Hi everyone! I'm working on my Penn State application, and I was wondering if anyone had any tips or advice for writing a strong supplemental essay. What should I focus on? Anyone with experience who could help guide me in the right direction would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Hello! Writing a strong supplemental essay is crucial to making a lasting impression on the admissions committee at Penn State, as that allows them to better envision your particular fit for their institution.
Luckily for you, CollegeVine has a blog post breaking down how to tackle the current Penn State supplemental prompts, including those for specific programs like the Honors College: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-penn-state-essays. However, while you can use this post to get a general sense of what’s going to be asked of you, I’d advise against actually writing your responses until August 1st before your senior year. That’s when the supplemental prompts for the coming applications cycle are officially released, and you don’t want to have your essay finalized only for the prompt to change.
Overall, remember that your goal in your essay should be to help the admissions committee connect with you as a person, beyond your grades and test scores. Take your time, stay true to yourself, and trust that your genuine voice will resonate with the reader. Good luck with your application to Penn State!
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.