Penn asks two questions of every applicant, a thank-you note and an answer on exploring community at Penn, plus one question set by the undergraduate school you apply to: the College of Arts and Sciences, Wharton, Penn Engineering or Nursing. All are 50-200 words.
Penn's own advice is to be precise about why you are applying to Penn and why to that specific school. Coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs add their own essays, which are separate from these.
Penn's questions at a glance
| Question | Limit | Who answers it | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| A thank-you note | 50-200 words | Required | Creative prompt |
| Exploring community at Penn | 50-200 words | Required | Community |
| College of Arts and Sciences | 50-200 words | College of Arts and Sciences only · Required | Why this major or school |
| The Wharton School | 50-200 words | The Wharton School only · Required | Why this major or school |
| Penn Engineering | 50-200 words | Penn Engineering only · Required | Why this major or school |
| School of Nursing | 50-200 words | School of Nursing only · Required | Why this major or school |
Which questions you see depends on where you apply: College of Arts and Sciences; The Wharton School; Penn Engineering; School of Nursing. Answer only the ones for yours.
Not covered here: Coordinated dual-degree and specialized program essays (Huntsman, LSM, M&T, NHCM, VIPER and others).
How to plan the Penn supplement
- 1Write the school-specific answer first, since it carries your academic case.
- 2Make the community answer about people and campus life, not academics, so the two do not overlap.
- 3Write the thank-you note last and keep it about the other person. It is the one place in your application where you are not the subject.
1. A thank-you note
Penn's wording · 50-200 words · Required“Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!)”
What it is really asking. A short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked. Penn even encourages you to share it with them. It shows gratitude, attention to others and your voice.
How to approach it
- 1Write it to the person ("you"), not about them.
- 2Thank them for one specific thing they did, with the moment it happened.
- 3Say what it changed for you in one or two sentences, and stop.
Mistakes to avoid
- Turning it into a list of your achievements.
- Thanking someone for everything in general.
Full guide: How to Write Penn's Thank-You Note Essay
2. Exploring community at Penn
Penn's wording · 50-200 words · Required“How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn.”
What it is really asking. How you will explore community at Penn, in both directions: how Penn will shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will shape Penn.
How to approach it
- 1Name specific communities you would join or start, and check they exist.
- 2Tie each to an experience you already have.
- 3Make both directions explicit; most drafts cover only what Penn gives you.
Mistakes to avoid
- "Diverse student body" with no specifics.
- Only academics.
Full guide: How to Write Penn's "Explore Community" Essay
3. College of Arts and Sciences
Penn's wording · 50-200 words · College of Arts and Sciences only · Required“The College of Arts and Sciences is designed to foster discovery and connection. Describe something you are curious about—something you'd like to learn more about or find a new approach to—and how you might pursue that curiosity in the College.”
What it is really asking. Something you are curious about and how you might pursue it in the College of Arts and Sciences.
How to approach it
- 1Name the curiosity as a question.
- 2Show how you have already chased it.
- 3Name College departments, courses or ways of learning that fit; Penn suggests reviewing the curriculum.
Mistakes to avoid
- Curiosity in general.
- No link to the College itself.
Full guide: How to Write Penn's College of Arts and Sciences Essay
4. The Wharton School
Penn's wording · 50-200 words · The Wharton School only · Required“Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues. Discuss a current issue of importance to you and how you hope a Wharton education would help you explore it.”
What it is really asking. A current issue that matters to you and how a Wharton education would help you explore it.
How to approach it
- 1Pick an issue you know from experience, not from headlines.
- 2Explain what you do not yet understand about it.
- 3Connect specific business or economic methods Wharton teaches to that gap.
Mistakes to avoid
- A big global issue with no personal link.
- "Wharton is the best business school" as the reason.
Full guide: How to Write Penn's Wharton Essay
5. Penn Engineering
Penn's wording · 50-200 words · Penn Engineering only · Required“Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics with depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Describe how you plan to pursue your engineering interests at Penn, particularly within the intended major you selected.”
What it is really asking. How you plan to pursue your engineering interests at Penn, particularly within the intended major you selected.
How to approach it
- 1Start from a problem you want to work on.
- 2Name courses, labs or research in your intended major; Penn suggests reviewing its curriculum.
- 3Show your hands-on experience so far.
Mistakes to avoid
- Engineering in general, not your major.
- A list of labs with no reason.
Full guide: How to Write Penn's Engineering Essay
6. School of Nursing
Penn's wording · 50-200 words · School of Nursing only · Required“Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science. Why are you applying to Nursing, where do you see yourself professionally in the future, and how will you contribute to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare?”
What it is really asking. Three things: why Nursing, where you see yourself professionally, and how you will contribute to Penn Nursing's mission of promoting equity in healthcare.
How to approach it
- 1Plan one part per question so none is skipped.
- 2Ground "why nursing" in an experience with care.
- 3Make the equity part concrete: a gap you have seen and what you would do.
Mistakes to avoid
- Skipping the equity question.
- A family-member story with no reflection on nursing itself.
Full guide: How to Write Penn's Nursing Essay
What our grader checks in your Penn answers
Every answer is judged against a checklist for its kind of question plus one check written for Penn's own wording. Each area comes back Met, Partly or Missing, and those verdicts (with the word limit) set the answer's readiness: Ready, Nearly there or Needs work. There is no score out of 100.
| Question | Penn's own check |
|---|---|
| A thank-you note | Is written as a note to the person ("you"), specific about what they did; the applicant's gratitude, not their achievements, is the subject. |
| Exploring community at Penn | Covers both directions Penn asks for: how Penn will shape the applicant and how the applicant will shape Penn. |
| College of Arts and Sciences | Names the curiosity and how the applicant would pursue it in the College (departments, courses, ways of learning). |
| The Wharton School | Names one current issue and how a Wharton education (business methods, economic theory) would help explore it. |
| Penn Engineering | Ties the applicant's interests to the intended major they selected at Penn Engineering (courses, labs, research). |
| School of Nursing | Answers all three: why nursing, where they see themselves professionally, and how they will contribute to equity in healthcare. |
The type checklists are on the supplemental essay grader page.
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