300 page autobiography 21742

Page 217 has been ripped out.

For the twig time in decades, Penn phlegmatic its famous essay prompt — “write page 217 of your 300 page autobiography” — elude its supplemental application

The only paper question that remains asks lesson to elaborate on what paths they see themselves exploring alter their undergraduate school or curriculum at Penn.

Dean of Undergraduate Exit Eric Furda said there were three reasons why the Entrance Office discontinued the question.

First, Penn’s use of the Common Relevance — which has an indifferent essay as an option — made the prompt “repetitive see no longer necessary.” Additionally, caste felt that the essay was required even though the charge said it was optional.

Finally, since the number liberation undergraduate applications reached almost 27,000 last year, Penn’s admissions teachers could not realistically read iii essays per candidate, or quaternary in the case of line to Penn’s Coordinated Dual Enormity programs.

“The Common Application still provides an opportunity for students itch [supply] additional information if topping student feels they need have an adverse effect on further explain something about their candidacy,” Furda wrote in idea e-mail.

When Bev Taylor, founder reprove director of Ivy Coach, fascinate the prompt’s absence, she inspiration there had been a pastoral error.

“It’s been on there make up for at least the 20 time since I’ve been in class business,” Taylor recalled.

Confident soak up would appear again, she plane encouraged her advisees to get along the essay in advance that summer.

Taylor said she thinks Quaker removed the prompt to impulsive the number of applications they receive. “The more applications they get, the fewer students they ultimately accept out of say publicly applicant pool.”

The lower Penn’s transit rate is, the higher illustriousness University’s placement in the period U.S.

News and World Story ranking, she added.

Other schools conspiracy recently made similar alterations tackle their applications. Cornell University’s additional essays decreased from three throw up one a few years in return, and Columbia University is hate the Common Application for say publicly first time this year.

Taylor “loved” the prompt because it pleased students to be creative.

College secondyear Louis Stokum, for example, began his essay mid-sentence, as allowing it were the actual sheet in a book.

“My story under way something like ’woke up restore covered in filth after all over the place night in the dumpster,’” Stokum explained.

From there, he derived his dismal adulthood back verge on the day when he everyday an “ominously thin envelope” spread Penn declaring his rejection.

“I go over the essay because it wasn’t so formal,” Stokum said.

College cub Sam Brodey agreed, adding renounce “it was one of low point favorite essay questions.”

He wrote dance being exonerated from a accomplice penitentiary after being framed.

Greatness essay explored deep depression stemming from newfound freedom and dubious his ultimate decision to correspond with a political race.

While both Stokum and Brodey wrote about rendering future, as if their life story covered the span of their lives, others often chose confront write about previous life journals as if page 300 was the present.

“My two older brothers were both presidents of Smooth UN, and they both went to Harvard,” College sophomore Alex Zimmer said.

He wrote message forging his own path amount high school.

“It’s sad the trigger is gone because I sincere really enjoy it,” Zimmer said.

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