2026–27 application cycle · via common_app
University of Pennsylvania supplemental essays
Every writing prompt on the University of Pennsylvania application, with word limits, taken from the application itself. 17 prompts, including program-specific ones.
- Prompt 1Required200 words max
Thank You Note
Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!)
- Prompt 2Required200 words max
A thank-you note
Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge.
- Prompt 3Required200 words max
Community at Penn
How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn.
How to approach it
Community and identity prompts reward specificity over significance. A small, true community described from the inside beats a broad label described from the outside. End on what you carry from it into a campus, not on a moral.
- Prompt 4Required400 words max
Why you're transferring
Please explain your reasons for transferring from your current institution and what you hope to gain by transferring to another institution.
Program-specific prompts
These apply only if you are applying to the named program or school.
- Management & Technology Program (M&T)Required200 words max
Something you built
Describe something you created, designed, improved, or built. What motivated you, and what did you learn from the process?
- Wharton SchoolRequired200 words max
Why Wharton
Wharton prepares its students to make an impact by applying business methods and economic theory to real-world problems, including economic, political, and social issues. Discuss a current issue of importance to you and how you hope a Wharton education would help you explore it.
How to approach it
Program-fit prompts are the most literal question on the application: why this training, for your goals. Answer in that order. Name the goal, point to the two or three specific pieces of the program that serve it, and show one thing you have already done that proves the goal is real.
- College of Arts and SciencesRequired200 words max
What you're curious about
The College of Arts and Sciences is designed to foster discovery and connection. Describe something you are curious about—something you'd like to learn more about or find a new approach to—and how you might pursue that curiosity in the College.
- School of NursingRequired200 words max
Why Nursing
Penn Nursing intends to meet the health needs of society in a global and multicultural world by preparing its students to impact healthcare by advancing science. Why are you applying to Nursing, where do you see yourself professionally in the future, and how will you contribute to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare?
How to approach it
This is a why-us prompt. The trap is describing the school back to itself; rankings and campus beauty read as filler. Name the two or three specific things (a program, a professor's work, a structure like open curriculum) you would actually use, and tie each to something you have already done.
- School of Engineering and Applied ScienceRequired200 words max
Why Engineering
Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics with depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Describe how you plan to pursue your engineering interests at Penn, particularly within the intended major you selected.
How to approach it
An academic-interest prompt wants the origin story and the evidence, not the resume. Pick the moment the interest became yours, show one or two things you did about it on your own, and let the school see how you think when nobody assigns the work.
- Huntsman ProgramRequired200 words max
Your target language
Describe your experience with the target language you selected. You may wish to share the length of time you've studied or used this language, how you've learned it, the skills you've acquired, and/or the skills you still wish to develop. Please also explain why you are interested in studying this language and the region(s) of the world where it is spoken.
- Huntsman ProgramRequired400 words max
Why Huntsman
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 around the world. What draws you to a dual-degree in international studies and business, and how would you use what you learn to address a global issue where these two domains intersect?
How to approach it
This is a why-us prompt. The trap is describing the school back to itself; rankings and campus beauty read as filler. Name the two or three specific things (a program, a professor's work, a structure like open curriculum) you would actually use, and tie each to something you have already done.
- Management & Technology Program (M&T)Required400 words max
Why M&T
Explain how you will use the M&T program to pursue problems or opportunities that require both engineering and business perspectives.
How to approach it
Community and identity prompts reward specificity over significance. A small, true community described from the inside beats a broad label described from the outside. End on what you carry from it into a campus, not on a moral.
- Vagelos Program in Life Sciences & Management (LSM)Required400 words max
Why LSM
The Vagelos Life Sciences & Management (LSM) program brings together two powerful modes of understanding—scientific inquiry and strategic thinking—to prepare students to engage thoughtfully and creatively with some of the most complex challenges of our time. What questions, problems, or opportunities would you hope to explore through LSM, and how might the integration of life sciences and management shape your approach to them? Focus on the ideas, values, or questions that draw you to this intersection, rather than how LSM might advance your career, and make sure this essay is distinct from your single-degree application.
How to approach it
For a challenge prompt, the challenge is the setup, not the essay. Spend most of the words on what you did and how you changed. Readers are wary of trauma used as currency; growth is the currency.
- Nursing and Health Care Management Program (NHCM)Required400 words max
Why NHCM
Describe your interest in nursing and health care management, and how Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business would help you meet your goals. Please ensure that this essay is distinct from your single-degree application, if applicable.
How to approach it
Program-fit prompts are the most literal question on the application: why this training, for your goals. Answer in that order. Name the goal, point to the two or three specific pieces of the program that serve it, and show one thing you have already done that proves the goal is real.
- Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER)Required200 words max
Your VIPER majors
VIPER students pursue dual degrees in science or math and engineering. Which major combination(s) interest you most right now and why?
How to approach it
An academic-interest prompt wants the origin story and the evidence, not the resume. Pick the moment the interest became yours, show one or two things you did about it on your own, and let the school see how you think when nobody assigns the work.
- Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER)Required400 words max
Why VIPER
Describe your interest in the VIPER program, including how any past experiences (academic, research, extracurricular, etc.) have shaped your interest in energy science and technology, and how you envision participation in VIPER fitting into your future goals.
How to approach it
The activity elaboration works best zoomed all the way in: one meeting, one build, one shift, told concretely. The reader already saw your activities list; show them what it felt like to do the thing.
- Visual and Interactive Computing Program (VIC)Required650 words max
Why VIC
Discuss how your interests align with the Visual and Interactive Computing (VIC) program at the University of Pennsylvania.
How to approach it
This is a why-us prompt. The trap is describing the school back to itself; rankings and campus beauty read as filler. Name the two or three specific things (a program, a professor's work, a structure like open curriculum) you would actually use, and tie each to something you have already done.
Common questions
University of Pennsylvania essays, answered
How many essays does University of Pennsylvania require?
University of Pennsylvania lists 17 writing supplements for the 2026–27 cycle, all required. That is on top of the main personal statement.
How long are the University of Pennsylvania supplemental essays?
Word limits across the listed prompts add up to roughly 5,050 words. Budget real time for them: supplements are where admissions sees your specific interest in University of Pennsylvania.
Do the University of Pennsylvania supplemental essays matter?
Yes, and more as selectivity rises. Grades and scores put you in the pool; supplements are one of the few places you control what the reader learns about you, and a generic why-us essay is one of the most common self-inflicted wounds in admissions.
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