breaking down UPenn supplemental essays (+ advice from interviewer!)

Main ideas / lessons conveyed

• The video breaks down UPenn’s required supplemental essays (200 words max each) and explains what admissions interviewers look for.
• A core theme across all essays: Penn already knows what it offers—your essays must show how those experiences connect to your identity, values, and future contributions.
• Because the prompts are short, the advice emphasizes clarity, specificity, and tight structure rather than long anecdotes or generic praise.
• The speaker also discusses how to use past experiences (not just ambitions) and tie them back to Penn and your role in the community.

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Methodology / approach for writing the UPenn supplemental essays

General strategy for all 3 essays

• Relate everything back to yourself
  • Don’t only list Penn opportunities; explain how you would use them to shape your perspective/identity and contribute back.
• Avoid being generic
  • Use specific details: named programs/clubs, concrete examples, possibly professors/classes, and evidence you “did your research.”
• Draft long, then cut
  • Write a rough draft around 400–500 words first, then cut aggressively to fit the short limit.
• Get feedback
  • Have an “extra pair of eyes” (friend/family/current-student-like reviewer) read and give objective input.
• Revise after a break
  • Reread later (even after sleep) to improve coherence and fit.

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Essay 1: “Thank you note” (short thank-you note + reflection)

Prompt concept: Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked; reflect on the experience.

What admissions wants to see

• Understand why Penn asks this
  • They want to learn your values and how you reflect on impact from others.
• The note should show
  • Reflection on learning from the person, not just compliments.

How to structure it (practical guidance)

• Use about one-third to one-half of the space for the anecdote/story.
• Use the remaining space to explain:
  • What values you learned from that person
  • How those values shaped you (and what you’ll continue exploring)
• Loop back to yourself
  • Don’t say “they’re a great sibling/mentor.” Instead, explain:
    • what you learned (e.g., persistence, dedication, other qualities) and
    • how it reflects your own values.

Example of what the speaker approved (described, not read aloud)

• A student (younger sibling’s essay) wrote about an older brother.
• It included:
  • specific moments (including where the brother laughed, but later taught a lesson)
  • a concluding paragraph stating the values impacted the writer and helped shape the person they are
  • an intention to continue exploring those values and potentially bring them to Penn

Connection to the overall application

• The essays should connect to your application overall:
  • What you value, what you’re grateful for
  • How it affects who you are and how you contribute.

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Essay 2: “Community” (values/perspective + Penn’s shaping role)

Prompt concept: How you would explore community at Penn, including how Penn shapes your perspective/identity and how your identity/perspective shapes Penn.

How it differs from Essay 3

• Essay 2 is community-based and values/perspective-based
• Essay 3 is more academic/major-based (“Why this undergraduate school”)

What to include

• Emphasize real-world experiences outside academics, such as:
  • community service
  • volunteering
  • clubs/organizations
  • how those experiences helped shape your identity and perspective
• Show how you will contribute to Penn’s community.

Suggested proof through specifics

• The speaker liked an example where a student:
  • discussed Penn clubs she researched (indicating real effort to learn Penn offerings)
  • mentioned a particular club concept: Penupetit (a food magazine project; students take photos of food around the city and publish each semester)
  • explained that even if not “rigorously academic,” it builds a tight community
• The student also highlighted:
  • volunteering/community service as a key contribution
  • continuing that at Penn

Key additional tip: tie your current volunteering to Penn-linked opportunities

• The speaker recommended linking high school volunteering into a Penn-related initiative that could continue at the university.
• Example initiative mentioned:
  • President’s Engagement Prize (linked to designing a nonprofit venture with demonstrable impact in Philadelphia, the U.S., or worldwide)
• The feedback logic:
  • If you connect your current experience to something Penn offers (and could plausibly do there), it demonstrates:
    • you know what Penn provides
    • you have an idea for scaling your impact at Penn
    • your experience aligns with Penn’s community goals

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Essay 3: “Why your undergraduate school at Penn” (academic plan + intellectual interests)

Prompt concept: For the specific Penn undergraduate school you selected, describe how you intend to explore academic and intellectual interests.

Purpose of the prompt

• Essentially a “Why Us / Why this school” within UPenn
• It requires you to go deeper into:
  • curriculum structure
  • academic opportunities
  • how you match what that undergraduate school offers

Suggested content strategy

• Cover both depth and breadth:
  • Breadth: cross-school access (you can take classes across Penn’s undergraduate schools)
  • Depth: focus on your particular school’s major/concentration and curriculum requirements
• Mention how the curriculum supports your exploration.

Specific guidance by undergraduate school (as described)

• Engineering
  • You can take classes outside engineering (e.g., the speaker mentions taking language-related classes)
• Wharton
  • First two years have core classes covering broad business areas
  • Wharton uses concentrations (not “majors” in the speaker’s framing)
  • Advise:
    • look at the Wharton website for specific classes/professors
    • connect those directly to your experience/interests
  • Mention research opportunities at Wharton
• College of Arts and Sciences
  • Mention the sector requirement (classes across science, humanities, languages, etc.)

Add Penn opportunities beyond the classroom (Penn-specific examples)

• Mention structured experiences such as:
  • business venture classes
  • global volunteering experiences
  • study/experience travel opportunities (examples given: Antarctica, Peru, San Francisco, etc.)
• The key is to reference specific types of courses/experiences that go beyond academics.

How to keep it within the short limit

• Because essays are only ~200 words, the speaker emphasizes:
  • cut quickly
  • don’t rely on extended metaphors or long anecdotes.

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Speakers / sources featured

• Primary speaker: The video author/interviewer (unnamed in the subtitles) who:
  • previously applied to UPenn ~4–5 years earlier
  • is participating in the UPenn interview program and interviews applicants
• Referenced external source/initiative:
  • UPenn President’s Engagement Prize (speaker quotes from an email they received while at Penn)
• Referenced Penn program/club (examples):
  • Penupetit (food magazine-style club/project mentioned as an example)
• Referenced Penn schools (not speakers, but institutional sources):
  • Wharton College
  • College of Arts and Sciences
  • Engineering
  • Nursing