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University of Pennsylvania | UPenn

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  • Overview
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  • Majors
  • Admission Requirements
  • Essay Prompts

University of Pennsylvania | UPenn's 2020-21 Essay Prompts

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Extracurricular Short Response

Required
250 words

Bio-Dent Prompt 3: What activities have you performed that demonstrate your ability to work cooperatively with people?

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Why Major? Essay

Required
650 words

DMD Prompt: Why are you interested in the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania?

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Extracurriculars Short Response

Required
250 words

Please list pre-dental or pre-medical experience. This experience can include but is not limited to observation in a private practice, dental clinic, or hospital setting; dental assisting; dental laboratory work; dental or medical research, etc. Please include time allotted to each activity, dates of attendance, location, and description of your experience. If you do not have any predental or premedical experience, please indicate what you have done that led you to your decision to enter dentistry.

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Why Major? Short Response

Required
250 words

Bio-Dent Prompt 4: Please explain your reasons for selecting a career in dentistry. Please include what interests you the most in dentistry as well as what interests you the least.

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Additional Info Short Response

Required
250 words

Bio-Dent Prompt 5: Do you have relatives who are dentists or are in dental school? If so, indicate the name of each relative, his/her relationship to you, the school attended, and the dates attended.

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Extracurricular Short Response

Required
250 words

Bio-Dent Prompt 2: List any activities which demonstrate your ability to work with your hands.

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Culture & Diversity Short Response

Required
200 words

At Penn, learning and growth happen outside of the classrooms, too. How will you explore the community at Penn? Consider how this community will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape this community.

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Overcoming Challenges Short Response

Required
250 words

M&T Prompt 2: Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity.

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Why Major? Essay

Required
650 words

M&T Prompt 1: Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two.

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Why School? Essay

Required
450 words

How did you discover your intellectual and academic interests, and how will you explore them at the University of Pennsylvania? Please respond considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected.For students applying to the coordinated dual-degree and specialized programs, please answer these questions in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the coordinated dual-degree or specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay

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Why Major? Essay

Required
650 words

NETS Prompt: Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the Internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology.

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Why Major? Essay

Required
650 words

The Huntsman Program supports the development of globally-minded scholars who become engaged citizens, creative innovators, and ethical leaders in the public, private, and non-profit sectors in the United States and internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to make a contribution to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect?

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Overcoming Challenges Short Response

Required
250 words

LSM Prompt 2: “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts” (attributed to Winston Churchill). Tell us about the failure from which you’ve learned the most.

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LSM Program Essay

Required
650 words

LSM Prompt 1: The LSM Program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay.

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Why Major? Essay

Required
650 words

NHCM Prompt: Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals?

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Common App Personal Essay

Required
650 words

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

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 be taken to identify a solution.


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.

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