We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.
Tell us about a time you were unsuccessful and how you grew from this experience.
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).
You may already have an activities resume or list prepared and should feel free to paste it into the space below. We suggest a limit of 500 words or fewer.
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. We suggest a limit of 500 words or fewer.
Imagine you are one of the 2024 Presidential candidates from either party, and you are asked in a town hall debate what the most important issue affecting the majority of the American people is. How would you answer, and why? How would you propose to address that issue?
Who are you and how did you get to the current point in your journey? Specifically, comment on how resilience has played a role in your life and how you see it impacting your future.
Describe one non-academic activity during your high school years that has been the most meaningful to you.
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.
Describe what you think your strongest qualities are as well as weaknesses that you would like to improve upon.
The Schreyer Honors College asks a handful of short answer questions to obtain information regarding honors and achievements, leadership positions, activities and service.
Tell us about your high school record — not what’s in it, since we have it already, but why you took some of the courses you took, and what your experience was, especially for classes which were more challenging for you.
Where would you like to go in the world, outside of the United States (and outside where you are now, if it’s not the United States), and why?
How do you see yourself improving society and the lives of others in the future, and what do you hope to get at Penn State as a Schreyer Scholar to help you accomplish your goals?
Tell us about any college credits you have earned or have underway, excluding anything that appears in your high school record. For each course, list (in this order) the name of the college or university, the name of the course, the semester you took it, and the grade you received (or “in progress” if it’s this semester). Separate each new course with a paragraph break.
Tell us about your most significant out-of-class activities before the pandemic, and since. Overall what activity has meant the most to you, and why?
List the awards or other recognitions you have received during your time in high school — they can be from the school or outside of it. You can omit awards based solely on grades, since we have your academic record. Which award or recognition means the most to you, and why?
Tell us about a book or other media that has made you think about something in a new way.
Tell us anything you would like us to know about you, and that we wouldn’t get from the rest of the application. This could include obstacles you’ve overcome, something you’re especially proud of that is not discussed elsewhere, or anything else you choose.
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.
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.
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?
Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
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?
Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
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?
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.
