Application Essay Excerpts

Some people say I have nerve to call myself a budding economist. Economists are supposed to epitomize “rational decision making” by considering all of the available facts (according to the so-called “perfect information” assumption) but I don’t follow this mold...

I am a delegate of the United Nations. I negotiate and resolve the many international crises of our day. I assert my positions on countless global I apologize...

I seek enlightenment everywhere I go, whether the location is a debate conference, a bench in the park on Franklin Avenue, or if given the chance, the University of Pennsylvania. The Wharton School, the International Affairs Association, and the Consciousness Club are the most interesting academic and social communities within the university to me, and I believe that they could lead me to the enlightenment I seek...

We are not citizens of the United States, but of the world. Manmade political boundaries and religious and ethnic differences do not divide us. We all relate on a basic human level and must cooperate as such, embracing our similarities as fast as we categorize our differences...

The sun was smiling on me that day. I could feel it. The fifth grade spelling bee had finally arrived. My teacher headed to the front of the room to explain the rules of the bee. She concluded, "Take your places, and good luck."..

Perhaps the most appealing aspect of Penn is the university’s dedication to practicality. While other liberal arts schools tend to emphasize being a multi-faceted student, Penn encourages students to study in a multi-disciplinary fashion. Thus, instead of striving to be the famed “well-rounded” student, Penn students seem to be more tailored...

At the end of sophomore year, I, [name removed], had an idea—a splendid idea. It suddenly came to me that I should deck the halls of Piedmont High School with poetry—haikus more specifically...

The roles I have played in high school, both on and off the stage, have led me on a path that seamlessly becomes Locust Walk. Playing Annie Hall for duo interpretation in speech and debate, I have discovered that the world of entertainment can be a terrifying place for an amateur. Annie has shown me that I really do not want to be an actress, but rather, become the driving force behind the operation...

The coordinate on the index card reads (4, 2). I struggle to find my newly assigned seat, a plotted point within the grid of Mrs. Berkowitz’s classroom. Day one of pre-calculus frenetically begins...

Though Ben Franklin established the University of Pennsylvania over two centuries ago, I could still feel his beliefs about the importance of community resonate through the campus during my first visit. On Locust Walk, the center of this community, I admired the gallant statue of Franklin...