University of Pennsylvania's wording, checked October 26, 2026“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.”
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.
A structure that works
One way to shape this answer. It describes moves, not sentences: the words have to be yours.
- 1The engineering problem that drives you.
- 2What you have built or tried so far.
- 3How your intended major at Penn takes you further, with specifics.
Where the 200 words go
| Part | Words |
|---|---|
| Where the interest comes from | about 70 |
| How you think about the subject | about 60 |
| Your path at this college | about 70 |
Mistakes to avoid
- Engineering in general, not your major.
- A list of labs with no reason.
The checklist our grader uses for this question
When you check your Penn answers, this answer is read against these 5 areas. Each comes back Met, Partly or Missing with a quote from your draft as evidence, and together with the 50-200 words limit they set its readiness verdict.
| Area | What a reader looks for |
|---|---|
| Answers the question | The opening sentences answer what was asked, plainly, before background or a hook; every part of a multi-part question is answered. |
| Where the interest comes from | A specific, preferably recent experience (a class, project, job, reading, problem) shows the interest is real, not a stated passion. |
| How you think about it | The reader sees the applicant's own thinking: a question they pursue, a connection they made, a view of the field. |
| Your path at this college | It names how this school's curriculum, structure or opportunities fit the plan, specifically enough that it would not fit another school unchanged. |
| Penn's ask | Ties the applicant's interests to the intended major they selected at Penn Engineering (courses, labs, research). |
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Questions
More on Penn and this kind of question
- Princeton: Academic interests (A.B.) · 250 words
- Princeton: Why engineering at Princeton (B.S.E.) · 250 words
- Columbia: Your preferred areas of study · 150 words
- Cornell: Arts and Sciences: an intellectual passion · 650 words
- Cornell: CALS: why your major · 350 words
- Cornell: Engineering: why engineering · 200 words