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Pennsylvania State University | Penn State’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts
Select-A-Prompt Short Response
Short Answers
Option 1
What do you hope to get at Penn State as a Schreyer Scholar to help you accomplish your future goals and aspirations?
Option 2
If you were able to go anywhere in the world, outside of the country you currently reside, where would you go and why?
Option 3
Tell us about your leadership experiences (community roles, family contributions, research, clubs, organizations, etc.) and why leadership is important to you. Describe the challenges and/or successes you’ve faced in these roles.
Option 4
List awards or other recognitions you have received in or outside of school over the last 4 years. Which award or recognition means the most to you and why?
Option 5
Tell us about a book or other media that has made you think about something in a new way.
Option 6
Consider a time when you had to collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds or with different perspectives. How did this experience contribute to your personal growth and understanding of others?
Option 7
Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups, including: shared geography, faith, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities or groups to which you belong and describe how it has influenced your life over the last four years.
Option 8
Please use this space to share information you would like us to consider that has not been discussed elsewhere in your Schreyer Honors College application. This could include obstacles you’ve overcome, something you’re proud of that is not discussed elsewhere, or anything else you choose.
Personal Statement Short Response
Please tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at Penn State. This is your opportunity to tell us something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records.
Extracurricular Essay
Please use this space to list or discuss your activities other than academic work during the last several years (for example: school organizations, jobs, athletics, the arts, community service, religious groups, or other individual interests).
Schreyer Honors College Essay 1
Describe a problem you‘ve solved or a problem you‘d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma - anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could take to identify a solution.
Schreyer Honors College Essay 2
Isaac Asimov wrote: “Any book worth banning is a book worth reading.” Do you agree? Is such censorship ever justified? If not, explain why. If so, who or what should determine which books are read and which books are forbidden.
Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (BS/MD) Short Response 1
Describe one non-academic activity during your high school years that has been the most meaningful to you.
Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (BS/MD) Short Response 2
Write a personal statement indicating why you want to be a physician, why you want an accelerated program and why you’ve selected this Penn State/Kimmel program.
Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (BS/MD) Short Response 3
Describe what you think your strongest qualities are as well as weaknesses that you would like to improve upon.
Accelerated Premedical-Medical Program (BS/MD) Short Response 4
Tell us about a time you were unsuccessful and how you grew from this experience.
Select-A-Prompt Short Response
Short Answers
Option 1
What do you hope to get at Penn State as a Schreyer Scholar to help you accomplish your future goals and aspirations?
Option 2
If you were able to go anywhere in the world, outside of the country you currently reside, where would you go and why?
Option 3
Tell us about your leadership experiences (community roles, family contributions, research, clubs, organizations, etc.) and why leadership is important to you. Describe the challenges and/or successes you’ve faced in these roles.
Option 4
List awards or other recognitions you have received in or outside of school over the last 4 years. Which award or recognition means the most to you and why?
Option 5
Tell us about a book or other media that has made you think about something in a new way.
Option 6
Consider a time when you had to collaborate with individuals from diverse backgrounds or with different perspectives. How did this experience contribute to your personal growth and understanding of others?
Option 7
Everyone belongs to many different communities and/or groups, including: shared geography, faith, ethnicity, income, cuisine, interest, race, or intellectual heritage. Choose one of the communities or groups to which you belong and describe how it has influenced your life over the last four years.
Option 8
Please use this space to share information you would like us to consider that has not been discussed elsewhere in your Schreyer Honors College application. This could include obstacles you’ve overcome, something you’re proud of that is not discussed elsewhere, or anything else you choose.
Common App Personal Essay
The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.
Option 1
Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
Option 2
The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
Option 3
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
Option 4
Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?
Option 5
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
Option 6
Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
Option 7
Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.
