Prompt:"The Admissions Committee would like to learn why you are a good fit for your undergraduate school choice (College of Arts and Sciences, School of Nursing, The Wharton School, or Penn Engineering). Please tell us about specific academic, service, and/or research opportunities at the University of Pennsylvania that resonate with your background, interests, and goals." 400-650 words"
The most important goals I have over the next four years are to grow and to learn.. After researching many schools and speaking extensively with friends, family and school alumni, I know that the University of Pennsylvania is the best possible match for me to accomplish my personal goals and build a foundation for the rest of my life.
Coming from a small high school that had a limited course offering, I jumped when I read through Penn's course catalog for the first time. I found that Penn offers courses in 129 different subjects and students can choose to study 88 different majors. I could take a course in Ocean Biogeochemistry and Climate Change and research changes in ocean carbon uptake or could find myself entering into Paleobiology and examining dinosaur fossils in a joint program with researchers across the world. Today, I am unsure of exactly what I want to study; but I am eager for the chance to study something entirely new to me that I am interested in with world renowned professors. I had the opportunity to discuss my academic interests with a professor of sociology. He explained that Penn advocates for students not to declare majors until their sophomore year because it allows them to explore different areas of study. I quickly understood that Penn actively creates an unparalleled environment to foster my greatest intellectual curiosities.
If I had to declare a major at this very moment, it would be mathematics
I have always had a fascination with numbers and algorithms, and I competed in several regional and national team competitions. I enjoy math because of its applicability to almost any subject. This year, I created a program that applies Fibonacci numbers to predict the stock market. But the applicability of math goes even further at Penn because of the school's emphasis on interdisciplinary studies and research opportunities. For example, Professor Plotkin uses a computational approach to solve questions in the fields of genetics and ecology. Or, I could take a course with the legendary Professor Armstrong and learn the greatest analytical skills of forecasting. I would be grateful to study and research with the some of the most respected professors in the world, given that sixteen American Mathematical Society Fellows teach at Penn.
Within an hour of strolling through the scenic Locust Walk, I found dozens of groups waving flyers at every passerby. With more than 450 clubs--tackling important issues ranging from Bioethical Debate Club to the best Philly Cheesesteak at the Penn Gastronomy Club--I could explore my personal interests outside the classroom. Admittedly, I would not hesitate to join Penn's Social Planning and Events Committee, continuing my involvement from where I left off in boarding school as the President of Student Programming.
I am also highly attracted by the diversity of Penn's student body. Coming from a high school with 25% of the students from abroad, I truly enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds and learning about cultures and traditions. Long term, I know the school's focus on diversity is also vital preparation as I enter the multicultural world of business and research.
I also want the opportunity to give back to West Philadelphia. Community service stands equal to my vocational studies. I can get involved in the community through Civic House, the Fox Leadership Program, or the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and work through some of the most problematic environmental, educational, and urban conditions of the city and the U.S. as a whole. Penn acts as an example, a beacon, of what other universities fail to stress: the purpose of a student. Students go to school for the sole purpose of benefiting all. Not for money nor a trophy diploma, but for the pursuit of an education that will enable me to become an integral part of society.
After a tour of Penn and a breezy walk back to 33rd street, I realize that the combination of an urban environment, limitless resources, and likewise minds motivated and guided by leading experts in the world of academia, I knew that Penn had every resource for my success. I know that through Penn, I will become an expert in my chosen field, whatever it may be.
The most important goals I have over the next four years are to grow and to learn.. After researching many schools and speaking extensively with friends, family and school alumni, I know that the University of Pennsylvania is the best possible match for me to accomplish my personal goals and build a foundation for the rest of my life.
Coming from a small high school that had a limited course offering, I jumped when I read through Penn's course catalog for the first time. I found that Penn offers courses in 129 different subjects and students can choose to study 88 different majors. I could take a course in Ocean Biogeochemistry and Climate Change and research changes in ocean carbon uptake or could find myself entering into Paleobiology and examining dinosaur fossils in a joint program with researchers across the world. Today, I am unsure of exactly what I want to study; but I am eager for the chance to study something entirely new to me that I am interested in with world renowned professors. I had the opportunity to discuss my academic interests with a professor of sociology. He explained that Penn advocates for students not to declare majors until their sophomore year because it allows them to explore different areas of study. I quickly understood that Penn actively creates an unparalleled environment to foster my greatest intellectual curiosities.
If I had to declare a major at this very moment, it would be mathematics
I have always had a fascination with numbers and algorithms, and I competed in several regional and national team competitions. I enjoy math because of its applicability to almost any subject. This year, I created a program that applies Fibonacci numbers to predict the stock market. But the applicability of math goes even further at Penn because of the school's emphasis on interdisciplinary studies and research opportunities. For example, Professor Plotkin uses a computational approach to solve questions in the fields of genetics and ecology. Or, I could take a course with the legendary Professor Armstrong and learn the greatest analytical skills of forecasting. I would be grateful to study and research with the some of the most respected professors in the world, given that sixteen American Mathematical Society Fellows teach at Penn.
Within an hour of strolling through the scenic Locust Walk, I found dozens of groups waving flyers at every passerby. With more than 450 clubs--tackling important issues ranging from Bioethical Debate Club to the best Philly Cheesesteak at the Penn Gastronomy Club--I could explore my personal interests outside the classroom. Admittedly, I would not hesitate to join Penn's Social Planning and Events Committee, continuing my involvement from where I left off in boarding school as the President of Student Programming.
I am also highly attracted by the diversity of Penn's student body. Coming from a high school with 25% of the students from abroad, I truly enjoy meeting people from different backgrounds and learning about cultures and traditions. Long term, I know the school's focus on diversity is also vital preparation as I enter the multicultural world of business and research.
I also want the opportunity to give back to West Philadelphia. Community service stands equal to my vocational studies. I can get involved in the community through Civic House, the Fox Leadership Program, or the Netter Center for Community Partnerships and work through some of the most problematic environmental, educational, and urban conditions of the city and the U.S. as a whole. Penn acts as an example, a beacon, of what other universities fail to stress: the purpose of a student. Students go to school for the sole purpose of benefiting all. Not for money nor a trophy diploma, but for the pursuit of an education that will enable me to become an integral part of society.
After a tour of Penn and a breezy walk back to 33rd street, I realize that the combination of an urban environment, limitless resources, and likewise minds motivated and guided by leading experts in the world of academia, I knew that Penn had every resource for my success. I know that through Penn, I will become an expert in my chosen field, whatever it may be.
