For students applying to Penn
Penn Supplemental Essays for 2026–27
Penn asks for a thank-you note, a community essay and a school-specific answer, each 50 to 200 words. Paste notes and River drafts all three.
Free to start. No card needed.
Dear Ms. Rosa,
You knelt down to Mr. Pérez's eye level, asked him in Spanish about his farm in Puerto Rico, and he started telling you about [what he grew there].
I use what you showed me with residents all the time now: get low, switch to Spanish, ask about home.
Thank you for showing me how. [Your name]
What you'll get
Penn's thank-you note, community essay and school answer, drafted
- A thank-you note to a real person from your life, between 50 and 200 words
- The community essay and your school's question, each tied to Penn and to you
- Dual-degree program essays when you apply to one, with exact word counts throughout
Penn's 2026–27 prompts
Every Penn short answer prompt, by school and program
Every applicant answers the first two. You then answer the question for the undergraduate school you choose, plus your program's essays if you apply to a coordinated dual-degree or specialized program. The wording is copied from Penn's writing page.
| Prompt | Exact wording | Length |
|---|---|---|
| All applicants · 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!) | 50 to 200 words |
| All applicants · Community | 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. | 50 to 200 words |
| School of 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? | 50 to 200 words |
| College of Arts and Sciences | 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. | 50 to 200 words |
| The Wharton School | 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. | 50 to 200 words |
| Penn 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. | 50 to 200 words |
| Huntsman · 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. | 50 to 200 words |
| Huntsman · Program essay | 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? | 50 to 400 words |
| 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. | 50 to 400 words |
| M&T · Program essay | Explain how you will use the M&T program to pursue problems or opportunities that require both engineering and business perspectives. | 50 to 400 words |
| M&T · Something you built | Describe something you created, designed, improved, or built. What motivated you, and what did you learn from the process? | 50 to 200 words |
| 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. | 50 to 400 words |
| VIPER · Major combination | VIPER students pursue dual degrees in science or math and engineering. Which major combination(s) interest you most right now and why? Your response to this prompt is not binding; students often shift majors as they learn more through the program. | 50 to 200 words |
| VIPER · Program essay | 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. | 50 to 400 words |
| VIC | Discuss how your interests align with the Visual and Interactive Computing (VIC) program at the University of Pennsylvania | 50 to 400 words |
Dual-degree applicants still answer the question for their single-degree school. Huntsman applicants also select one of eleven target languages. Checked October 6, 2026.
Before and after
Your notes in. Penn's answers out.
Allentown, PA. Dietary aide at a nursing home three evenings a week since sophomore year. I'm bilingual and translate for residents' families. Ms. Rosa, a CNA on my shift, showed me how to calm Mr. Pérez when his dementia made him angry: kneel to his eye level, speak Spanish, ask about his farm in Puerto Rico. I use that with residents all the time now. Never thanked her. Applying to Penn Nursing. Want to be a geriatric nurse practitioner in a bilingual clinic.
Thank-you note (opening) Dear Ms. Rosa, The first time Mr. Pérez got angry on my shift, I [what you did in that moment]. You knelt down to his eye level, asked him in Spanish about his farm in Puerto Rico, and he started telling you about [what he grew there]. I never thanked you for that. Penn Nursing question (opening) Three evenings a week, I bring dinner to residents of a nursing home in Allentown and translate for their families. I want to become a geriatric nurse practitioner in a bilingual clinic, because [why that kind of clinic matters to you].
Ms. Rosa, Mr. Pérez and the farm all come from the notes. Brackets hold what only the student remembers.
Real examples
Penn essays from admitted students
These were written by students admitted to Penn under earlier prompts. The long essays answered a question Penn has since retired; the shorter community essays answered an earlier version of this year's community question.
Seven Penn essays, several with an admissions officer's notes
Admitted to Penn · posted August 2021 · CollegeAdvisor
Read the community essay about "multipotentialites", which names days, places and groups, from Locust Walk to the orchestra. The Wharton essay that starts with family Scrabble shows a small habit opening a big interest.
Read the Penn essays at CollegeAdvisor
Link checked October 6, 2026.
Why it works
What are Penn's supplemental essays for 2026–27?
Penn asks every 2026–27 applicant for two short answers of 50 to 200 words: a thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked, and an essay on how you will explore community at Penn. You then answer one more 50-to-200-word question written by your undergraduate school: the College, Wharton, Engineering or Nursing. Coordinated dual-degree programs such as Huntsman and M&T add their own essays of up to 400 words. Every prompt is listed above, word for word.
River's Penn supplement writer drafts all of it from what you paste: notes, activities, a résumé or your Common App essay. The thank-you note goes to a real person from your notes and reads like something they could open. The community essay answers both halves of Penn's question, and your school's answer covers every part of its prompt. Program essays stay distinct from your single-degree answer, as Penn asks. Each answer shows its exact word count at the end.
Check the dates and Penn's testing rule before you finish, because Penn is not test-optional. Penn's first-year page lists November 1, 2026 for binding Early Decision, with decisions in December, and January 5, 2027 for Regular Decision, with decisions in April. Penn requires SAT or ACT scores, with a hardship waiver, per its testing page. For other colleges, the supplemental essay writer plans your whole list, and the essay shortener trims any answer that runs long.
What lands in your doc
What's in your Penn supplement
- A thank-you note addressed to one real person, built on a specific moment from your notes
- A community essay that answers both halves: how Penn shapes you and how you shape Penn
- Your school's answer covering every part of its prompt, from Wharton to Nursing
- Dual-degree program essays for Huntsman, M&T, LSM and others, kept distinct as Penn asks
- Exact word counts on every answer, checked against Penn's 50 to 200 or 400 word ranges
- A closing list of brackets, the story behind each answer, and Penn's two deadlines
How it works
From your notes to Penn's answers
Add your notes
Paste notes about people you'd thank, activities, a résumé or your Common App essay, or drop files.
Pick your school
Choose the College, Wharton, Engineering, Nursing or a dual-degree program, or let River tell from your notes.
Read the drafts
Each answer lands in your doc with its word count and brackets for details only you know.
Share and submit
Fill the brackets, send the thank-you note if you can, then grade everything before submitting.
How to write the Penn supplement by hand
Write the thank-you note as an actual note. Choose one person you have genuinely not thanked, address them directly and describe one specific moment when they helped you. Then say what you do differently because of it. Penn encourages you to share the note with that person if you can and to reflect on the experience, so write something you would be comfortable handing over. A coworker or a bus driver can work as well as a teacher.
The community question has two halves, and it is easy to answer only one. Explain how Penn will shape your perspective, then how your experiences will shape Penn. Name specific groups, places or traditions and connect each to something you already do at home or at school. A list of clubs answers neither half. Penn's own writing page offers a test worth using: if someone who knows you read your answer without your name on it, would they know you wrote it?
For the school question, answer every part of the exact prompt. Wharton asks about a current issue, the College about one curiosity, Engineering about plans within your intended major, and Nursing about why nursing, your future and equity in healthcare. Penn suggests reviewing each school's curriculum before you write, and links to it beside every prompt. Keep every answer between 50 and 200 words, or 400 for some program essays, and check that no story repeats across the set. Also applying to Princeton? See Princeton's 2026–27 prompts.
Questions applicants ask
Common questions
How many supplemental essays does Penn require?
Three for most applicants in 2026–27: the thank-you note, the community essay and one question from your undergraduate school, each 50 to 200 words, per Penn's writing page. Applicants to coordinated dual-degree or specialized programs add one to three program responses, some up to 400 words, while still answering their single-degree school's question.
Who should I write the Penn thank-you note to?
Someone you have genuinely not thanked yet, whose help you can show in one specific moment. A coach, a coworker, a sibling or a neighbor can all work. Write to them, not about them, and keep the focus on what they did and what changed for you. Penn encourages you to share the note with them if possible.
What is the Penn community essay asking?
Two things: how Penn will help shape your perspective, and how your experiences and perspective will help shape Penn. Answer both. Name specific groups, places or traditions you would join and connect each to something you already do or care about. An answer that only lists clubs misses the second half of the question entirely.
Which Penn school question do I answer?
The one for the undergraduate school you choose for your single degree: the College of Arts and Sciences, Wharton, Penn Engineering or Penn Nursing. Dual-degree applicants answer their single-degree school's question and then their program essays, which Penn asks to keep distinct. River drafts your school's answer and any program essays together in one document.
When are Penn's 2026–27 deadlines, and are test scores required?
Early Decision is due November 1, 2026, with decisions in December, and Regular Decision January 5, 2027, with decisions in April, per Penn's first-year page. Penn requires SAT or ACT scores, with a waiver for applicants facing hardship. The latest SAT date for Early Decision is November 7, 2026, according to its testing page.
Is the Penn supplement writer free?
You can try it free. River's Free plan needs no credit card, and free usage pauses when it reaches its limit. Your Penn answers stay in your own workspace, where you can grade them, write a second thank-you note or keep earlier drafts. Paid plans start at $14 a month on the pricing page.
Your next step
More for your application
Write the thank-you note Penn asks for
Paste your notes, a résumé or your Common App essay. River drafts every Penn answer inside its word range.