Q&A with Michael: How Command Education Helps Students Earn Admission to UPenn

A: Whenever I approach a Penn application with a student, I emphasize the pre-professional nature of Penn academics compared to other Ivy League and top schools. While Harvard is looking for true nerds who have participated in high-level intellectual pursuits, Penn seeks to admit students who are confident in their pursuit of their chosen field, ready to hit the ground running once on campus, and have a clear idea of how their academic pursuits translate into professional aspirations. Whether you intend to study at Wharton or pursue a degree through the College of Arts and Sciences, you should demonstrate your preparedness to take full advantage of the structured (and unstructured) opportunities offered to Penn students. Whether it is proposing a project that would compete for the Penn President’s Innovation Prize or a creative writing piece that could win the Kelly Writer’s House Terry B. Heled Travel & Research Grant, Penn is looking for students that are going to continue to compete for opportunities once they arrive on campus. Penn’s supplemental essay questions tend to be straightforward, focused on what students want to study and why they want to do it at Penn (though they added a “letter of gratitude” prompt a couple of years ago that veers from this traditional focus and requires a bit more creativity and personal reflection). Through these essays, transcripts, the Activities List, and letters of recommendation, students should demonstrate a strong sense of initiative, leadership, and community engagement.

Students should also note that the Penn admissions committee is looking not only for academic excellence, but also for demonstrable ways that you have made an impact in your own community. They want to see compelling evidence that a student has developed a clear, viable, and independent project during their time in high school and that they intend to take the lessons they learned along the way to stand out in Penn’s competitive and high-achieving culture.

A: Given the global reputation of the Wharton School of Business and the Perelman School of Medicine, many students mistakenly believe that Penn is only for students interested in pursuing traditional career paths like business, law, or medicine, rather than those interested in the humanities. While the school does have a strong pre-professional emphasis, Penn humanities programs are excellent and feature world-renowned faculty (such as MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Emily Wilson and Pulitzer-prize-winning journalist Buzz Bizzinger), stunning facilities (including the Penn Museum, which is home to the largest Sphinx in North America, and the Fisher Fine Arts Library), and numerous other resources (such as the Wolf Humanities Center and multiple international partnerships). I have encouraged many students with interests in literature, performing arts, and architecture to pursue admission to Penn’s competitive arts and humanities programs.

Alternatively, I have also seen some students interested in pursuing more standard pre-professional programs like pre-law and pre-med paralyzed by the thought that they need to follow a traditional career path or have a definitive 5-year plan sketched out in order to be competitive applicants. While students should be confident in their chosen discipline and in the unique perspective they bring to it, they don’t have to have everything figured out, nor do they have to enter a traditional profession after the completion of their studies. As long as applicants have the core elements—such as initiative, intellectual curiosity, and a clear sense of purpose—there’s room for more creative or unconventional career interests.

A: A good Penn application will tick the following boxes: strong academics, stellar test scores, impressive extracurriculars, and a clear sense of direction. However, what makes an application great is its clear articulation of why Penn will help a student achieve their personal, academic, and professional goals, and how their experiences and values align with Penn specifically.

Penn’s supplemental essays are designed to evaluate whether you’ve done your homework on the institution. For example, when crafting the “Why Penn?” essay, you should not only list Penn’s resources—you should articulate what you have accomplished in your high school career and how it connects to specific programs that you would want to do at Penn. What will Penn equip you to accomplish that you are currently incapable of doing? How can you take your work a step further at Penn?

A: One student I worked with was pursuing a pre-law and politics track and was very involved with debate, mock trial, cultural groups at school, and did a lot of community service. He also had a good number of leadership positions, including debate captain and varsity tennis captain. While all of these involvements were impressive and bolstered his application, there was very little of his voice and personality in his materials. That year, Penn introduced their “thank you note” supplemental question, which indicated that the university was deliberately inviting students to share a more personal and vulnerable side of themselves. I worked with this student to brainstorm his essay, find his authentic voice, and balance professionalism with the personal touch that the admissions committee was looking for.

Another student I worked with was admitted to Penn’s Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business. When we started working together, he had participated in research in his field and could write thoughtfully about his intellectual engagement, but he hadn’t pursued any professionally-focused opportunities. He wanted to study politics and international relations, so I emphasized that he needed demonstrable experience that showed hands-on engagement with his future profession. Given that he was located in Austria, I worked with him to get an internship at the European Parliament there. As a result of his internship, he developed critical professional communication skills, did outreach in his region, made high-level connections in his field, and demonstrated his commitment to his career path. Penn needs to see that students have made a meaningful contribution to their field even before arriving on campus. The Huntsman and M&T programs are hyper-competitive programs looking for students who have already accomplished independent success and who would take full advantage of their resources and integrate into the programs’ robust alumni networks.

A: For Penn, academic excellence is considered a baseline. Activities outside of school are what set a successful Penn applicant apart, especially those that demonstrate career-focused engagement, leadership, or hands-on intellectual involvements, such as research or conference participation. If you don’t see an opportunity for this kind of tangible work in your own community, taking the initiative to found a club, organize a conference, or source an internship will convey your motivation to Penn admissions officers.

Students who get into Penn are the kind of go-getters who don’t just participate—they lead, whether that’s as captains of debate teams, founders and presidents of clubs, or key organizers in community service initiatives. Penn looks for students who not only excel in their chosen activities but also make significant impact within their communities. Finally, students who want to get into Penn should look for opportunities for recognition—awards and honors will go a long way in conveying the public-facing nature of your work and a third-party endorsement of your contributions will catch the eye of admissions officers.

A: First, it’s important to understand that you don’t have to be perfect to get into a school like Penn. Of course, for any top school, there are certain bars that you will be expected to hit academically, but admissions committees are not looking for flawless students—they’re looking for passionate, curious applicants who are eager to learn and make a difference. They care that you are executing the things that matter at a high level.

A Wharton applicant might be able to get away with a B in AP Biology, but they are expected to ace their AP Micro and Macroeconomics classes. What matters most is that you show a genuine drive to accomplish your goals; a willingness to engage with your community; and a clear sense of how you want to use your knowledge to advance your academic and professional career. If you’re confident in the unique attributes that you can bring to Penn’s campus and the specific department in which you want to study, you’re already on your way to a strong application.