UPenn Essay Prompt - Common App - "Writing has always been a therapy"

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.

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?

(do not exceed one page.)

"Extra, extra, read all about it!" seemed to be the key phrase to attain a large, information-hungry crowd back in the 18th century. Newspapers had sprouted all along the Eastern seaboard but with the American Weekly Mercury, and Benjamin Franklin's The Pennsylvania Gazette, Philadelphia soon proved to be the true capital of the paper industry. Today, The Daily Pennsylvanian and its successors at Penn are prime examples of what I want to be a part of. Everything from the technological approach of thedp.com to the honest and relatable tone of 34th Street Magazine entices me to become one of the many Penn voices that inform the masses.

Writing, for me, has always been somewhat of a therapy. When I was younger, it felt better to write down the words I wouldn't have the nerve to say. If I misbehaved, a handwritten letter of apology would be slipped under my mother's door instead of a vocal plea for forgiveness. Although this tactic didn't last me into my teenage years, I soon realized that my letters weren't the only thing I enjoyed writing. The short stories I scribbled in my diary or the articles I would write about the top ten music videos on MTV that weekend were more than just time-filler activities I would show to my teaches when I got to school. I genuinely loved being a writer. I felt a sense of accomplishment when I would sign "by Abby Adesanya" at the end of every one of my works. I was young, but old enough to know where my strengths could take me.

When it comes to Penn and I, The Daily Pennsylvanian, I feel, is what truly brings us together. For a periodical in an industry that has been declared by everyone to be on the decline, the newspaper has continually countered that theory. The staff that makes up the paper are some of the most talented scholars at Penn, a critically acclaimed community of students. (I feel like this sentence is weird, mostly because of the "staff" and "are". Is it "is" or what?) The chance to be part of a society that can tell a story or write a vivid account reminds me of my childhood; writing not just for the people, but for the person. However, there is much more to write about in this day and age than the battle of the music charts between Britney and Christina. Luckily, I can adapt.

"by Abby Adesanya"

I'm not going to lie, I originally looked at this because I have only a vague idea of what this prompt was asking me when I tried to write it myself. I really like what you've written, and in response to the awkward sentence you could try:

The staff, composed of some of the most talented scholars at Penn, still {holds it's own (I'd probably reword this part)} as a critically acclaimed community of students.

Thanks so much for your review and with that sentence, I was completely lost as how to fix it. :)

Any other critiques?

Maybe I'm not understanding the last few sentences correctly. I really like the "the chance to be part... for the person" sentence, and I am relatively ashamed, eh, maybe more proud of the fact that it took me a little while to realize who Britney and Christina were, but I don't see how that sentence refutes the previous one. From what I understood, that "writing is for the person" sentence was about you gaining satisfaction or some sort of good feeling from writing, that writing isn't just for the audience, but for the writer as well. I think that either: you might want to edit out "however" and see how that looks, maybe add it instead to the very last sentence, (There is much more to write about in this day and age than the battle of the music charts between Britney and Christina. However, I can adapt. ) It doesn't have the exactly the same ring as before, it makes more sense to me. Of course, I could be interpreting the whole thing incorrectly.