Required for all applicants: Considering both the specific undergraduate school to which you are applying and the unique aspects of the University of Pennsylvania, what do you hope to learn from and contribute to the Penn community? (Please answer in one page, approximately 500 words.)
My love affair with psychology blossomed in the summer of 2010. It had been a rather uneventful day and out of a natural curiosity and a desire to ease my boredom, I picked up my brother's Psychology 101 textbook and decided to read it cover to cover. It took me about three days to read the entire 400 page volume, but in those few days I quickly developed a fascination with the workings of the human mind. How come an upside-down picture of George Bush photoshopped with creepy-looking eyes and a mouth looks the same as a right-side up picture of an un-photoshopped Bush? How does short-term memory differ from long-term memory? Why do so many people believe in ESP? As the textbook discussed the role of human thinking in explaining these phenomenons and others, I began to realize the importance of psychology in our everyday lives. Eager to explore further, I soon started subscribing to Psychology Today magazine and became engrossed by its interesting articles on topics like how genetic patterns influence behavior and what factors lead to addiction. My interest in psychology only grew from there.
As a high school senior intending to major in psychology, the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania is the perfect learning environment for me to pursue my passion. The psychology department at the College is one of best in the world, and will provide me with a high quality education and plenty of research opportunities. Besides taking classes in the department, I intend to pursue my interest further by joining the Undergraduate Psychology Society, which unites students interested in the field of psychology through regular events and which publishes its own journal, Perspectives in Psychology. Being a part of this society would allow me to share my passion for psychology with other students outside the classroom, and it's a club that I can see myself becoming very involved in.
In addition to its world prominance in the field of psychology, the University of Pennsylvania has many other attributes that appeal to me. The university offers a plethora of extracurricular opportunities, and I know I can find clubs that suit my various interests, such as Baroque Ensemble, Quaker Girls Dance Team, and Mock Trial. One organization that particularly interests me is West Philidelphia Tutoring Project. Tutoring is something I've been involved with for the past four years, and it's something that has truly enriched my life and made my high school years fulfilling. I even became involved in tutoring during my summer break trip to Taiwan, where I was able to volunteer at a village library for two months, helping local schoolchildren learn to read and speak English. Being a tutor for the West Point Philidelphia Tutoring Project will allow me to use my passion for tutoring to make a contribution in the Penn community, as well as in the greater Philidelphia community.
When I think of the University of Pennsylvania, I think of a school that is outstanding in terms of both academic quality as well as community engagement. It is a place where innovative thinking is fostered and practical knowledge explored, but also a place where students are actively involved in extracurricular life and contributing to the Penn community. Its top-ranked psychology department is the ideal learning environment for me to begin my journey towards becoming a psychologist, and its outside-curriculum offerings provide hundreds of opportunities for me to get involved on campus. There's no place I'd rather go than U.Penn.
Any advice? I need to cut it down and I also think my last sentence is pretty weak.
My love affair with psychology blossomed in the summer of 2010. It had been a rather uneventful day and out of a natural curiosity and a desire to ease my boredom, I picked up my brother's Psychology 101 textbook and decided to read it cover to cover. It took me about three days to read the entire 400 page volume, but in those few days I quickly developed a fascination with the workings of the human mind. How come an upside-down picture of George Bush photoshopped with creepy-looking eyes and a mouth looks the same as a right-side up picture of an un-photoshopped Bush? How does short-term memory differ from long-term memory? Why do so many people believe in ESP? As the textbook discussed the role of human thinking in explaining these phenomenons and others, I began to realize the importance of psychology in our everyday lives. Eager to explore further, I soon started subscribing to Psychology Today magazine and became engrossed by its interesting articles on topics like how genetic patterns influence behavior and what factors lead to addiction. My interest in psychology only grew from there.
As a high school senior intending to major in psychology, the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania is the perfect learning environment for me to pursue my passion. The psychology department at the College is one of best in the world, and will provide me with a high quality education and plenty of research opportunities. Besides taking classes in the department, I intend to pursue my interest further by joining the Undergraduate Psychology Society, which unites students interested in the field of psychology through regular events and which publishes its own journal, Perspectives in Psychology. Being a part of this society would allow me to share my passion for psychology with other students outside the classroom, and it's a club that I can see myself becoming very involved in.
In addition to its world prominance in the field of psychology, the University of Pennsylvania has many other attributes that appeal to me. The university offers a plethora of extracurricular opportunities, and I know I can find clubs that suit my various interests, such as Baroque Ensemble, Quaker Girls Dance Team, and Mock Trial. One organization that particularly interests me is West Philidelphia Tutoring Project. Tutoring is something I've been involved with for the past four years, and it's something that has truly enriched my life and made my high school years fulfilling. I even became involved in tutoring during my summer break trip to Taiwan, where I was able to volunteer at a village library for two months, helping local schoolchildren learn to read and speak English. Being a tutor for the West Point Philidelphia Tutoring Project will allow me to use my passion for tutoring to make a contribution in the Penn community, as well as in the greater Philidelphia community.
When I think of the University of Pennsylvania, I think of a school that is outstanding in terms of both academic quality as well as community engagement. It is a place where innovative thinking is fostered and practical knowledge explored, but also a place where students are actively involved in extracurricular life and contributing to the Penn community. Its top-ranked psychology department is the ideal learning environment for me to begin my journey towards becoming a psychologist, and its outside-curriculum offerings provide hundreds of opportunities for me to get involved on campus. There's no place I'd rather go than U.Penn.
Any advice? I need to cut it down and I also think my last sentence is pretty weak.