from the Penn supplement. I seriously can't think of what this essay is asking. I don't even know the names of any other "communities" at Penn other than the ones listed here, and I am not able to find any too!

What does it even mean by "community"?

"Benjamin Franklin established the Union Fire Company, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the American Philosophical Society, Pennsylvania Hospital, and, of course, the charity school that evolved into the University of Pennsylvania. As they served the larger community of Philadelphia, each institution in turn formed its own community.

Which of the academic communities and social communities that now comprise the University of Pennsylvania are most interesting to you and how will you contribute to them and to the larger Penn community?"

Any kind of help will be really appreciated!

Thanks.

You have to take one of those communities or *facilities* and research it basically. Find out why they were formed and what their purpose is. Whichever of those facilities is most interesting to you is the one that you will pick to describe. This essay requires a bit more work then a regular college essay=/

Hope that helped

Ah, you are being tripped up by a relatively recent usage of the plural form of "community" that has become common within the United States. At a large university such as UPenn, there will be many, many overlapping communities: The gay and lesbian community, the computer science community, the visual arts community, the Deaf community, etc, etc. These communities may be defined by shared activities, shared academic interests, or shared identities. So, here, "community" is being used in the broadest possible sense: a bounded group of people with some common interests and purposes.

Note too that you are asked about both academic and social communities. So, for the former, you would look at what academic subjects appeal to you, your potential majors and minors, and draw on them when deciding which academic communities to talk about. For the latter, you might look to your extra-curricular activities, political affiliations, and cultural and ethnic backgrounds for inspiration.

Check under student life: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Of_Pennsylvania
and
Scroll down to community involvement: upenn.edu/campus/