Pennsylvania State University supplemental essays

The prompts, one by one

1. Personal statement (optional)no stated word limit · Activity

   “This is your opportunity to share something about yourself that is not already reflected in your application or academic records. Please tell us something about yourself, your experiences, or activities that you believe would reflect positively on your ability to succeed at Penn State.”

   What it's really asking

   Depth on one activity: what you actually did, what was hard about it, and why it mattered to you beyond the title. Pennsylvania State University already has your activities list; this is the story behind one line of it.

   Where drafts go wrong

   Re-listing the activities list in prose, or choosing the most prestigious activity rather than the one you can say something true about. Starting with "I joined X in ninth grade."

   The shape of a strong answer

   Start inside a specific moment of the activity. Explain one problem you solved or one thing you built, with detail only a participant would know. Close on what it changed in how you think or work.

Every US applicant also writes the Common App personal statement: 650 words, seven prompts. Don't repeat it here; the supplements are for what the statement didn't show.

A self-check before you submit

Cover the school name and read the essay. Then cover your name and read it again. It should fail the first test (it only makes sense for Pennsylvania State University) and pass the second (only you could have written it). If it passes the first test, it's a brochure. If it fails the second, it's a template.