thank you note essay examples

13 UPenn Essay Samples That Worked

Updated for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle.

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The University of Pennsylvania, also known as UPenn, is an Ivy League university that provides students from all over the world with a world-class education. With over 4,700 courses, 150 majors, and 500 clubs and organizations, there is truly something for everyone. The school offers over eight specialized programs. This includes the Bio-Dent Seven Year Bio-Dental Program, which allows students to earn an undergraduate degree in biology and a DMD degree from the school of dentistry in only seven years. Undergraduate students can also take classes at Wharton, which is among the most prestigious business schools in the world. Ultimately, the University of Pennsylvania is an outstanding choice for students to create their future, with exceptional academics, cultural events, landmark buildings, and a bustling campus life.

Unique traditions at UPenn

1. The Naked Quad Run: Every year on the night before the last exam, Penn students take off all their clothes except for shoes and sprint around the school's quad. The tradition began in 1997 as a way to celebrunte the end of the semester in a fun and rally way. 2. The Button Game: Penn's button game is an indoor scavenger hunt that takes place during the Spring semester. The game includes making designs out of buttons and other clues located around campus. 3. Senior Tree Planting: For the class of 1996 and beyond, Penn seniors are invited to plant a tree in West Philadelphia in a ceremony. The tree planting ceremony symbolizes the students' commitment to Penn and to the community. 4. The Red Cross Fire Companies: Penn's oldest student-run organizations date back to the 1800s when students formed the Fire Companies. The Fire Companies fought small fires on campus, performed drills to maintain their skill and performed service activities for the local community. 5. Homecoming Heroes: Penn celebrates their student and alumni achievements by designating a select group of Homecoming Heroes. The Heroes were chosen for their exceptional contributions to the University and their dedication to Penn's mission.

Programs at UPenn

1. Wharton Global Ambassadors: A student-run organization that works to establish relationships with like-minded business professionals from all over the world. 2. Penn Community Garden: An organization dedicated to providing fresh produce to individuals and families in need in the nearby community. 3. Penn Program for Public Service: An organization providing a platform for interdisciplinary service projects that promotes meaningful community engagement. 4. Engineering Without Borders: A student-run organization that links engineering technology and knowledge to empower people in developing countries. 5. PennSocial Justice: A student-led organization fostering social activism to create a just and sustainable world.

At a glance…

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Real Essays from UPenn Admits

Prompt: considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, describe how you intend to explore your academic and intellectual interests at the university of pennsylvania..

The intersection between environmental science and debate are the two subjects I’ve realized I aspire to study, and Penn can effectively allow me to study their interdisciplinary connections.

As a student of Penn’s College of Arts and Sciences, I’ll seek to explore these subjects further with the people who piqued my curiosity in the first place. For example, Professor Kok-Chor Tan wrote a paper on the relationship between justice and wildlife protection, which prompted my interest in the intersections of philosophy and our ecosystem. I’d take his Philosophy of Law course (PHIL-1450) to learn about distributive justice in law, so I can strengthen my capabilities to campaign for eco-policies in the Philadelphia area, like the “Keep Philly Green & Water Clean” initiative.

Additionally, I’d also want to pursue research with professors like Cary Coglianese, who wrote a paper on policymakers’ failing responses to climate change, which I cited in a debate on the need for radical change in environmental legislation. The opportunity to learn both within the classroom and collaborate with Penn’s exceptional faculty makes me eager to become a Quaker.

Essay by Michael

Music producer and Philosophy connoisseur @ Penn

Prompt: 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!) (150-200 words)

Dear Aditi,

I remember the first time we met: a Book Bowl contest, where we religiously read 20 chapter books in order to win an American-British dictionary. Remember when we held our books up proudly as we were announced middle school champions? But, that was already six years ago and now we’ve grown and moved on to another common interest - dark Russian literature. 

Thank you for being a steadfast companion for the past six years, standing by my side through the evolution of interests and countless discussions and debates we’ve shared: from arguing about which boy was better in The Selection series in middle school, to fanning over Dostoevsky’s Crime and Punishment in AP Literature. 

As we approach the end of one era, I wanted to acknowledge the significant impact you’ve had on my life. Once we graduate from college, I’ll be waiting to rent an apartment with you in New York as we promised each other so many years ago. Here’s to our enduring bond, as tight as the bound pages of a book, and the many adventures that wait for us. 

With love, Annie

Essay by Anastasia Poliakova

Pre-Law Track Freshman @ Harvard University

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How to Write a Meaningful Thank You Note

• Christopher Littlefield

Sample messages from common workplace scenarios.

Many of us fear expressing our thanks to others. We might worry that our efforts will be misinterpreted or make the person on the receiving end uncomfortable. Or we might struggle to find the right words to express how we feel. Here’s how to do it right.

• Keep it genuine : The goal of expressing appreciation should be to let someone know how their actions have impacted you and/or others. If you have any other agenda, your message will not be authentic.
• Share what you appreciate and why : Focus on the impact their actions had on you and explain both  what you appreciate and why . This will help the other person understand the reason you feel the way you do.
• Send it : E-mails get lost and handwritten cards get saved. Write your message on a piece of paper, post-it note, or card and give it directly to the person. If you are at work, you can also leave it on their desk or in their “mailbox.”

We all want to be appreciated. Whether you’ve accepted a task while your plate is already full, worked through weekends to get a project off the ground, or simply been there for a work friend when they needed your support, an acknowledgement or “thank you” can go a long way in making us feel good about the efforts we put in — and the research supports this.

• Christopher Littlefield is an International/TEDx speaker specializing in employee appreciation and the founder of  Beyond Thank You . He has trained thousands of leaders across six continents to create cultures where people feel valued every day. He is the author of 75+ Team Building Activities for Remote Teams—Simple Ways to Build Trust, Strengthen Communication, and Laugh Together from Afar . You can follow his work through his weekly mailing  The Nudge .

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How to Write the UPenn Supplemental Essays - Examples & Tips

Reviewed by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Reviewed: 6/20/24

So, you’ve set your sights on attending the University of Pennsylvania. You’re confident in your GPA and SAT scores, but how should you write the UPenn supplemental essay? Read on to find out!

‍The University of Pennsylvania is one of the most selective schools in the United States. According to U.S. News, its acceptance rate is 7%. As such, it’s essential that applicants supply the admissions office with a detailed picture of not only who they are as a student but also as a person. 

Completing the UPenn supplemental essays is a necessary and crucial part of the application process. A well-written essay can give your application a massive boost, but a poorly-written one can affect your other materials significantly. 

In this guide, we’ll cover how to tackle the UPenn essays so that you can maximize your chance of acceptance!

UPenn Supplemental Essay Prompts 2023-2024

UPenn requires all applicants to complete three supplemental essays . Each required essay is short, with a maximum word count ranging from 200 to 250 words. 

If you're applying to a specialized program, you may have to complete additional essays. Take a look at our college guides for a step-by-step walkthrough of the UPenn application process. 

The following are the standard UPenn supplemental essay questions that all undergraduate applicants are required to complete. 

UPenn Required Essay Prompt #1

“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!) (150-200 words)”

UPenn Required Essay Prompt #2

“How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)”  

UPenn Required Essay Prompt #3 - 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 and promoting equity. What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 words)”

UPenn Required Essay Prompt #4 - College of Arts and Sciences

“The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? (150-200 words)”

UPenn Required Essay Prompt #5 - 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.  Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it.  (150-200 words)”

UPenn Required Essay Prompt #6 - School of Engineering and Applied Science

“Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology, by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, exploration in the liberal arts, and depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at Penn. (150-200 words)”

For the college-specific prompts (#3-6), you will only need to answer the prompt for the school you’re applying to. So, you’re only required to write three essays overall. 

UPenn Program-Specific Prompts

Depending on your desired program, you may also have to write essays tailored to your particular area of study. Many of the program-specific questions resemble the third supplemental essay question, asking the applicant to explain why they are interested in the specific academic path they are pursuing. 

Tap into your passion and use these questions to explore the practicalities of the path you’re on. Take a look at these program-specific essay prompts.

DMD: Digital Media Design Program

“Why are you interested in the Digital Media Design (DMD) program at the University of Pennsylvania? (400-650 words)”

Huntsman: The Huntsman Program in International Studies and Business

“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 internationally. What draws you to a dual-degree program in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to make a contribution to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect? (400-650 words)”

LSM: The Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Life Sciences and Management

“The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words)”

M&T: The Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology

• “Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words)”
• “Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words)”

NETS: The Rajendra and Neera Singh Program in Networked and Social Systems Engineering

“Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. Feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words)”

NHCM: Nursing and Healthcare Management

“Discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. How might Penn's coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals? (400-650 words)”

Seven-Year Bio-Dental Program

This program has five prompts:

• “Please list pre-dental or pre-medical experience. This experience can include but is not limited to observation in a private practice, dental clinic, or hospital setting; dental assisting; dental laboratory work; dental or medical research, etc. Please include time allotted to each activity, dates of attendance, location, and description of your experience. If you do not have any pre-dental or pre-medical experience, please indicate what you have done that led you to your decision to enter dentistry.
• List any activities which demonstrate your ability to work with your hands.
• What activities have you performed that demonstrate your ability to work cooperatively with people?
• Please explain your reasons for selecting a career in dentistry. Please include what interests you the most in dentistry as well as what interests you the least.
• Do you have relatives who are dentists or are in dental school? If so, indicate the name of each relative, his/her relationship to you, the school attended, and the dates attended.

*Please note that there is a 250-word limit for the Bio-Dental Program supplemental essays.”

VIPER: The Roy and Diana Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research

“How do you envision your participation in the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research (VIPER) furthering your interests in energy science and technology? Please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. Additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which VIPER majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words)”

How To Write Each Essay Prompt for UPenn

Let’s take some time to zero in on the three required essays that you’ll need to write for UPenn. Below, we’ll analyze what each prompt is asking of you and provide some tips to help you approach the essays well! 

How to Write the UPenn Supplemental Essay #1 + Analysis and Tips

UPenn prompt #1 : “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!) (150-200 words)”

Analysis of prompt #1 : The school is seeking to figure out whether you have a sense of the importance of others in your life and if you realize the ways that they’ve helped you along the way. 

Though many high schoolers have learned the importance of individual hard work and discipline, studying at the university level often requires teamwork and collaboration. Schools like UPenn want to know that you’re prepared to participate and that you have a sense of community, which is further explored in the second essay. 

But to start, they want to get a sense of whether you know how others have made a difference in your life. This is your chance to show that to them. 

Here are some tips to get you started:

• Tip #1: Choose Your Person Wisely : Take some time to consider the person you will choose for this prompt. Make sure to pick someone who has had a significant impact on your life and to whom you are genuinely thankful. Don’t just pick someone that you think will impress the admissions committee. 
• Tip #2: Demonstrate Growth : Include reflections on how this person’s actions have changed you. Don’t be superficial ; dig deep into why you are thankful to this person and how you are still affected today. 
• Tip #3: Be Vulnerable : This prompt asks you to write directly to the person you’re thanking, which encourages you to get personal. Don’t shy away from this! Vulnerability is a mark of humility. However, make sure not to include details that will make your reader uncomfortable. 

How to Write the UPenn Supplemental Essay #2 + Analysis and Tips

UPenn prompt #2 : “How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)” 

Analysis of prompt #2 : Universities are communities. So, they are seeking students who have a sense of community and who want to be a part of one. 

In the first prompt, you are asked to demonstrate your appreciation for others who have shaped you in the past to who you are now. This second essay is an opportunity to show how you hope to contribute to the experience of those at UPenn and also how you hope to be transformed by your university experience.

• Tip #1: Reflect on UPenn’s Culture : Take some time at the beginning of your essay to demonstrate your understanding of UPenn’s community values. This shows that you not only fit into the community but that you’ve put effort into researching UPenn’s mission and values.   
• Tip #2: Show How You Fit : Now, talk about your own values and how they line up with UPenn’s. What draws you to UPenn outside of academics? How would you align with the school culture? 
• Tip #3: The Details Matter : It can be helpful to get really specific and use small details to convey memorable and meaningful ideas. An article by UPenn tells students that “sometimes, the smallest, most tedious things are the places where… we can communicate the most about ourselves as people.”

How to Write the UPenn Supplemental Essay #3 + Analysis and Tips

Analysis of prompts #3-6 : The third UPenn required essay, although it varies from school to school, is essentially asking all students the same question: “Why us?” 

If you have a specific career path in mind, the school wants to know that you have an understanding of the knowledge you’ll need in order to get there. Not to mention if you will use the knowledge you obtain at their school to be a contributing member of society .

There is no ‘right’ answer when it comes to your reasoning for pursuing any course of learning. UPenn wants to see evidence that you want more from your education than just bringing home a huge paycheck or achieving an illustrious degree. UPenn is interested in what matters to you. 

What do you know about the field of study you’re pursuing? Are your aspirations distinctive or a little hazy around the edges? How will you take advantage of the resources available to you? How will you contribute to the classroom environment? 

Seek to answer those questions when writing. Here are some more tips to help you tackle your third essay for UPenn: 

• Tip #1: Know Your Program : UPenn advises applicants to be extremely specific about why they’re applying to their specified undergraduate school. The more you can get into those details in your supplemental essay, the better. You may want to end your essay talking about your future aspirations at UPenn and beyond!
• Tip #2: Consider Your Personality : What are the specific factors that draw you to this field of study - class structure, learning opportunities, specific instructors? How will your personality and skill sets fuel your ability to thrive in the program of choice?
• Tip #3: Answer the Prompt : It can be easy to get off-track when writing your essays, so be sure that you’re actually answering what’s being asked of you. UPenn has chosen specific prompts in order to learn certain things about you, so stay on topic to improve your chances of acceptance!

Examples of UPenn Supplemental Essays That Worked

Below, you’ll find some UPenn supplemental essays written by real applicants who were admitted to UPenn! Let’s look at each one and discuss what worked about it.

UPenn Supplemental Essay Example #1: The Thank-You Note

If you’re still unsure about how to approach this prompt, take a look at this example essay for some inspiration:

To my brother:

Every day when I come home from school, I am exhausted and kick off my shoes, thinking three steps ahead, about the homework I’ve got to do, or the friend who hasn’t called me in a while. Wrapped in a world of my own. 

And yet, every time I head out the door, I find the laces of my shoes have been neatly untied, loosened and ready for me to step into the shoe. Having not taken the simple step of untying them when I get home, I have not set myself up for a quick or efficient trip out the door.

You and I are so different. I live in a world of abstract ideas and mental exploration, you are grounded in practical matters and prefer not to stray from what is right in front of you. I’m not ‘cool’ and have struggled to make connections with other kids, you fit in so easily, without much effort. 

Although in the past I wished you would stick up for me more, I know how hard it can be to go against the grain. I know you’re looking out for me, in the way that you know how. You’re helping me find my own way by making the small inconveniences in my life disappear, so I can head out the door and face larger challenges. Although I’ve never witnessed you untying my laces, I know that it’s you. Nobody else is home, but your being there is enough. 

Thank you for showing me how to care for someone, and how to give support in a small but impactful way.

Why Essay #1 Worked

Each sentence offers a window into the identity of its writer. They reveal a person who is a bit of a dreamer, who loves to explore abstract ideas, and who sometimes has trouble fitting in. It also offers a window into the writer's thought process. 

Although they express their love of daydreaming, they are also detail-oriented, noticing small things like shoelaces that have been undone in their absence. The writer shows they're able to appreciate the personality differences between themselves and their brother. They have compassion for their brother despite their differences.

UPenn Supplemental Essay Example 2: How Will You Explore Community at UPenn?

Below is a sample essay responding to the community-focused UPenn essay prompt: 

As a kid, I was always encouraged to sit and listen to the adults around me, as they were having conversations with one another. Not to spy, or to get information I could use for my own advantage, but to observe people. My Dad told me you can tell a lot about a person based on what words they choose to say, and also how they say them.

Because I was a bit of a chatterbox as a kid, at times I thought he was giving me this advice, so I would be quiet and keep to myself a little more. But as I got older, I realized he was trying to help me build a skill; the skill of listening to others, before offering up a response.

Time went by, and I continued to be a chatty goofball. Though my stoic father had tried his best, I still much prefer telling jokes over sitting silently. Luckily, I was able to find the perfect outlet for both of my powers: improv club. I could act out as much as I wanted, but the most hilarious skits we came up with were the result of listening before responding to my teammates. 

As I’m hoping to pursue a degree in philosophy, I’m very excited to put these skills to practice in the classroom. I can’t wait to explore the dynamism that comes from discussing complex topics with my professors and other students. 

Why Essay #2 Worked

The writer sets the stage by explaining how they started to learn more about relating to others. They also showed how they came to learn to work with their nature - wanting to be more active and leading in a conversation while also working to ensure they are making space for others. 

The writer also seems to anticipate the classroom environment they will be in, knowing that University Philosophy classes often involve discourse on the theories students are exploring. The more you’ve armed yourself with an understanding of UPenn’s programs and classrooms, the easier it will be to write about how you will be an excellent addition to the school.

UPenn Supplemental Essay Example 3: Explaining Your Undergraduate School Choice

Here is a great example of an essay that explains the background and particular reasons behind a student’s specific undergraduate choices: 

“Some Pig.” The day I read these words was the day I became a vegetarian.

In around 192 pages, E.B. White changed my entire perspective. My parents suddenly had to grapple with the challenge of feeding a kid who would not eat meat. Luckily, they understood that this wasn't just a phase for me. I started to gain a curiosity about the inner lives of animals, leading me toward an interest in animal psychology.

How much do we really know about what animals are thinking or feeling? Will we ever live in a world where humans are able to communicate with animals? What kind of moral issues would we face should that possibility become a reality? These are questions I used to spend hours researching on the internet. 

One day, I stumbled upon a course on UPenn’s website: Animal Cognition and Ethics. I couldn’t believe it. A whole class dedicated to discussions of what I most wanted to know! This was the beginning of my goal of being admitted into UPenn’s Bachelor of Philosophy and Science program.

Knowing that Philosophy required an understanding of how to evaluate ideas and shape arguments for and against them, I joined my school’s debate team. I was able to gain a sense of how to consider a wide variety of opinions, and a respect for those with opposing opinions. 

This experience has prepared me to explore ideas with my fellow classmates at UPenn.

Why Essay #3 Worked

The writer begins by explaining the beginning of their passion for the topic they hope to study at Penn. They then get into the specific program they hope to be admitted to while mentioning a specific class offered at the school. 

In doing this, they are demonstrating not only that they have done some research into the school but that they are already capable of seeking out resources to take advantage of while studying there. 

UPenn is looking for students who are open to new experiences and are not necessarily satisfied with the status quo. In this essay example, the writer has sought to demonstrate their understanding of a college classroom dynamic by mentioning their experience with the debate team. In doing this, they’ve shown they can engage with ideas that are different from their own. 

Common Mistakes to Avoid 

Writing a supplemental essay can be difficult. You should avoid some common mistakes when writing the UPenn supplemental essays. 

• Avoid using cliches or tired expressions. Admissions committees go through countless essays, so using fresh, original language is important.
• Don't choose a broad or common topic. Pick something specific and unique that highlights your personality and interests.
• Steer clear of inappropriate language or humor. Keep your essay professional and suitable for a college application.
• Write your own essay. This is your opportunity to express your voice and ideas, so make sure it's your own work.
• Stick to the prompt. Don't go off-topic or disregard the instructions. Ensure your essay directly addresses what the prompt is asking for.

Avoiding these common mistakes can help you write a compelling and stellar supplemental essay that will catch the admissions office’s attention! 

Get More Sample Essays Here! 

Looking at examples of supplemental essays is a great way to find inspiration and discover strategies that work well. Use our extensive college essay database down below to find tons of other sample essays!

Quad offers successful and detailed support for college essays. Here is a review from a successful college applicant who worked with us on their essay. 

“I really appreciated how David and the Quad Education team gave feedback on my essays and applications. I felt the advice they gave was timely and geared to me personally. They helped take my applications to the next level by covering the bases of each supplemental essay.”  - Claudine 

FAQs: UPenn Supplemental Essays

Looking for some fast answers? Here are our answers to a few common frequently asked questions about how to write the UPenn supplemental essays examples.

1. Does UPenn Require Supplemental Essays?

Yes. You must complete three supplemental essays, which are short in word count.

2. How Do I Write the UPenn Supplemental Essay?

Reflect about what makes you an ideal candidate, and seek to demonstrate how you think and how you will be a good student in your essays. Make sure you keep to the word count, and ensure your grammar and spelling are impeccable.

3. Is There a “Why UPenn” Essay?

Yes. The third and final supplemental essay prompts you to explain why you’ve chosen to apply to UPenn, although the specific prompt varies depending on the undergraduate college you’re applying to. 

Final Thoughts

Writing UPenn’s Supplemental essays is an exciting opportunity to give the school more information about the person you are behind your grades. The essays are concise and are, therefore, not highly daunting to complete. However, their short length requires applicants to be succinct. 

Taking time to reflect on the program you’ve chosen at UPenn, what the school’s identity is, and how that fits into your self-concept will be advantageous for approaching each question and providing detailed examples.

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UPenn Essays: The Best Examples

Writing UPenn essays needs careful consideration and you can start bylearning from our supplemental essay examples . You should also learn how to write a college essay to increase your chance of getting acceptaed. Your cahnces of admission to the University of Pennsylvania are certainly affected by your essays.

The University of Pennsylvania supplemental essays  include fairly standard prompts, such as the “Why this college?” essay and “What do you bring to the community?” essay. But it’s up to you to make these common essay topics your own! Read on to learn how you can stand out in your UPenn essays!

>> Want us to help you get accepted? Schedule a free initial consultation here <<

Article Contents 7 min read

Upenn essays prompt 1.

Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, how will you explore your academic and intellectual interests at The University of Pennsylvania? (300-450 words)

Your goal in writing this essay is to convey why you are perfect for UPenn and why UPenn is perfect for you and your academic and professional goals.

The idea here is to write an essay that will show the admissions committee how you are going to benefit from their academic environment and how it will help you grow as an academic and a professional.

I have always excelled academically. I loved school, I enjoyed my lessons, and my teachers were my idols. Apart from sucking in the knowledge my teachers bestowed on me, I always did independent afterschool research to deepen my understanding of new subjects.

From a young age, I knew I would join the “knowledge” business. The best way I knew to go about it would be to create my brand of self-help e-books.I started selling these books – and, to my surprise, they were soon being printed in hard copies.

I soon realized that as “knowledgeable” as I considered myself, I had no idea how to run a business. As my publishing business scaled quickly, I soon realized that I needed more than a degree to run my business efficiently if I wanted to continue to grow.

I started my research and soon found that UPenn was the undergraduate business school for me.  The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is where I want to learn, especially focusing on programs like Entrepreneurship & Innovation Concentration and Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program: Scaling Your Business.

I also intend to share my personal and professional experience with the UPenn community. I hope to join the Penn Social Entrepreneurship Movement (PennSEM) , where I plan to implement both my Wharton education and my past involvement in the business field to help local communities build new social enterprises. In the past, I’ve worked closely with my local Big Sister chapter and would love to use that experience to help PennSEM reach new boundaries in the broader community – beyond campus walls. I can bring my experience in organizing and leading workshops and networking events and help the club reach a wider audience. Most importantly, I can learn about how to lead such organizations from the other members of the club.

At UPenn, I hope to learn how to effectively interact with my peers and fellow entrepreneurship enthusiasts as my journey in the business world has been solo for the most part. When I leave Wharton with my business degree, I know I will become an accomplished business leader who has truly mastered both the theory and practical aspects of entrepreneurship. (442 words)

I apply to UPenn with the blessings and the support of my community on a small island in the Pacific Ocean. My family runs a small hotel on one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. We have owned the hotel for three generations – and it continues to provide a livelihood for 20 families who have become part of our family.

When I graduated from the only high school on the island, it was these families that came together to pay for my college tuition, which I hope to use at UPenn. They gave me the responsibility of becoming an efficient business leader who can transform that small hotel into a world-class resort.

I intend to deliver on their expectations by studying in the Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability program, which will help me grow the business with consideration for the environment and my community as a whole.

Apart from being one of the top universities in the world, UPenn also has the best research and development facilities. This attracted me because I want to learn in an institution that has a long history as well as the latest innovations in the business field. We also decided that it would be best because we loved that it is a place where I could feel at home with over 130 nationalities on campus. This is the first time I will be traveling far from home. I hope to learn about various cultures and meet as many people as I can by participating in on-campus communities. I aim to join the Penn Environmental Group as I know how important nature is to both the hotel industry as well as humanity as a whole. Living on a small island in the middle of an ocean also gives me a unique perspective on global warming and rising sea levels. I hope to create awareness via workshops and conferences and perhaps even work towards a solution that prevents an irreversible calamity.

I have also set my eyes on the Penn Club Swim. I aim to participate in activities like being a lifeguard and teaching about safety in the water.

I hope to give back to the UPenn community by sharing the personal experiences of my rich culture. We have traditions that are built on the need to rely on one another and I hope to build this sense of closeness and connection with my classmates (439 words)

At Penn, learning and growth happen outside of the classroom, too. How will you explore the community at Penn? Consider how this community will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape this community. (150-200 words)

This prompt is meant to test how well you will fit in the university’s community as a whole and what kind of knowledge and experience you can bring to the incoming class. The campus hosts thousands of students and they all bring their backgrounds, experiences, cultures, and traditions with them. The question is, how will you contribute to that melting pot, and what will you take from it?

Perhaps, the best advice here would be to delve deep within yourself and consider unique experiences and circumstances that shaped you into who you are today.

By day I am a businessman, and by night, a writer. Well, at least that is the dream I hope to realize at UPenn – that of being a successful, innovative businessman and a writer at the same time.

Although I started writing in high school, I have never really developed that passion because, like every child growing up in a middle-class family, writing wasn’t exactly as encouraged as becoming a doctor, an engineer, or a lawyer. So, I had to put that “hobby” – as my parents called it – on the back burner as I went through school.

I look forward to attending UPenn because it gives me the chance to earn my business degree as well as pursue my writing via clubs like Curiouser, where I can explore the surreal fiction writing sphere, and Penn Innovators in Business , where I will learn to guide the next generation of business leaders with my writing.

 I also get to make my parents happy by becoming a successful businessman with my business degree – two birds one stone, as the saying goes. (186 words)

UPenn essays – example 2.2

I love singing and The Inspiration A Cappella is the UPenn club for me.

Ever since I found out about this club, I have been following the group’s YouTube channel. I’ve enjoyed every single video and dream of being among them. Anyone that has watched the club perform – or even watched their videos – can see how much they work to achieve that harmony. And that is something that can’t be done without a bond being formed among the members.

I want to be a part of that camaraderie. The beauty of acapella is that everyone needs to do their part or it won’t work – I can see how they “sync” and hope that my voice can enrich this already established group in the future. I bring over four years of singing) experience – several high school awards testify to my “prowess” – but, more importantly, I bring my passion for singing. Being an African, music is an inherent part of our culture, and it would be my pleasure to share my experiences and knowledge of our endemic music traditions. I even have ideas of weaving these beats into a work that appeals to the younger generation – in the hopes that they will also want to discover more about the “foreign-yet-familiar” sounds they experience. (200 words)

Writing college application essays is an art that can be mastered with time and practice. Don’t rush the process, take time to understand the question, and formulate your answers with care. Keep improving your draft until you are happy with the final essay. And, don’t forget to use a spell-check or grammar tool.

If at all you find this to be a daunting task, you can go through some sample college essays . They might help spark a few ideas that you can build on to create your admission essays when the time comes.

Alternatively, you can also look for college essay review services to make sure you have the best essay you can submit.

Want more tips for writing?

Do not exceed the word count. You can certainly write less that the required word count, but not more.

The most important thing here is that you address the prompt. Your answer should be built around the prompt and include your unique input, the values you bring to the community, and what you expect to gain when you leave the campus.

You should also include the tangible (technology and facilities) and intangible (school spirit and ethics) assets of the college, as well as the traditions it upholds.

If you can put all these together, then you will have a well-balanced essay.

You have to remember that supplemental essays are just one part of your entire college application packet. Instead of thinking of the essays as a single entity that can boost (or thwart) your chances, you should think of creating a whole application package that will combine to increase your chances.

So, focus on writing good supplemental essays and combine them with a good application package.

UPenn requires two supplemental essays for new students. But, there are several more that are required by students who seek admission to programs like Digital Media Design, Nursing and Health Care Management (400-650 words), and Seven-Year Bio-Dental Program (250 words). There is also an essay prompt for transfer students about why they transferred from their previous colleges (4510 characters ). More details can be found on the UPenn admissions page .

UPenn also requires potential candidates to write personal essays.

UPenn has set its goal to admit some of the top students by setting its admission GPA to 3.9. That means you will need to have scored almost all A’s to get in. But, you can find out how to get into college with a low GPA if you don’t have that near-perfect score.

The general rule of thumb is to avoid controversy at all costs. While it is good that you have your thoughts and views, your UPenn college admission essay is not exactly the place to express them. Why rattle the cage that will be your home for the coming 4 years?

Yes. Topics to avoid are political and social hot topics that are provocative to anyone on any side of the aisle. In short, if it is in the news and debates and clashes are going on about it, it is a topic best avoided. Again, here too – while it is admirable that you have a stance, your college admission essay is not the platform to express it.

Essays are your chance to explain how you and the university will co-exist for the next few years. While your essay needs to reflect you, there is a limit to how personal you can get. There is a difference between personality – which you should write about – and personal – which you should be careful with.

Your essay should tread lightly on personal topics like romance, trauma, sexual content, and radically offensive topics.

In short, use common sense and ask: would I tell this to a stranger? If the answer is, “no” you should skip the topic.

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Writing a “Thank You” Note in Five Simple Steps

Writing a thank-you note is a great way to make a lasting impression. Plus, they’re incredibly easy to compose since they’re short and to the point. Need some guidance and inspiration on how to craft a thank-you note? We’re here to help!

Table of Contents

Writing a “thank you” note, how to write a “thank you” note, “thank you” note examples, birthday thank-you note, funeral thank-you note, graduation thank-you note, interview thank-you note, professional thank-you note, thank us later.

You may think that writing a thank-you note is old-fashioned; after all, who takes the time to write handwritten letters when they can just send a text message or email? But that’s precisely why thank-you notes are impactful—not many people make that effort, so when you receive one, it instantly stands out as polite and genuine.

If you’re considering writing a thank-you note , we’d say it’s a great idea. And if you’re unsure where to start or how to craft one, don’t worry because it’s simple. This post will teach you everything you need to know about writing a thank-you note and even provide examples for different scenarios.

Let’s begin!

The beauty of thank you notes is that they’re brief. You shouldn’t spend too much time writing one, nor should the recipient spend too much time reading it.

Also, you can write a thank-you note on a card, but it can be written on just about anything, from a sticky note to expensive stationery. It’s the thought that counts!

1. Start with a salutation.

As with any other letter, you should start with a salutation, which is a word or phrase that’s used as a greeting and commences the letter. The standard greetings are:

Dear [name], 

Hi [name], 

Hello [name], 

But you are welcome to add a personal touch if you’d like and write something such as:

To the life of the party, 

To my best friend, 

To the funniest person I know, 

2. Jump straight into expressing gratitude

Remember, thank-you notes are short by nature—don’t ramble. Instead, instantly thank the recipient for their actions, whether attending an important event, giving you a present, or helping you with something.

I wanted to thank you for making the effort to come all the way to Philadelphia to attend our wedding.

3. Write about emotions, thoughts, or intentions.

Yes, thank-you notes are typically brief, but that doesn’t mean they must be stale. Personalize the note by mentioning what the recipient’s actions meant to you, how they made you feel, or what you intend to do with the gift (if that’s what you’re thanking them for).

It really made me feel special and loved to have you here on our special day.

4. Reiterate your gratitude.

Before closing the letter, reiterate your gratitude in the last line.

You’re a great friend, and I truly can’t thank you enough. 

5. End with a closing and your name. 

Again, as with any other letter , add a closing and your name or signature. The type of concluding phrase you choose depends on the recipient and your relationship.

Love, 

Your friend, 

Sincerely, 

Best, 

Regards, 

With appreciation, 

When you put it all together, your thank-you note should look something like this:

Dear Suzanne, I wanted to thank you for making the effort to come all the way to Philadelphia to attend our wedding. It really made me feel special and loved to have you here on our special day. You’re a great friend, and I truly can’t thank you enough. Your friend, Elizabeth 

Hi Uncle Tim, I wanted to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation for your presence at my party and your thoughtful gift. It was really important to me to get the family together for my 30th birthday, and I’m glad we could make it happen. The beautiful necklace you gifted me will always bring me back to that special day. Thank you for your kindness and never-ending guidance. Your favorite niece, Jen

Dear Jacob, I am grateful for your support, kind words, and heartfelt condolences during this difficult time. Your presence was a great comfort to me and my family. Thanks for all your help. Best, Lucy

Dear Betsy, Thank you for celebrating my graduation with me. You’ve helped me so much, and it only felt right to have you by my side as I reached this milestone. As I embark on this new chapter, your thoughtful gift and kind wishes mean the world to me. Your friend, Daisy

Dear Mr. Levinson, I wanted to take the time to thank you for the opportunity to interview for the project manager position. I learned a lot about the company, and I’m enthusiastic about the possibility of joining your team. Thanks again for your time. Best regards, Christopher Harris

Dear Frankie, Thank you for your assistance in training me. Your expertise and insights made this transition much easier. I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with you and look forward to future collaborations. Best, Quincy

Trust us when we say that people truly appreciate thank-you notes . Maybe it’s the effort behind them, or perhaps it’s the sincere expression of gratitude. Whatever it is, writing a thank-you note is a sure-fire way to leave a lasting impression.

As a multilingual writing assistant, LanguageTool can also help you leave your mark by aiding you in crafting powerful compositions. Not only will it ensure your text is error-free, but it will optimize your content by assisting you in refining your word choice and strengthening your sentences.

Try it out now, and don’t forget to thank us later (with a nice note).

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Best Thank-You Letter Examples and Templates

Tips for Writing a Thank-You Letter

How to use examples and templates, interview thank-you letter template.

• Interview Thank-You Letter Example

General Thank-You Note Template

• More Thank-You Samples

Sending a thank-you note after an interview, a networking event, an informational interview, or any other event related to your job search is a great way to show your professionalism. After you get hired, it is also a way to maintain contact with people you met during your job search.

Thank-you notes aren't just for job searching. Sending a written note, email, or LinkedIn message to people who have helped you on the job or have done something that will enhance your career is a good way to cement relationships and show your appreciation.

Alison Czinkota / The Balance 

Send one. You should send a thank-you letter whenever someone helps you with your job search. For example, you should send thank-you notes after job interviews, internships, and informational interviews.

If someone did something nice or helpful at work, send them a thank-you email.

Consider the format. Some people send handwritten thank-you notes, and others send typed letters. Some formal organizations (like law and accounting firms) might prefer a traditional handwritten note. A handwritten note also allows you to give a personal touch to your message. However, most companies are fine with a typed letter. Think about the company culture when deciding the format of your letter.

Send it as soon as possible. You want to send your letter as soon as possible. This is especially important for an interview thank-you letter; you want to remind the interviewer that you are a strong candidate before he or she makes a decision. For this reason, you might choose to send a thank-you email instead of a note or typed letter.

You can also send an email and then follow up with a note.

Be concise. Keep the letter short—no longer than a page. You want to say thank you sincerely but briefly.

Sell yourself. If this is a thank-you letter for an interview, use the letter as a chance to remind the employer why you are an ideal candidate. Remind them of something you discussed in the interview, or provide some new information that you forgot to mention. This may be your last chance to make a strong impression.

Proofread. Be sure to thoroughly edit your letter. All your communications must look professional and polished.

Thank-you letter samples are a useful way to guide your writing. A sample can help you decide what kind of content you should include as well as how to format your letter. 

Thank-you letter templates can also be very useful. They help you with the layout of your letter, such as how to organize the different sections of your message.

While letter samples and templates are great starting points for your own message, you should always edit a message to fit your situation. A personalized letter or email will make the best impression.

There are guidelines you should follow for writing your letters, including standard length, margins, font, and format. Sending a properly formatted, grammatically correct letter or email message will leave the reader with the best impression.

This is an interview thank-you letter sample.  Download the letter template  (compatible with Google Docs or Word Online) or read the example below.

Interview Thank-You Letter Example (Text Version)

Joseph Q. Applicant 123 Main Street Anytown, CA 12345 555-212-1234 joesphq@email.com

May 21, 2024

Jane Smith Director, Human Resources Acme Office Supplies 123 Business Rd. Business City, NY 54321

Dear Ms. Smith:

Thank you so much for interviewing me for the open sales position. I appreciate the time you spent explaining the hiring process and how your training program works. You’re clearly very knowledgeable about sales and marketing.

I enjoy working in sales and believe I would be an excellent fit for the position. I love a challenge, and your innovative training program intrigues me. 

As we discussed during the interview, my sales numbers at my current job increased by 50 percent over the past three years, and I was at the top of our sales force last year. I’m confident that combining my current experience with your training program will allow me to reach the top of your sales force as well. 

Thank you again for taking the time to talk to me about the position. I believe I can benefit your company and look forward to meeting again soon. In the meantime, please let me know if you need any additional information. 

Signature  (for a hard copy letter)

Joseph Q. Applicant

Contact Information:  If you are sending a printed letter or note, list your contact information above the salutation. If you are sending an email thank-you message, list your contact information below your signature.

Salutation: In formal situations, start with, "Dear Mr./Ms. Last Name:" If it's more casual (to a peer, for example), it's appropriate to start with a less formal greeting.

​First Paragraph: Your first sentence should state that you are reaching out to thank the recipient for what they have provided you. In this first paragraph, you might include another sentence reiterating your thanks. For example, you can acknowledge that you know they are a busy person, and you are especially grateful that they took the time to help you. While your tone should come across as expressive and warm, avoid going overboard with effusive praises. Ultimately, you want to be sure your communication is genuine.

Second Paragraph: In your second paragraph, you can explain why you are so grateful and how their support has impacted you specifically, or how you anticipate it impacting you in the future. 

Be specific so that the reader knows this is a personal letter, rather than a generic one you've sent to multiple contacts.

Third (optional) Paragraph: Use your optional third paragraph as a way to maintain your relationship with this person going forward. If you feel like you have something to offer them in return, you could mention it in this paragraph. Alternatively, you could suggest that you'd love to treat them to a coffee or simply that you would like to stay in touch. Ultimately, you should tailor what you say to your relationship with the person, but the goal of this paragraph is to keep the door open to future communication.

​Finally, in your closing paragraph, reiterate your gratitude with a simple, short final sentence.

Your Typed Name

More Thank-You Letter and Note Examples and Templates

Interview Thank-You Letter Example Use this note to thank the interviewer and to mention that you are available to provide more information on your candidacy.

Email Thank-You Message Example Email thank-you message to send directly after a job interview.

General Thank-You Letter Example Here is a general thank-you letter you can send (via email or mail) to the people who have helped you with your job search.

Sample Thank-You Letter Requesting a Second Interview This sample thank-you letter requests a second interview and reiterates your interest in the position.

Sample Thank-You Letter for an Internship Saying thank you for an internship is a good way to show you appreciate the opportunity​ and to continue your relationship with the organization.

Sample Thank-You Letter for a Job Offer Sample thank-you letter accepting a job offer.

Sample Thank-You Note for a Team Member Use these thank-you letter examples to let a team member know how much you appreciate their hard work.

Sample Thank You and Appreciation Letters for a Boss Thank-you letter samples to send to your boss if they do something particularly helpful or meaningful.

Letter of Appreciation Sample Sample appreciation letter to send to a contact who assisted with your job search.

Networking Thank-You Letter Example Here is a sample letter you can send (via email or mail) to networking contacts who help you with your job search.

Job Offer Rejection Letter Examples Sample thank-you letter that thanks the employer for the job offer but politely declines the position.

Sample Thank-You Letter After Being Rejected for a Job Use this sample thank-you note if you applied for a job but got rejected.

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The art of the thank you note

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So you’ve prepped for your interview, scoured Glassdoor for tips, put on your best suit and nailed the interview day. Now what? Interviews are a nerve-wracking experience and often we are so wrapped up in getting ready for it and making sure the actual day goes well, that we forget the steps that happen after the interview. The thank you note is a great way to follow up, reiterate your interest, and show that you go going above and beyond. Employers keep track of thank you notes, and a good one can go a long way.  Just like how a first impression really matters, the thank you note is an easy way to leave a great last impression. Here are some quick tips on how to write the best follow up thank you note.

1. Get contact information

Of course, you won’t be able to write a good note if you don’t know who to send it to. If you’re lucky, you will get your interviewers contact information beforehand. Most of the time, you don’t know who it’s going to be and it feels awkward to ask. One smooth way to get their contact information is to ask at the end of the interview, “Thanks for answering all my questions today – I don’t think I have any more right now, but could I contact you if I do?” This is a line that works well for many situations – interviews, career fairs, networking receptions. This can also signify that you are done asking questions, so you don’t feel the awkward need to keep asking for the sake of asking. If you forget to ask for contact information during your interview day, reach out to the recruiter afterwards and see if they can either send you the emails of the interviewers, or forward your thank you note to them.

2. What to write

Keep it short and simple – but tailored. Thank them for their time, reiterate your interest in the role, and point to something specific about the conversation that especially resonated with you. If you do have additional questions, you can ask them here. If you had multiple interviewers, try to personalize it as much as you can to the topics you covered. Here is a great article with 3 samples that cover varying degrees of personalization. Not every thank you note can be super tailored, and that’s okay! Sending a more general one is better than none.

3. When to send it

Try to send any follow up communication a day or two after the event – this goes for an interview, career fair, information session, workshop etc. You want to send it when the interaction is still fresh in their mind, and it shows that you are on top of things. If the company is interviewing multiple candidates, you also want to be part of the group that does follow up quickly.

4. How to send it

Email is usually fine, and the added benefit of this is that the interviewer can respond especially if you do have follow up questions. If you really want to go above and beyond, the handwritten note is another option. To do this, you will want to make sure you have the correct address of the company. If you are traveling to your interview site, bring some blank thank you notes with you and fill it out after the interview is over. Then you can drop it in the mail in that city to ensure that it gets to the company in a timely manner. This is also a great option for things like medical school interviews where you might be meeting lots of people – much easier to send one note to the admissions department.

Remember, the most important part of the thank you note is to send it! Even if it’s a few days too late, or you feel like it’s not personalized enough, it’s still better to send one than not. Career Services can help review your thank you notes to make sure you feel confident before sending. Feel free to stop by walk in hours with an advisor or Peer Career Advisor or make an appointment via Handshake.

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How to Write the UPenn Supplemental Essays 2023-2024

Founded in 1740 by Benjamin Franklin, the University of Pennsylvania is one of America’s eight Ivy League institutions. Its beautiful campus features unique red-and-green-brick buildings, gorgeous tree-lined paths, and lots of tributes to Ben Franklin. UPenn is known for its premier academics, but also for its thriving student life (it’s called “the social Ivy,” and has a strong Greek life).

UPenn also enjoys the benefits of being situated in the heart of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — it’s just a stone’s throw from myriad museums, gardens, cathedrals, and historic sites, including Independence Hall. Students typically describe UPenn as having a highly “pre-professional” mindset, with a large cultural focus on internships, school jobs, and career preparation. All in all, it’s the perfect city refuge for ambitious, can-do students who want to maximize their college experience.

Composite Schools: Depending on their fields of study, students at UPenn will be applying to different colleges that make up the school. Undergraduate education at Penn is separated into four distinct schools: the School of Arts & Sciences, Wharton School of Business, the School of Engineering & Applied Sciences, and the School of Nursing. 

Admissions Rates and Resources: UPenn is a tiny bit easier to get into than more in-demand Ivies, but still enjoys a reputation of exclusivity. In its most recent admissions cycle, UPenn accepted 6% of undergraduate applicants. 

Now, onto the essays! Below, you can see a list of all the prompts we’re going to cover. All applicants must submit the two required essay prompts, listed first. Below these, we’ll break into the supplemental essays for various optional programs open to applicants. 

Read these UPenn essay examples to inspire your own writing.

UPenn Supplemental Essay Prompts 

All applicants.

Prompt 1: 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!) (150-200 words)

Prompt 2: How will you explore the community at Penn? Consider how this community will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape this community. (150-200 words)

School-Specific Prompts

College of Arts and Sciences: The flexible structure of The College of Arts and Sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? (150-200 words)

School of Engineering and Applied Science: Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology, by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, exploration in the liberal arts, and depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. Please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at Penn. (150-200 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 and promoting equity. What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare? (150-200 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. Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it. (150-200 words)

The Huntsman Program

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 internationally. what draws you to a dual-degree in business and international studies, and how would you use what you learn to make a contribution to a global issue where business and international affairs intersect (400-650 words), the digital media design program, why are you interested in the digital media design (dmd) program at the university of pennsylvania (400-650 words), the life sciences and management program.

Prompt 1: The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words)

The Jerome Fisher Management and Technology Program

Prompt 1: Explain how you will use the M&T program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words)

Prompt 2: Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words)

The NETS Engineering Program

Describe your interests in modern networked information systems and technologies, such as the internet, and their impact on society, whether in terms of economics, communication, or the creation of beneficial content for society. feel free to draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology. (400-650 words), the nursing and healthcare management program, discuss your interest in nursing and health care management. how might penn’s coordinated dual-degree program in nursing and business help you meet your goals (400-650 words), the viper program, how do you envision your participation in the vagelos integrated program in energy research (viper) furthering your interests in energy science and technology please include any past experiences (ex. academic, research, or extracurricular) that have led to your interest in the program. additionally, please indicate why you are interested in pursuing dual degrees in science and engineering and which viper majors are most interesting to you at this time. (400-650 words), the bio-dental program.

Prompt 1:  Please list pre-dental or pre-medical experience. This experience can include but is not limited to observation in a private practice, dental clinic, or hospital setting; dental assisting; dental laboratory work; dental or medical research, etc. Please include time allotted to each activity, dates of attendance, location, and description of your experience. If you do not have any pre-dental or pre-medical experience, please indicate what you have done or plan to do in order to explore dentistry as a career. (250 words)

Prompt 2: Do you have relatives who are dentists or are in dental school? If so, indicate the name of each relative, his/her relationship to you, the school attended, and the dates attended. (250 words)

Prompt 3: Describe any activities which demonstrate your ability to work with your hands. (250 words)

Prompt 4: What activities have you performed that demonstrate your ability to work cooperatively with people? (250 words)

Prompt 5: Please explain your reasons for selecting a career in dentistry. Please include what interests you the most in dentistry as well as what interests you the least. (250 words)

All Applicants, Prompt 1

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) (150-200 words).

As you’ve gone through high school, you’ve likely received help from all kinds of people. UPenn wants to give you a chance to practice gratitude and acknowledge a specific person who has positively impacted your high school journey. 

There are two main parts to this prompt: picking the person to thank and writing the note .

Who should you pick? Some commonly-influential folks include:

• Mentors or older students
• Family members
• Religious leaders
• Managers/bosses

If you’re having trouble thinking directly of people, you may want to consider thinking of experiences that shaped who you are and the person most directly involved in that . In fact, this may be more effective. There will probably be thousands of thank you notes written to parents, for example. This is great—no problem there—but execution matters. It’s too easy to fall into the trap of writing a generic note thanking this person for “supporting you no matter what” and for “believing in you.”

This brings us to part two of this prompt: writing the note. Instead of generic pleasantries, you want to share specific experiences where this person really made a difference in your life. How did they support you? How did they show they believed in you? How did this impact you? 

For example, say you want to thank your mother for her support. You might share how she woke up at 6am to run with you each day so you could get extra miles in and work towards your goal of making cross country states (while you didn’t make it, you did place in regionals for the first time!). Or, maybe you want to thank your history teacher for pushing you. You should share how he worked with you individually after school when you were initially struggling to write the AP Euro DBQs, and how this encouraged you to start tutoring others in math when you say how effective this individual help was. 

Since this essay is only 150-200 words, you likely only have space for 1-2 anecdotes, so choose the ones that stick out to you most (and ones that add additional info to your application rather than repeating it). Unlike your other essays, this one doesn’t need to be a narrative format, and you should simply address the person you’re thanking. Write as if you’re actually writing a regular thank you note to them —no need to be super formal, and do include jokes if that’s how you’d normally interact!

If you do share your note with the person you’re thanking, you don’t have to reflect on the experience in the essay, unless you want to. If you do, save about one-third to one-fourth of the space for your reflection (about 50-60 words). How did it make that person feel? How did it make you feel? How was the experience meaningful for both of you?

The goal of this essay is to see which students are self-aware and humble , so as long as you approach this essay with genuine intentions of thanking this person, you should have a strong response. 

All Applicants, Prompt 2

How will you explore the community at penn consider how this community will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape this community. (150-200 words).

Use this short essay to showcase the best parts of yourself outside of the classroom. This doesn’t mean you can’t mention your academic interests, but if you mention the same subject as you did in the first prompt, you should dramatically recontextualize it or illuminate a new aspect of it. 

The word community appears three times – so address your philosophy of community. Do some thinking about what “community” means to you, and what kind of group setting is your ideal. Is it small? Large? Gentle? Raucous? If you have an original, thought-provoking, or culturally-informed definition that you love, feel free to include it. The best essays will be about a deeper topic than simply extracurriculars or collaborative research.

Be specific, and do your UPenn research . Maybe you bring musical talents and want to join the student orchestra. Perhaps you are a Hispanic student who wants to revitalize others’ awareness of their cultural heritage. Poke around UPenn’s website to find specific groups or initiatives that address something you enjoy. As always, if you can use past accomplishments or experiences to illustrate your point, it will be more powerful. For instance, if you have led your soccer team’s community outreach efforts, talk about how the skills you learned on the team will make you better at building a relationship between UPenn and the city of Philadelphia.

Don’t just name-drop an activity. For example, “UPenn’s Black student center, Makuu, is something that interests me” shows a bit of research, but not a lot. It also does not connect the research to the applicant as an individual, or hit on the larger theme of community. A better approach is to be hyper specific: “Because I’m interested in Black literary studies, as well as crossover between literature and history, I’m captivated by the way UPenn’s Makuu house brings together young Black academics from various disciplines. As I delve into my field of interest — Black and African modernist poetry — I would love to draw on the knowledge of my colleagues to enrich my work. I’m a firm believer that the more paths we can create between different disciplines of Black studies, the easier it is to explore.” This answer is specific to the applicant, establishes an ethos for research, and addresses Makuu as more than a name.

Identify a challenge you want to pose yourself. Look at the prompt again — the verb “shape” is another word that gets repeated, and it’s backed up by “learning” and “growth.” This prompt is asking about development, so you should identify an area in which you want to evolve, grow, and improve. Ideally, think about a certain foible that challenges you and keeps you from fulfilling your potential — maybe it’s a fear of public speaking, an apathy towards volunteering, or a tendency to seek out echo chambers. Why do you feel you need to change, and what communities at UPenn could push you out of your comfort zone?

For example, I could plot out my essay like this: 

I’m not an effective writing mentor. I can be too harsh and too direct with my feedback. I can intimidate people I intend to help.

I need to work on my “bedside manner” as a writing mentor. I need to acquire effective strategies and principles to inform me, and I need to work with more mentees to practice.

The student essay tutors program at UPenn’s library will offer me training to improve as a tutor, and by working there I can gain repeated experience in coaching others’ writing.

I will end up as a better communicator, and I can help writers feel confident, an essential skill for an aspiring editor like myself. 

If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas. Ask yourself these questions:

• When was a time I was challenged in an activity? What challenging moments would I want to repeat?
• Look up Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences . These are various kinds of astuteness Garnder posited exist in students to different extents. Is there an intelligence in which I’m lacking, which I want to strengthen? Which activities would help me build this intelligence?
• When have I grown as an individual? How did I change?
• What’s a club or group where I could use my skills for a greater good? 

College of Arts and Sciences

The flexible structure of the college of arts and sciences’ curriculum is designed to inspire exploration, foster connections, and help you create a path of study through general education courses and a major. what are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences (150-200 words).

This prompt doesn’t leave you with a lot of space to communicate why you are pursuing your major of choice , so being concise is key. In the limited space available, you need to communicate your interest in the area of study and explain the resources and opportunities at UPenn that will allow you to indulge your curiosity and grow your passion.

When it comes to communicating your interest, there are a few ways you could go about it. A tried and true method is to rely on an anecdote to show the admissions committee either how your interest in the subject matter began or how you engage with the topic in your current life. Remember, anecdotes need to communicate your emotional attachment to your interest by drawing on thoughts, feelings, and physical expression.

You can also demonstrate your interest with specific examples. For example, a student interested in pursuing music could write a sentence about each instrument they play and what excites them about each one. Another tactic you might employ is to share your inner monologue. This might look like a student detailing the conversation in their head when they are researching astronomy topics and how they jump from one subtopic to another.

While expressing your interest in your major is important, the second half of this essay requires you to turn towards UPenn’s offerings. Start scouring the website and look for unique opportunities and resources that not only relate to your interests, but will also help you grow and achieve your goals. Below are a few ideas to inspire your research:

• Look at the course roster and find classes in your major (don’t just pick Biology 101; the more specific, the better!)
• Find professors in your department and the research they conduct
• Explore unique clubs and extracurriculars that align with your interests (there is a finance club on every campus but Penn’s Marketing Undergraduate Student Establishment is highly specific)
• Look into special programs or centers (ie. Center for Particle Cosmology or Linguistics Data Consortium)
• Research Penn-specific study abroad programs and destinations

Especially given the limited amount of space in this prompt, quality over quantity is extremely important; pick one or two opportunities and go into depth about why they excite you, how they relate to you, and what you hope to get out of them rather than name dropping four or five.                                 

If you are able to seamlessly transition from discussing your personal history with your major of choice and the related opportunities at UPenn, you will have a strong essay. You also don’t need to know exactly what you want to study in college to successfully write this essay. If you are applying to Arts and Sciences undecided, these tips will help you respond to this prompt.

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Penn engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology, by combining a strong foundation in the natural sciences and mathematics, exploration in the liberal arts, and depth of study in focused disciplinary majors. please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at penn. (150-200 words).

All this prompt boils down to is “ Why This Major? ”. The Penn admissions committee wants to know three main things:

1. What drew you to engineering?

2. What are your goals? (ie. become a leader in technology as stated in the prompt)

3. How will Penn help you further your interest and achieve your goals?

Let’s break this down step-by-step.

Just as in any “Why Major?” essay, you need to demonstrate your passion for your chosen area of study so admissions officers are confident that you will be a positive addition to the campus. But how do you show that?

The best way is to use anecdotes. College essays that read like stories are infinitely more engaging than ones that restate the prompt and tell the reader who the student is. We need to see it. Take a look at a few examples of the types of anecdotes you could use to demonstrate your interest in engineering:

“ Seventy degrees with partially cloudy skies, but no rain on the radar. Check. Twenty foot radius cleared of trees and shrubbery. Check. Adoring fans waiting with bated breath outside the launch zone. Check, if you count my mother glancing up from her phone every minute or so. Time to initiate the launch sequence. My dad’s voice boomed out the descending count as I looked over the two-foot-tall rocket. The nose curved for optimal aerodynamicity, the fins 10% smaller than last time to reduce drift, and the parachute stowed away that would surely deploy this time. My dad reached zero and we had liftoff!”

“Nothing beats a trip to my grandparents house. And it’s not the paletas my grandma stashes underneath the frozen vegetables or my grandpa’s hand carved chess board that draws me there. It’s the bridge we take to get there. Two miles long, eight lanes wide, and 400 feet in the air, it defies all natural laws. Sticking my head out the window like a puppy tasting the wind, I crane my neck to look at the suspension cables that effortlessly distribute thousands of tons. I want to close my eyes and imagine the barges and cranes flooding the river to construct such a masterpiece, but I can never take my eyes off of the bridge.”

2. What are your goals?

The second thing your essay needs to communicate is what your personal and career aspirations are, relative to engineering. In an essay this short, this doesn’t need to be more than a sentence or two, but including a forward-thinking mindset will show the admissions committee your dedication to the subject. Plus, Penn wants to admit students who will achieve great things, so let them know you have big plans in store!

You can weave your goals into your anecdote or allude to them when you are talking about the Penn resources you want to take advantage of, for example: “ After taking Nanoscale Science and Engineering, I will know the mechanisms needed to scale-down the facial recognition chip to fit it into wearable glasses, so even those with Alzheimer’s can recognize their loved ones. ”

In the prompt, they mention “Penn Engineering prepares its students to become leaders in technology,” so if you can, try to demonstrate how you will be a leader within your engineering field when highlighting a goal of yours.

3. How will Penn help you?

Before you’re done with your essay, you need to connect yourself to UPenn. By this point in your essay, the admissions committee should see you are a passionate, driven, and ambitious student with a bright future ahead of you, but the question Penn admissions officers care about is why should that future be at Penn ?

You’ll need to now bring in a few Penn-specific resources and opportunities—and connect them to you—to seal the deal and demonstrate how you would make the most out of a Penn education.

When it comes to including school resources, we always recommend quality over quantity. Avoid name-dropping three classes, a professor, and two student organizations without any elaboration. Instead, for an essay with a limited word count, focus on one or two Penn resources that align with your passion and explain why you are excited to engage with that opportunity or how it will help you achieve your goals.

It’s a good idea to pick Penn offerings that align with the central theme or anecdote of your essay. For example, a student who’s anecdote was about programming a robot might write about their interest in joining Penn Aerial Robotics to explore the design behind UAVs since they want to go into military development. Another student who told a story about researching devices to cure obscure diseases might talk about the Penn Center for Health, Devices, and Technology and how they want to partner with faculty at the Center to develop new technology.

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 and promoting equity. what do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare (150-200 words).

Health equity has increasingly become an important topic of discussion in the public sphere, but especially in nursing and medical classes. This prompt is asking you to consider what health equity means to you and how you will play a role in creating a more fair healthcare system.

Some students might be tempted to treat this essay more like an argumentative essay you might submit in a class, but don’t forget that it’s still a college essay. That means we need to learn about you!

Yes, the admissions committee wants to hear why you think health equity is important, but they are also curious to see your experience with the topic in the past. If you’ve experienced discrimination in healthcare, witnessed a loved one or friend be disadvantaged because of a lack of equity, or worked to promote health equity within your community, they want to know. Even if you have previous experience promoting social justice and equality more generally, not necessarily in the healthcare field, that should be part of your essay.

For students who have direct experience with this topic, your essay should do these three main things:

1. Establish a connection to health equity. A good way to do this is through an anecdote or story about your previous experience. Show us how you were emotionally impacted by the existence of health discrimination or injustice. If you did work in high school to address the issue, let us know what attracted you to the topic in the first place and describe the impact achieving health equity had on you and others.

2. Explain how you will contribute to Penn’s mission . This part is a little more open ended because you can either interpret it as contributing to healthcare equality at Penn or after graduation, it’s up to you. Either way, it’s a good idea to bring in unique Penn resources that will further your knowledge of health equity or help you actively make a difference in the field. Explain why the particular opportunity you highlighted speaks to you and how it will help you grow in your career as a nurse. However, don’t forget to include what you can bring to the table, in whatever club or class you are in, too.

3. Reflect on the importance of health equity. You can weave this part throughout your essay, use it as an impactful hook or conclusion, or use it to emphasize the point of your anecdote. What’s important is to show the admissions committee your critical thinking and reasoning skills and discuss why we need equality in healthcare. What would hospitals look like? How would the patient experience be improved? Who would be impacted? How can incorporating equity make nursing more productive or enjoyable? You can really talk about any way that nursing and healthcare would be impacted, just as long as you zoom out and think about the bigger picture.

Maybe you don’t have any direct experience with this topic—that’s okay too! The structure suggested above can be modified so instead of establishing your connection to health equity with a personal anecdote, you can have a more generalized discussion about why it is important and how it makes you feel. Don’t hold back—tell us about the emotions, thoughts, and feelings you have on the topic. Describe your heartbreak and fear for yourself at hearing stories of women’s pain being dismissed. Express your hungry appetite for addressing social injustices and how you will never be satisfied until you make a difference.

The rest of the essay should be pretty similar with the Penn resources and the reflection on the future of nursing. If you don’t have any personal experiences, your essay might be a bit heavier on what you hope to learn at Penn and contribute in the future; there’s nothing wrong with that. 

Regardless of what your experience-level is like, it’s important that you are able to communicate in your response that you are a civically-minded person and that you are driven by a desire to improve the world around you. If you can demonstrate to the admissions committee that you are passionate about advancing health equity, your essay will be a success.

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. please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a wharton education would help you to explore it. (150-200 words).

This essay follows the “ Global Issues ” essay archetype. For this type of essay, it’s extremely important that you pick an issue you are actually passionate about, rather than one you think will seem “impressive” to admissions officers. Your natural interest in the topic will make it easier to write and make the essay more engaging.

Pick an Issue Important to You

You’re given leeway in the prompt to pick any economic, political, or social issue that is close to your heart. Maybe there is one that immediately jumps out at you, or maybe you’re struggling to choose. If you need help narrowing down your choices, start by asking yourself these questions:

• What class are you more drawn to, economics or history/government?
• What type of news articles catch your attention?
• What causes or charities do you donate to or volunteer for?
• What’s a news story that has made you enraged? Upset? Motivated?
• What current events topics do you like to talk about with your friends?

We recommend picking a topic that relates to your interests and experiences that way you can incorporate stories into your essay. A student who is able to connect something they do on a local level to a larger national issue will show the admissions committee their appreciation of micro and macro perspectives. 

For example, a student who’s been volunteering as a tutor for low income elementary students throughout high school might choose public education funding as their topic because they have seen the disparity in resources available to students simply based on the property taxes in the district. Not only does this topic directly relate to their extracurricular interests, but it also provides the student with a chance to use stories and details from their personal experience.

Keep in mind that although Wharton is the business school, your issue does not have to be economically-related, nor do you need to explain the issue’s connection to business. Practically every global issue involves economic theory or the private sector, so it’s more important to pick an issue that is authentically you rather than one that seems better suited to the school.

Explain the Extent of the Problem and Your Connection

The first part of this is pretty straightforward: tell the admissions committee why they should care about this issue as much as you do. Pretend that your reader isn’t familiar with the issue and explain what is going on and why it is important to address it.

The more nuanced part is to explain why this issue is important to you.

This is where anecdotes and personal stories can come into play, but you need to make sure that through these stories you communicate your emotional attachment to the issue. Are you or your community personally affected? How has that impacted your lives? Maybe the issue is not directly related to you but it reminds you of something you’ve faced. In that case, how do you empathize with the people going through the situation?

Since this essay is pretty short, a good portion of the essay should be on your personal connection to the issue. 

How Will Wharton Help You Fix It

Of course since this is a college essay, the prompt doesn’t just want to know about a global issue you care about—it wants to know how you will utilize a Penn education to solve problems. Again, space is limited, so you don’t have the luxury to go into multiple resources that you hope to engage with on campus. Instead, hone in on one or two and make sure to explain their significance.

Whether it’s a professor, class, student organization, research topic, special center, study abroad program, etc, make sure to include how that opportunity will teach you something unique or equip you with specific skills that will allow you to address the issue in the future.

Huntsman Program Applicants

UPenn’s Huntsman Program is a dual degree track in International Studies and Business, which brings together the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School of Business. Its focus is global, and students learn target languages and study foreign affairs with an eye towards becoming internationally-involved, global citizens.

This is a meaty question, and we should break it down into a checklist of key items they’re asking you to identify. 

• What draws you to business (B) + international studies (IS)
• A global issue in B + IS
• What you want to learn about B + IS
• How that knowledge is applicable to the global issue 

A logical, competent way to structure this essay would be a narrative format: past to present. The items that compose the question naturally lend themselves to this timeline format, so lean into it if you choose. You can talk about your past interest in a problem, the current state of that problem, and how your collegiate experience in B + IS will make you a citizen better equipped to help solve that problem. 

As always, be specific. Pick not just a broad issue (“refugee crises”), but a subset of the issue that actually seems manageable (“connecting large corporate donors with small charities run by refugees themselves”). From there, look for potential classes offered at UPenn, and student organizations involved in similar missions. It may be worth citing how the Huntsman program has aided the students featured on its website , and discuss how those same opportunities would similarly provide you with a comprehensive education in B + IS.

Demonstrate your cosmopolitanism . If you have a family history that involves living in multiple countries or cultures, you may want to evoke it here. The same goes for any educational, service, or other time spent learning abroad. Even if you’ve never left your home country, demonstrate a keen knowledge of foreign affairs by citing events, specific leaders, certain charities or businesses, etc. 

That said, be wary of “factoids” and surface knowledge . The CollegeVine writer who broke down this prompt last year had a great piece of advice that’s worth emphasizing (and maybe tattooing?): 

“Don’t do what I did. In high school, I focused on international affairs a lot during debate. Unfortunately, I messed up an important interview by talking about a bunch of breaking news instead of tying those events back to the deeper insights I had been describing in my debates.

All this is just to say: don’t mistake superficial ideas for depth of interest. One quick way to test this is to try talking about your essay topic for three minutes. If you run out of things to say about the intersection of global issues and business, you probably are coming at the issue from the wrong angle [and you need to approach it from another direction: themes, morality, ethics, etc].”

What is the philosophy behind your international focus? In addition to showing your knowledge of IS, you should state why you enjoy the field, and why it’s necessary for the world right now. Has your understanding of “the world” and your “self” changed since you first became interested in B + IS? Your understandings of “community,” “collaboration,” “multiculturalism,” “aid,” etc? 

Think of it this way: the prompt asks “what” and “how,” but there’s also a hidden question: “why?”

Digital Media Design Program Applicants 

“ The Digital Media Design Program ,” writes UPenn, “was established in response to what we perceived as a growing rift within the computer graphics and animation industry.” UPenn is one of few schools to offer a specialized curriculum that combines fine arts with computer engineering. However, because the DMD program is so rare, it is also competitive. In this essay, show your interest in digital media design to be sustained rather than temporary.

This prompt is similar to the first UPenn prompt, discussed above with the hypothetical applicant Sam. It asks you 1) what your interest is, and 2) why you need to pursue it at UPenn and DMD specifically. To that effect, you can brainstorm using the T-chart format we covered there, with “DMD” in the column previously dedicated to a certain major. 

That said, there are some specific things you should mind. 

Why you NEED the interdisciplinary approach . DMD combines a lot of fields that you could study in isolation elsewhere. For a standout application, you need to show why you wouldn’t be content in just the School of Fine Arts or just the School of Engineering. Rather, you should describe the magnetic pull both design and computer sciences have on your mind, and how you’ve integrated them in the past, to the point where they’re inextricable for you.

A problem you can help address. Remember, this whole program was created to solve a perceived problem! Towards the end of your essay, identify a societal or industry-specific problem that the skills set you’d acquire at DMD would help ameliorate, whether it’s user interfaces for apps, computer models for statisticians, or how to make animated fish scales look really, really good. 

Do some digging about the program . Information about DMD is scattered in multiple places, so spend a good hour clicking around and exploring the Internet. There’s some student work on this webpage, a Youtube video , and a description of Penn’s computer graphics facilities . For a program this esoteric, it’s also worth your effort to send a polite email to the Computer Graphics Department at UPenn, asking if there’s any faculty or current students who’d like to chat or answer your questions about the program. This will give you a much more specific sense of how the program would fit your interests, what career resources are available for DMD students, etc. 

The message is the medium. Since this is a design program, convey your design preferences and unique style as much as possible. A successful essay not only convinces admissions officers that you are passionate about design; it gives them a sense of what aesthetics your designs will prioritize. For example, if your style is “minimalist,” you might want to experiment with a “minimalist” writing style: sentence fragments, short sentences, and clipped breaks. If your style is vivid and colorful, engage lots of sensory words, lush descriptions, and (obviously) words for all your favorite shades of colors. 

Life Sciences and Management Program Applicants

The Life Sciences and Management Program is a dual degree that ties together the biology majors in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Wharton School of Business. Although it’s selective in the number of students it accepts (25), it’s broad in terms of focus: students pursue everything from agriculture to pharmaceuticals to bioengineering to finance. 

The LSM program aims to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the life sciences and their management with an eye to identifying, advancing and implementing innovations. What issues would you want to address using the understanding gained from such a program? Note that this essay should be distinct from your single degree essay. (400-650 words)

Wow! They already gave you a theme for this essay: innovation! That should make it easy, right? Well, maybe. By like 5%. Batten down the hatches.

We can break this prompt down into the central requirements, and all the attendant little words that feed into them. Those central requirements are:

• The issue you want to address
• LSM experience – “program,” “understanding,” “eye”
• “Innovation” – “identifying, advancing, implementing”

First, find an issue in the life sciences/life sciences business that speaks to you. This doesn’t have to be a specific problem: it can be an attitude that you feel needs fixing, a lack of collaboration, or an incorrect mindset or paradigm. However, you should have specific examples of personal experiences with it, either from your studies or some other aspect of your life. And you should demonstrate a thorough understanding of it, revealing that you’ve read widely and stayed updated. 

Second, talk about how LSM will help you become the solution . LSM provides its students with an incredible array of resources, including internships, connections, prizes, funds, and mentorship. You should discuss program-specific resources that either touch on the issue specifically or will give you the “eye,” the “understanding” mentioned in the prompt.

• Find granular examples of LSM resources . Their website is so expansive, and so full of student profiles and useful information, that we recommend spending about an hour clicking through and jotting down information that intrigues you. Find specific faculty who work in areas that interest you, or who are engaged in public work in a way you’d admire. Then connect these back to the “issue” you’ve mentioned.
• Justify your interdisciplinary needs . You need to prove that you wouldn’t be be happier in either management or bioscience — you need them both together. Good statements to have in pocket are “only through LSM,” “LSM specifically,” and “LSM’s unique X.” For example, check out LSM’s two program-exclusive courses . Citing these would be a great idea, as would clicking on the faculty links on the same page. 

Lastly, discuss your ideas of innovation. Don’t worry — they’re not expecting you to solve anything now. And actually, if you read the prompt closely, LSM wants their students to be skilled at “identifying, advancing and implementing” innovations, not necessarily inventing them. Here, it’s less important to propose a solution to your issue than it is to propose a road to that solution, an implementation plan for an extant solution, or a unique definition of “innovation.” You should focus on ideas that are key to management: how does innovation happen, how do we organize people to produce innovation, how do we establish cultures where collaboration is enjoyable? UPenn wants to learn about how you think, about your philosophy.

Jerome Fisher Management and Technology Program Applicants

The Jerome Fisher Management and Technology Program is a dual-degree program that allows students to select an interdisciplinary concentration that melds the schools of Business and Engineering. 

Note: The two essays have very different purposes, so be sure to write them with those distinct goals in mind.

• The first essay follows a similar archetype as the essay outlined under the first general UPenn prompt: the “why major” essay. Remember Sam and the T-chart? 
• The second essay is trying to learn how you think and act under pressure. Do you think like an engineer? Can you solve problems creatively? Do you take the lead when circumstances demand it?

M&T Program, Prompt 1

Explain how you will use the m&t program to explore your interest in business, engineering, and the intersection of the two. (400-650 words).

This prompt is similar to the first UPenn prompt, discussed above with the hypothetical applicant Sam. It asks you 1) what your interest is, and 2) why you need to pursue it at UPenn and M&T specifically. To that effect, you can brainstorm using the T-chart format we covered there, with “M&T” in the column previously dedicated to a certain major. 

Why you NEED the interdisciplinary approach . M&T combines a lot of fields that you could study in isolation elsewhere. For a standout application, you need to show why you wouldn’t be content in just the School of Business or just the School of Engineering. Rather, you should describe the magnetic pull both engineering and business have on your mind, and how you’ve integrated them in the past, to the point where they’re inextricable for you.

A problem or curiosity you can help address. Remember, the first words on M&T’s website are “ solving big problems ”! Towards the end of your essay, mention a societal or industry-specific problem that the skills set you’d acquire through M&T would help ameliorate, whether it’s user interfaces for apps or environmentally-friendly polymers.

Do some digging about the program . M&T’s website is vast, so spend a good hour clicking around and exploring, taking notes on details that appeal to you. This will give you a much more specific sense of how the program would fit your interests, what career resources are available for M&T students, etc. We suggest checking out the News section and Alumni profiles .

M&T Program Applicants, Prompt 2

Describe a problem that you solved that showed leadership and creativity. (250 words).

Finding an anecdote that fits the second essay is harder than it may seem. First, think back on times you have been a leader. This can be through some formal position you held, like club president, or it can be leadership in practice rather than in title. It also doesn’t have to strictly involve business and engineering, although it really helps if you’re able to creatively apply it back to your business/tech interests. You should think of this prompt as the short, fun, unbuttoned sequel to the previous one.

Here’s an example. Imagine Lucy is the lead singer in a band, but they’ve been having trouble booking gigs. So Lucy looks for venues they had not considered previously, going to chamber of commerce meetings. She finds out small business owners would like live music for events. Talks go well, and pretty soon, Lucy’s band is playing private events hosted by small businesses.

This anecdote makes a great fit for the essay prompt, because it expands on the idea of “business” without being stuffy or repetitious. It’s fresh, and can allow Lucy to talk about a real topic in business, relevant to M&T — seeking face-to-face connections and word-of-mouth recommendations.

CollegeVine’s breakdown of a Common App essay on problem-solving has some useful tips you can use here, too. For example:

1. Briefly reflect on the pros and cons of your solution! It takes a sophisticated essay to describe a solution, but also to reflect on some errors or things you’d do differently.

2. Brainstorm problems with solutions that you are particularly proud of or that you think are unique or exciting, then pick the most compelling one for M&T.

3. Use anecdotal color: dialogue, varied tone, emotions, jokes, asides. 

To which we should add that here, since you only have 250 words, be short, streamlined, and vivid. Use efficient, active verbs that will pack the maximum amount of punch into such a short passage. 

NETS Engineering Program Applicants

NETS is a unique program in Penn’s engineering school that foregrounds networks, huge systems, social media, modern computing, and economics.

UPenn really loves these meaty prompts, don’t they? This one needs to be broken down and analyzed, since there are a bunch of components.

Notice all the nouns? If you look closely at the prompt, almost all the words are nouns. That means the admissions readers for NETS are going to be on the lookout for applicants who name-drop specific terms, techniques, or systems — the bread-and-butter unit nouns of CS. When composing, you should take care not to sacrifice density of concepts and information for narrative flair, although…

You need to add that *narrative flair*. Since the prompt is mostly nouns, you’ll need to stir in your own action through verbbbbs. Make a list of all the actions you’ve performed while working on information systems. And keep in mind the UPenn example with Tarzan: the verbs should be as vivid as you can afford writing about CS. Did you “formulate” and “organize” an array, or did you “DREDGE” the data set and “FLOOD” the array with numbers and “CONSTELLATE” the data into “WHIRLING” patterns? Don’t be excessive, but liven up your prose to convey your enthusiasm. 

NETS’ website emphasizes creativity, brilliance, and sometimes genius . NETS has a little bit of a god complex: their ideal student is “one of the few” (as the NETS Program website tells us), an “extraordinary” thinker, not an “average mind.” So make sure to let your personality and uniqueness shine through. (Fun fact about the word genius : it comes from a Latin word indicating a unique, endemic spirit.) This means using vivid words and literary devices to showcase your free-thinking. And you can elaborate unabashedly about your accomplishments, as long as you do so with enthusiasm for the work itself, rather than pride in nominal awards. 

We live in a society. All right, gamers, it’s time to rise up and talk about societal issues that resonate with you. “Society” is mentioned twice, which offers you an opportunity to start with your personal experience, then broaden your focus to encompass wider issues. Describe how awareness of this context changed anything about your methods, ethics, or career goals: was there a service you stopped using or a technique you tried learning after reading a piece of news? 

“Draw on examples from your own experiences as a user, developer, or student of technology.” You should really involve all three. 

Conclude with your specific desires for college . Translate your interests into a college context, and state what kinds of coursework you want to do, and what kinds of pre-professional assistance would help you out. Lastly, bring back the “societal” need and identify how you want to contribute as a thinker. 

Nursing and Healthcare Management Program Applicants

NHCM is a dual degree between the Wharton School of Business and the Nursing School. 

This prompt follows a similar format as the first UPenn essay, in that it asks you to 1) identify your interest and 2) pair that interest with specific resources at UPenn — NHCM, specifically. So you may want to revisit that breakdown, the T-chart method we discussed, and the sample “Sam” essay. 

Why you NEED the interdisciplinary approach . NHCM combines a lot of fields that you could study in isolation elsewhere. For a standout application, you need to show why you wouldn’t be content in just the School of Business or just the School of Nursing. Rather, you should describe the magnetic pull both healthcare and business have on your mind, and how you’ve integrated them in the past, to the point where they’re inextricable for you.

A problem, curiosity, or goal you can pursue. Discuss how your personal experience has shaped your objectives in pursuing nursing — you have space to open in medias res with a personal story, if you want. Towards the end of your essay, mention a societal or industry-specific problem that the skills set you’d acquire through NHCM would help ameliorate, whether it’s how pharma companies can better incorporate the perspective of nurses or how businesses can succeed with their health initiatives.

Do some digging about the program . The NHCM website is very small, so be sure to poke around the internet exploring, taking notes on details that appeal to you. This will give you a much more specific sense of how the program would fit your interests, what career resources are available for NHCS students, etc. We suggest checking out the Admissions webinars offered by the UPenn school of nursing for opportunities to ask questions. You also might want to politely email the staff member listed under the “Who Can Apply?” section , and ask if there are any faculty or current students who would be open to talking about their experiences in NHCM.

VIPER Program Applicants

The Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research, or VIPER, is a rigorous program that emphasizes student research, publication, and involved mentorship opportunities with faculty.

This prompt is more like a python than a viper, in that it’s huge and has some additional prompts swallowed up inside. However, you should note that it follows a similar format as the first UPenn essay, in that it asks you to 1) identify your specific interests and ideal majors and 2) pair that interest with specific resources at UPenn — VIPER, specifically. And boy, do VIPER students not lack for resources. So you may want to revisit that breakdown and the T-chart method we discussed, and fill up the target panel with VIPER-specific programs, mentorship opportunities, awards, funds, and summer opportunities that call to you. 

Why you NEED the interdisciplinary approach . VIPER combines a lot of fields that you could study in isolation elsewhere. For a standout application, you need to show why you wouldn’t be content in just the School of A&S or just the School of Engineering. Rather, you should describe the magnetic pull both science and engineering have on your mind, and how you’ve integrated them in the past, to the point where they’re inextricable for you. Describing your dual passions can provide a meaningful segue into “previous research,” as per the prompt — you might have loved a setting in which you practiced both science and engineering, or you might have felt something was “missing” when you solely focused on one or the other. 

A problem, curiosity, or goal you can pursue in college. Discuss how your personal experience has shaped your objectives in pursuing engineering – you have space to open in medias res with a personal story, if you want. If one experience was particularly formative, eye-opening, challenging, or inspiring, this would be a great incident with which to open.

Follow a logical narrative organization. The prompt itself provides you with the easiest way to lay out your essay, and that is: 

Inciting or important experience 

Interest in energy/science as a subject

Further experience

Narrowed and refined interests;  awareness of large-scale dilemmas in the field

Desire for certain exploratory opportunities in college

VIPER programs that fit that desire

How VIPER programs will prepare me to address those large-scale dilemmas and research interests

Do some digging about the program . The VIPER website is huge and comprehensive, so be sure to reserve an hour or so for reading, exploring, and taking notes on details that appeal to you. This will give you a much more specific sense of how the program would fit your interests, what career resources are available for VIPER students, etc. We suggest checking out the information e-sessions offered by The VIPER for opportunities to ask questions. You also might want to politely email the staff member listed on the Prospective Students page if you have any questions, or if you want to ask if there are any faculty or current students who would be open to talking about their experiences in VIPER.

Bio-Dental Program Applicants

UPenn’s seven-year Bio-Dental Program is a rigorous and highly-structured regimen that puts students on track to complete a professional dental degree in an accelerated time-frame. This program emphasizes discipline, determination, and pure scientific competence. Your answers should be focused much more on skills and comprehension, although personal stories can still be important. But it’s advisable to take a clear, incisive tone instead of something more colorful or story-heavy.

Bio-Dental Applicants, Prompt 1

Please list pre-dental or pre-medical experience. this experience can include but is not limited to observation in a private practice, dental clinic, or hospital setting; dental assisting; dental laboratory work; dental or medical research, etc. please include time allotted to each activity, dates of attendance, location, and description of your experience. if you do not have any pre-dental or pre-medical experience, please indicate what you have done or plan to do in order to explore dentistry as a career. (250 words).

This is an expertise-oriented question; it’s very similar to a resume. However, since you’ll also be submitting a profile of your extracurriculars, and possibly a resume as well, you should use this brief essay to go more into depth and focus on your accomplishments. Skill, aptitude, and experience should be your foci here, and you should talk about specific techniques, tools, or procedures you learned. Don’t worry too much about telling a story or personal development. Stick to hard expertise.

If, as per the second option (no pre-dental or pre-med experience), you still need to keep the theme of “expertise” in mind. When UPenn asks you to “indicate what you’ve done,” they’re not looking for a personal epiphany or moving memoir about why you decided to go into dentistry. They’re more interested in the rigorous science and anatomy classes you’ve taken, science programs in which you’ve participated, etc. 

List your accomplishments in these classes, specifically your scores and achievements in areas relating to medicine and dentistry. (Hint: you’ll also get a chance to shine in the next prompt, which asks about manual skills.) For example, a relevant accomplishment might be a review of data you conducted in your AP Environmental Science class that focused on dental problems in areas with high erosion and airborne particles, and for which you earned a commendation at a local science club. 

Bio-Dental Applicants, Prompt 2

Do you have relatives who are dentists or are in dental school if so, indicate the name of each relative, his/her relationship to you, the school attended, and the dates attended. (250 words).

This is pretty simple and straightforward; there’s no need to go into detail about personal experiences. You don’t have to write complete sentences and can do a bullet-type list in a clear but informal format. 

For example: 

First and Last Name; Relation; School Attended; First Year-Last Year.

Bio-Dental Applicants, Prompt 3

Describe any activities which demonstrate your ability to work with your hands. (250 words).

Focus on motor skills and actions. Here you can be a bit more descriptive and evocative, although your focus should remain on what you can do, rather than your fascination with your activity or your emotional attachments to the work. “Thrilled and trembling with energy” might have been your reaction to welding in shop class, but it’s the last thing UPenn wants in an aspiring dental surgeon. Instead, list the operations you had to perform in welding, including the thinness of the wires, the delicacy of the projects, and any certifications you earned. A good way to summarize is in a technical but illustrative list. For example: “Advanced Jewelrymaking 302: form and solder 15-gauge wire into jump rings, create settings with various-sized burs, acquire working knowledge of a rotary precision motor.” 

As mentioned before, this is a great place to shine if you don’t have as much pre-med or academic experience in health. An applicant who doesn’t have as many AP classes, but who has a proven track record of quality trade work and mechanical skills, may stand out more than a candidate with an outstanding academic record but little in the way of manual work. 

Don’t be afraid to mention less “hard” and “mechanical” subjects. Art is perfectly acceptable, as long as you can break it down to a technical level in terms of tools and minute detail. 

Also, focus on the small and precise! If you did lawn maintenance over the summer, leaf-blowing and lawn-mowing may not be very helpful to mention here. But if you had to mix precise ratios of concrete or resin, or caulk up a small crack in a fountain, these are good examples to list. 

Bio-Dental Applicants, Prompt 4

What activities have you performed that demonstrate your ability to work cooperatively with people (250 words).

Use a similar format as you did in the last prompt, relying on lists of tasks and accomplishments. Feel free to mention challenges you overcame and how: for example, “improved low member engagement by moving our NHS chapter onto a Slack channel.” 

Don’t fall into any traps, or think UPenn is looking for a certain type of club, leadership, or cooperation. Think about shifts at work, family, sports, projects, and other preoccupations.

Keep it results-focused. Don’t wax poetic about “community bonds,” “love,” or “family.” They’re less interested in how you bonded with your partners than in how you know how to work as a unit. If your emotional bonding helped you better function as a well-oiled machine, mention it in that context. Otherwise, concentrate on results and improvement, rather than feelings.

Bio-Dental Applicants, Prompt 5

Please explain your reasons for selecting a career in dentistry. please include what interests you the most in dentistry as well as what interests you the least. (250 words).

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, we’re advising once again that you take note of the technical tone. By asking “what interests you most in dentistry as well as what interests you the least,” UPenn is signaling that you can’t just be emotional about your reasons for liking dentistry. You have to include your thoughts on what technical area or sub-field you want to pursue. 

That being said, you do have space to include a personal connection or involvement, if you choose. But you need to bring your focus back, always, towards your knowledge of the field. For example, “seeing my grandmother’s confidence soar when she got dental implants” is a good start. However, you need to take the gesture to its logical conclusion: “Seeing my grandmother go from recluse to the life of the party, combined with what I learned about the emotional vulnerabilities of aging in AP Psych, inspired me to pursue geriatric dentistry in particular. Dental health, I’ve found, is central to the self-esteem and mental health of seniors, and training in this area would allow me to use my skills in a way that betters lives.” Note how the emotional subject matter is tempered by the applicant’s educational experience. Wisely, the applicant also demonstrates a priority for coursework and a career path — a clear trajectory moving forward.

For your non-interest, be tactful. This can be a stumbling block for applicants, as it’s a lot harder to talk about what you don’t want to study in a way that’s still positive and reflects well on your personality. As you’re writing this, you should put yourself in a “job interview” mindset — you don’t want to slip up, or say anything that could be used against you. Try not to use emotional words, like “boring” or “stressful” or “I don’t care.” It’s essential to be respectful and graceful instead. But don’t worry — you just need a little more planning. Here are some ideas:

1. Acknowledge your non-interest as a matter-of-fact sacrifice for your interest. Be brief and impartial. Don’t go into a lot of detail about why you don’t want to pursue orthodontics or cosmetic dentistry, etc. Just state that you have greater interest and motivation in other fields. Try, “As I focus my attention on geriatric dentistry, I expect to devote most of my coursework to implants and the aging dental structure, and anticipate spending less time on pediatric dental courses as a result.” Frame it as a trade-off or logical transaction, rather than you having an aversion to a certain area. 

2. Frame your “least interest” as a personal shortcoming that you need to overcome . For example, a student who’s never felt called to study dental office administration might acknowledge that this is probably not good for her in the long term. “I’ve never been interested in dental office management or secretarial work, but I’ve reflected, and I know that I’ll need a solid understanding of these things to be an effective practitioner. Therefore, I intend to immerse myself in more courses and programs that will increase my proficiency and maybe spark new interest.” This is good, because the student not only cites a deficient area, but she formulates a plan to remedy this blind spot in the future. She shows she’s someone who can bite the bullet, and put in the work even during periods of non-interest.

Where to Get Your UPenn Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your UPenn essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools.  Find the right advisor for you  to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

How to Write a Thank You Note: Message Examples & Tips

Writing thank you notes is a skill many of us should have, but perhaps have not yet sharpened. It’s one of those things in life that is absolutely required, but also somehow gets overlooked. Regardless of whether you’re a thank you note writing pro or are looking to sharpen your gratitude-writing skills, this post will cover just about anything and everything you’ll ever need to know on how to write a thank you note.

How to write a thank you note — a general breakdown.

Before diving into thank you note etiquette, let’s begin our thank you writing journey with the general breakdown of a thank you note anatomy. This applies to most thank you notes, regardless of the reason that you’re writing it. For each occasion or reason, you might want to tweak some of this around, but for the most part it’s applicable to everything.

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Jump to a specific section:

• 5 Steps to writing your thank you
• Who to send thank you cards to
• When to send thank yous
• Baby shower and newborn thank you etiquette
• Wording examples for all types of thank you cards
• Extra tips for writing thank yous

Here are 5 steps you can take when writing your thank you notes.

1. start with a salutation..

It may seem obvious, but generally you’ll want to start your thank you message by addressing your recipient with a salutation. How formal or informal you choose to make this should depend on a few factors. 

If you’re well acquainted with your recipient and it’s not a formal thank you card (like a business interaction) then you may be fine addressing them by their first name. For example, if you’re writing to your college roommate to thank them for all the great memories — it’s likely safe to use their first name. 

For people you’re not quite as familiar with, stick to Mr. and Mrs. Last name.

• Dear Aunt Jody & Uncle Max,
• Dear Mr. and Mrs. Jones,
• Dear Ms. Donnett,

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2. Get right to the point and express your thanks.

And while you’re at it, make sure to mention what it is that you’re thankful for. 

• Your birthday card made my day, thank you so much!
• Your birthday gift was perfect, thanks for thinking of me.
• Thanks so much for your generous wedding gift.
• Thank you for the opportunity to interview for the senior designer position.

3. Mention a specific detail or two.

What specifically, do you love about their gift? No need to go overboard or exaggerate, if it’s not the greatest pair of sunglasses you ever did see… don’t say so. However, do mention something specific that you appreciated or perhaps how you’re using their gift in your life. People love knowing that their time and effort was appreciated and used!

• I’m so stoked to use the birthday money on my trip to California next week!
• I wore your graphic tee today and got a bunch of compliments!
• We’ve been smoothie-making machines for the past month; we are feeling great.
• It was really exciting getting to know your organization and learning about the senior designer role.

4. Look ahead.

Sure you’re excited about that smoothie mixer they got you, but don’t forget to let them know that you appreciate them as an important person in your life. This may not apply to every single scenario, but if you’re likely to spend any time with this person you can mention that future meeting in your note as a way to move the message along. 

• I can’t wait to have lunch with you guys next month.
• I’ll be visiting your neck of the woods in a couple months, can’t wait to come and see you!
• We’d love to have you over for dinner sometime soon and use the new martini glasses with you!
• I am sincerely interested in the position and am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

5. Wrap it up with more gratitude and a warm sign off.

Bring the attention back to where you started: to your gratitude. There should be no question about what the message is all about. It’s ok to spruce it up a bit, but try to stay away from over-the-top language.

• I can’t believe you remembered my birthday, thanks again!
• Thanks again for thinking of me, it means so much.
• We are so grateful for your generosity, thank you for thinking of us.
• I greatly appreciate your consideration.

End in a pleasant and friendly tone. Always keep in mind the type of relationship you have with the recipient(s) and sign off accordingly (professionally or casually).

Who should you write thank you notes to?

How do you know when sending a thank you card is appropriate and who should you write thank you notes to? This question is actually not as tricky as it sounds. Whenever someone has done something nice for you like presenting you with a gift or going out of their way to help you, it’s definitely worth writing them a thank you card. No, sending a thank you text message is most definitely not the same thing. 

Of course there are actual occasions when thank you notes are basically expected, but huge life changing events are not the only time a thank you note is called for. In fact, the more surprising the thank you note is — the more special it will make your recipient feel. Below are some good solid reasons to mail a thank you note, but don’t let that limit you…

When in doubt — write that thank you card! 

• Your cousin tutored you in Spanish after your last failed exam.
• After a job interview.
• Your neighbors helped you carry your groceries.
• Your bestie brought you hot soup when you were ill.

The list of reasons is endless, but here are 29 everyday reasons that you require a thank you note.

Special occasions when thank you notes are expected.

While the reasons listed above are more everyday non-official type reasons to write thank you notes, there are special occasions when these little notes of gratitude are expected.

• Weddings 
• Bridal showers
• Engagement gifts
• Baby showers
• Sweet sixteen birthday gifts
• Bar Mitzvah gifts
• Bat Mitzvah gifts
• Graduation gifts

Baby shower and newborn thank you card etiquette.

From diaper cakes to a helping hand, your friends and family have done all they can to make your life as a new mom and dad as smooth of a transition as possible. Even though it may seem like you have zero time on your hands to give a proper thanks, you should try to get a few minutes each day to write out a thank you. [Plus, with Postable you can type the thank yous online and we’ll mail them for you.]

Who to send a baby shower thank you card to?

• The baby shower hostess . Your first shower thank you should be addressed to the hostess. Hosting a shower requires a great deal of time and effort.
• Everyone who gave you a gift . If Aunt Judy decided to send you a hand sewn baby blanket all the way from Florida, but wasn’t able to fly up for the shower you should still write a personal thank you.
• Everyone who attended your baby shower.

As with wedding thank you cards, it’s best to try to keep a guest list close by when the gifts are opened so that you can keep track of who gave what. When a gift arrives in the mail, make sure to add to the list as soon as it gets in so that nobody goes un-thanked.

Remember to send your baby shower thank you notes in a timely manner. Don’t wait too long or the new baby will definitely delay the thank yous even longer.

Wording examples on how to write a thank you note.

So we’ve outlined the basic anatomy of a thank you note and now it’s time to put it into practice. The following are some wording examples for thank you notes you can easily customize to fit your occasion and need. 

Thank you note for a baby shower gift.

Dear Josephine, I was so delighted to see you at my baby shower! Thank you so much for the beautiful bassinet you got for little Marie, it’s already got a place in the nursery. Next time you’re in town, we’d love to have you over for dinner! Hope to see you soon and thanks again for thinking of us. Love, Kim

Baby shower thank you note for hostess.

Lisa, Thank you so much for hosting my baby shower last weekend! The shower was lovely; it was so nice to see all of my friends and family. You have no idea how much I appreciate all of your efforts to make the shower so perfect. Let’s get lunch soon (before I’m no longer able to fit in the doorway :). Forever grateful, Laurie

Graduation thank you note wording for cash.

Dear Grandma & Grandpa, Thank you so much for coming to my graduation party and your graduation present. I’m so excited to be finished with high school and way more excited to start college next fall! Your generous gift card is going to help me decorate my new dorm room. I’m looking forward to visiting you this summer. I’m so excited to go shopping, thanks again! Love, Janice

Pro tip : It’s easy to procrastinate on writing thank you letters, especially during that post-graduation buzz. Getting your thank you notes written and out of the way before enjoying the rest of summer will help jumpstart your new adulting habits!

Birthday thank you note for a friend.

Jody, How in the world do you do this every time? The vintage notebook you got for my birthday was perfect. I was so happy you could make it to my party; I hope you had a great time! Thank you for the incredibly thoughtful gift! Yours, Mag

Birthday thank you note for coworkers (casual).

Y’all! It was so awesome to walk into work on my birthday and see all those balloons in my office. It totally made my day! Thank you so much for your thoughtful gifts, you all went totally above and beyond. I’m excited for our company dinner next week, get ready for the best margaritas you’ve ever had! Thank You! Jill

Birthday thank you note for kids.

Aunt Jody, Thanks for coming to my birthday party and for the awesome letter blocks you got me! I love playing with them and mom says I’ll be making real words any day now. I can’t wait to see you when you come visit me next! Love ya tons, Billy

Business thank you note wording for meeting.

Josh, Thank you for taking the time out to meet with me last week. I really appreciate the opportunity you’ve given my team to present at your next office-wide meeting. I look forward to seeing this new partnership to fruition in the next few months. Best, Lisa Hillsworth

Pro tip : Make writing business thank you notes a part of your routine. Adding this step into your daily correspondence, will not only help to strengthen your customer and client retention , but can also increase employee morale. 

Thank you note wording for wedding gifts.

Dear Suzanne & Billie, The couples spa package will make for a perfect date for us when life gets too hectic, thank you! We’re looking forward to pampering ourselves soon as life has already caught us by surprise. We were also overjoyed to see you both at the wedding and can’t wait to see you guys when we come up for a visit. Sending you our love, Bobbie & Cody

Pro tip: Writing wedding thank you notes can easily be one of the most important thank you notes you’ll have to write! There also tends to be quite a few of these to write all at once. Take some time to organize yourself before diving into writing your wedding thank you notes!   

Thank You notes for help or kindness

Lucy, You were so kind to spend a whopping three hours helping Joey study for his biology exam last week! I cannot tell you what that meant to him after weeks of struggling with the material. Not only did Joey pass, but he made the highest grade in the class and it’s all thanks to you! We’d love to have you over for Sunday brunch sometime soon. All the best, Dakota 

Tips for writing stellar thank you notes.

Thank you dos.

• Do send a thank you note promptly
• Do keep it personal
• Do choose the appropriate stationery for the recipient and situation (pretty pastel bunnies may work for Aunt Judy, but not so good for a hiring manager)
• Do double-check your spelling
• Do surprise someone with a thank you note that may not be expecting it (your hairdresser or your favorite bar tender)

Thank You DON’Ts

• Don’t assume a text is enough (or an in-person thanks)
• Don’t ramble
• Don’t go overboard (unless you really think the candle holders are the most beautiful things you’ve laid your eyes on, don’t say so)
• Don’t send a pre-printed generic messages in lieu of a personal thank you note
• Don’t use being late as an excuse not to write thank you notes at all, better late than never

Ready, set, WRITE your thank yous!

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How to Write the Perfect Thank-You Note

Incorporate tradition into your modern world with these tips for easily drafting thank-you notes for every occasion.

Blake Bakkila is an editorial assistant at Real Simple. If she’s not picking experts’ brains for the magazine’s Now What?! page, she’s probably running through Central Park or to the nearest ice cream store.

Maggie Seaver is the digital health and wellness editor at Real Simple, with seven years of experience writing lifestyle and wellness content. She spends her days writing and editing stories about sleep, mental health, fitness, preventive health, nutrition, personal development, relationships, healthy habits, and beyond. She loves demystifying complicated health topics, debunking wellness fads, and sharing practical, science-backed solutions for healthy living.

• Handwritten vs. Digital
• When to Send
• What to Write
• Thank You Note Wording

A special gift. A delicious, home-cooked meal. An extended stay at your friend's house . Let's face it: It's nice when people go out of their way to make you feel special. So what better way to express your gratitude than with a thank-you note?

Admittedly—in an era when social media, emails, and text messages are the preferred methods of communication—sending a handwritten letter feels a bit old-fashioned. In fact, thank-you notes have been traced back to as far as the 15th century. But the truth is, appreciating your loved ones (and good manners in general) will never go out of style.

To help bring the storied tradition to modern times, a few etiquette experts share everything you need to know about writing and sending thank-you notes.

Do you need to send handwritten thank-you notes?

We love snail mail as much as the next person, but writing out a formal letter, buying stamps, and popping it in the mailbox is a lot more difficult than sending a quick email from your phone. So can you text a thank you? The answer isn't always so cut and dry.

"Depending on the relationship you have with the recipient, a thank-you text or email is acceptable, especially if that'll be the next opportunity you speak with them," explains Bonnie Tsai, founder and director of Beyond Etiquette. "Also, when timing is crucial, you can send a quick text or email before mailing a handwritten thank-you note one to two days after."

For example, she says an electronic thank you is permissible if your friend treats you to lunch. You can also send your friend an email or text if you already speak with them two to three times a week. After all, it would be a little awkward if you carried on with another conversation if you didn't express your gratitude.

So when do you need to bust out the pen and paper? Tsai says a handwritten note is required for business interactions, dinner parties, gifts, or events where you are the guest of honor.

"If the occasion was purely social, but hosted by someone you conduct business with, be sure to address the thank-you note to both the host and their significant other," Tsai adds. "The more expensive the entertainment or occasion, the more necessary it is to write a personal thank-you note.

When should you send thank-you notes?

Not to stress you out or anything, but thank-you notes should be sent out pronto. "Thank-you notes should be sent immediately," says Nick Leighton, co-host of an etiquette podcast called Were You Raised by Wolves? "If you have to ask, it probably should have already been sent."

And contrary to popular belief, Leighton argues newlyweds do not have up to a year to send out thank-you cards for their wedding gifts. "Thank-you notes should be mailed out immediately," he says. "Even if that's before the wedding."

That said, Leighton acknowledges there are some exceptions to the rule — especially if time is of the essence.

"Email is OK for when timeliness is paramount; when you don't have their mailing address and can't obtain it; or when the kindness you're thanking someone for is on the smaller side, such as giving a few restaurant recommendations."

What should you write in a thank-you note?

Now, the million dollar question: What are you supposed to write in a thank-you note? The good news is that your letter doesn't have to be a modern-day masterpiece.

"The beauty of a thank-you note is in its simplicity. They don't need to be long unless warranted," says Lisa Lyons , an event planner who received the US delegate seat to the International Etiquette & Protocol Academy Of London for its Train the Trainer program.

To help, Lyons breaks down the perfect thank-you note into five easy steps.

Begin with a greeting

Depending on how well you know the recipient, you can use more casual greetings such as "hello" but I nearly always opt for "dear." If they are a married couple, be sure to address them both here.

Offer your thanks (and be specific)

If you are sending thanks for a gifted item, mention it specifically and, if applicable, how you have or plan to use the gift. If you are sending a thank you for money, "your generosity" is a lovely alternative. If you are sending thanks after an event, mention what a great time you had.

Add a personal comment or anecdote

Try and include a great memory of the evening or hopes to see each other again soon.

Sign politely

"With gratitude" and "cordially" are both classics.

Mail promptly

Timely thank-you notes are preferable however, the time frame is dictated by the occasion. Following a wedding, proper etiquette suggests sending thank-you notes within one year, but sooner is always better. After attending a dinner party, however, it's best to send your note within one week.

How should you word your thank-you?

To draft a great thank-you note, etiquette experts Catherine Newman and Diane Gottsman compiled a few thank-you note examples you can easily personalize for any occasion:

Thank-you note wording for gifts

As a template, try constructing your thank-you note for a gift with, "Thank you for the [insert gift here]. I am looking forward to using it [describe action or appropriate time you will use it]."

Other thank-you note examples:

• "Thank you for the cookware. It is just what I need to make your famous Italian sauce. I plan to use your recipe very soon."
• "Thank you so much for the beautiful silver picture frame. I have the perfect picture to put in it and the perfect shelf to put it on."
• "Oh my goodness, a BMW! You are the best grandparents ever!" (It's more challenging, but still totally doable, with something less wonderful, like a scratchy sweater, Newman assures).

Thank-you note wording for money

When crafting a thank-you message for a monetary gift, don't mention how much money they gave you, warns Gottsman, a national etiquette expert, author of Modern Etiquette for a Better Life , and founder of The Protocol School of Texas. Use the following template for a thank-you note about receiving money: "Thank you so much for the gift. I am planning to [mention an activity, project, or product you are hoping to buy] and your generosity will certainly help me [the result of the activity, project, or product purchase]."

• "There's a really great robotics kit I've had my eye on."
• "As you know, I'm saving up for a car, so I'm going to put this right in the bank."
• "We are saving to put a deposit down on a new apartment and your generosity has helped us immensely. I can't wait to host you for dinner soon—possibly in our new apartment!"

Thank-you wording for acts of support

This template will help when writing a note to someone who has helped support you: "Thank you for [act of kindness]. I am so grateful to have you as a [relationship]."

• "Your visit to the hospital lifted my spirits. I am feeling much better and wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your support."
• "To say you are always there when I need you would be an understatement. I want you to know how much I appreciate your support during this difficult time. It has made the transition easier."
• "Thank you for checking in on me. I will never forget your kindness and hope to do the same for you one day."

Now that you know the basics, go out and stock up on thank-you notes. You'll be happy to have them on hand when the need arises.

Thank you note wording for wedding guests

Thank you notes are an important way to show your appreciation to everyone who attended your wedding day or helped you celebrate somehow.

For guests who attended the wedding, be sure to emphasize your gratitude for them sharing the day with you. Try wording like this: " Thank you so much for celebrating our wedding day with us. We were so glad to have you by our sides on our special day. "

For guests who guests who attended and gave a gift or money, be sure to also include a thank you message for their generosity, following the wording suggestions provided above.

And for guests who were unable to attend the wedding but still sent a gift or money, make sure to send them a thank you note as well. Try wording it like this: " Thank you so much for [the gift or money]. [Mention how you will use the gift or money.] We missed you at the wedding but we hope to see you soon. "

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How to Write the Perfect Thank You

Category: Thank Yous

Today, many of us rarely take time to put pen to paper. We text our friends to make social plans and email important business information to our colleagues. However, even modern etiquette experts agree you won’t find a better way to say “thank you” than writing a card or note. Writing a thank you letter or note conveys your gratitude in a meaningful and sincere way. Professional business notes can also improve your company’s image, boost sales , and increase referrals . Don’t be daunted by the thought of penning your thank you cards and notes and starting from a blank thank you card. The following failsafe tips will help you write the perfect thank you.

Draft Your Thank You Message

Keep the message short and sweet, write your thank you message by hand, give thanks in your personal life, give thanks for notable business interactions, follow up after an interview, say thank you ‘just because’, use a personable tone, stay positive, skip the sales pitch, add a warm closing, proofread your thank-you note carefully, send your thank-you message in a timely fashion, write more thank-you notes.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you’re planning to fail.” Many people apply this quote to major undertakings such as saving money for a home purchase or completing large projects at work, but planning makes sense for smaller tasks such as writing generic thank you messages too. Perfection rarely happens on the first attempt. Creating a draft thank-you note gives you a chance to refine your message until you’re completely happy with it.

Write down your thank-you message on a separate piece of paper and read through it carefully. Does it say everything you want to say? Does it convey your message in the right way? Can you find ways to improve it? Make your changes, then set it down for an hour or two. When you come back to it later, you’ll see it with fresh eyes. Read through it again and make any more adjustments you’d like. You can copy your draft to your thank-you card or stationery. Having a draft to refer to can help you reduce your chances of making mistakes.

A thank-you message should never become an essay. Keeping your thank you note message short ensures that you get to the point without going off on unnecessary tangents. Brevity also helps you resist the urge to get too effusive with your thanks, which may make your message seem insincere.

If you struggle to keep your message short, try writing your thank-you notes on cards rather than pieces of paper. When you have only a limited space to work with, you’ll soon figure out what you need to say and what’s best left out.

We mentioned putting pen to paper in the introduction for a specific reason. Writing thank yous is best done by connecting your intention directly to paper via a pen. Typewritten thank-you notes and cards simply don’t have the same impact as handwritten ones. A handwritten thank you conveys warmth and sincerity. Your recipients know you wrote the message just for them and no one else. As handwritten correspondence becomes less frequent, receiving a handwritten note is becoming more precious and special.

If you need further convincing, consider that 64 percent of Americans prefer handwritten correspondence to electronic messages. In addition, handwritten envelopes get opened 300 percent more often than printed envelopes.

Writing handwritten notes can admittedly be a time-consuming task, especially if you’re sending many notes. If you’re short on time, consider using a handwritten letter service such as Handwrytten. Handwrytten creates personalized notes and cards for individuals and businesses that are virtually indistinguishable from messages written by hand.

Be Specific With Your Expressions of Thanks

When you’re giving thanks, you should always be specific with your expressions of thanks. Writing down what a person or company did for you, and the impact this act had on you, makes your thank-you messages more personal and impactful. It is key to make sure that the context is correct here – for example, you wouldn’t want to write a non-love related message in a wedding thank you card .

You should write your thank-you notes to acknowledge receiving gifts when you can’t verbally thank someone in person. This situation often occurs when someone sends you a Christmas present through the mail or you receive several gifts you open later, after a wedding or large milestone birthday, for example. Your thank-you card for these occasions will mention the exact gift you received and why you appreciate it.

You should also write a thank-you note when you receive an important card through the mail. People often send cards to convey their sympathy after the loss of a loved one, their congratulations on an engagement or birth of a child, to wish someone luck at a new job, and several other reasons. Returning the favor with a thank-you card demonstrates that you are grateful for the person thinking of you and wishing you well.

Sending thank-you cards and notes is also a valuable way to express gratitude in the professional world. You should send your thanks when people help you professionally. A written thank you after someone takes time to interview you for a position, mentor you, discuss a business proposition, or invest in your company can help strengthen your professional relationships.

Businesses should also send thank-you notes when they have meaningful interactions with other companies and individuals. Writing a thank you when customers refer other people to your business or buy your products or services is a great gesture of goodwill. When customers feel valued, they’ll be more likely to make purchases and refer others in the future. Thanking your employees for a job well-done boosts productivity and morale. Don’t forget about sending business thank you cards when your suppliers or contractors go the extra mile.

A very important part of any job interview is sending a quick follow-up to the hiring manager or person with which you interviewed.  This is especially important for sales positions. Be sure to express your interest in the position and acknowledge you understand the hiring process might take some.  If you send the note right after the interview, the speed of “snail mail” delivers the note a few days later, which is a great way to remind the company of your interest.

Sometimes the most impactful thank-you messages come seemingly out of the blue. You can’t find a bad time to send a thank you to a friend who has been there to support you for many years. Similarly, businesses can recognize the loyalty of their long-term customers, employees, suppliers, contractors, and investors with an unexpected thank-you note.

As discussed above, writing a thank-you message forges a more personal connection with your recipient compared to sending an email or text. However, take the wrong tone and you’ll undermine that connection.

Keep your tone personable and approachable. If you write in a formal way, you’ll create distance between yourself and your recipient. Forget the formalities, even if you’re writing on behalf of a business or writing to a professional contact. Instead, consider how you’d express yourself if your recipient was present and having a conversation with you. Use everyday words and phrases rather than ones you think might sound impressive.

Remember to be sincere. Even if you keep your tongue in cheek during your conversations, humor can be lost in the text. Unless you know your recipient well, skip the jokes and write straight from the heart. Don’t overdo it, as gushing can seem disingenuous, but write with honest gratitude.

Sometimes gestures fall flat. You know you should thank people for what they’ve done for you, but maybe something wasn’t quite right. Perhaps you received a gift in the wrong size, or the item was wrong altogether. Maybe an employee worked overtime, but you didn’t get the result you were after. A thank-you message isn’t the right medium for expressing what went wrong. Instead, focus on what you appreciated about the gesture.

For what it’s worth, the right time to mention what you didn’t like about the gesture may not ever exist. Maintaining good relationships is often better. Criticize people for the effort they put in, and they’ll be less likely to put themselves out for you in the future.

A thank-you message has one goal: Express your gratitude. Resist the urge to turn your note into a sales pitch. This action can be difficult when you’re writing thank-you notes for professional purposes. So much correspondence in this space is about selling, but don’t give in to temptation.

After a job interview, your thank-you note should simply thank your interviewer for taking the time to meet you. You shouldn’t spend time trying to convince someone that you’re the best candidate. You already had your opportunity during your interview. Similarly, you shouldn’t try selling your products when you’re thanking customers for their loyalty or referrals. If they decide to buy from you because the thank-you note made them feel positively toward your organization, that’s great. But it’s not the goal at this time.

When your thank-you note has a heavy sales pitch, it undermines your original intent and makes your message seem insincere. Save the sales pitches for interviews and marketing materials; they don’t belong in thank-you notes or cards.

Make sure the way you sign off your thank-you message leaves a good lasting impression. Your sign-off should be warm and personable. “Warmest thanks” and “With gratitude” are safe choices. If you’re especially close to your recipient, you may use “With love” , “Lots of love”, or “Love and thanks”. If you’re writing within a religious context, “God bless you” or “Blessings” may seem appropriate.

Remember to avoid formal sign-offs. While “Regards” and “Yours sincerely” are appropriate ways to close a business letter, they’ll seem cold and impersonal on a thank-you note. Luckily, we’ve got a perfect article for you: check out 10 Ways to Sign Off a Thank-You Card .

Errors of any type detract from your thank-you note, making it seem like you’ve written it in a rush or without care. Read through your thank-you note carefully before you send it and look for any spelling mistakes or grammatical problems. If you detect any mistakes, start again. While correction fluid can hide your mistakes, it can’t hide that you made them in the first place. Starting fresh is the best way to make a good impression with your thank-you note.

If you’re prone to making mistakes, take your time. Going slowly and thinking carefully about each word you write should help reduce your errors. Write your thank-you notes in a quiet place, free from distractions. Once your attention is diverted from your thank-you note, making mistakes becomes much easier. Remember that copying a draft rather than trying to compose your thank-you note on the fly is another great tactic for reducing errors.

When you’re giving thanks for a specific gesture or act, timeliness is everything. The more time passes, the less sincere your thank-you note will seem. Your recipient may even forget what you’re thanking them for in the first place.

Etiquette experts recommend writing and sending a thank-you note within a day or two of receiving a gift. This time frame is a good guideline for any type of thank you. Your thank-you card or note could be in transit for a few days, or longer if it’s traveling overseas, so sending your thank-you message early is essential for minimizing delays.

People understand that sometimes circumstances prevent you from sending thank-you messages as early as you’d like. For example, a honeymoon can delay a bride and groom sending all their thank-you notes for their wedding gifts. Everyone expects new parents to take some time adjusting to life with a baby. However, if your thank-you message is delayed, you should still endeavor to send it as early as possible, ideally within six weeks of the event or the moment for which you’re giving thanks.

If the time has gotten away from you, remember that sending a late thank-you note is better than failing to say thanks at all. Write your thank-you note and make sure to add a brief apology for the delay in expressing your gratitude. Send your note as soon as you can and resolve to prioritize writing and posting your next thank-you message sooner to ensure you don’t make delaying your thanks a habit.

You can find more occasions to be thankful for throughout your life.

As with anything you do, you’ll get better at writing thank-you notes with more practice. Don’t wait for the big, momentous occasions. You can find more occasions to be thankful for throughout your life . Get into the habit of writing thank-you cards regularly and you’ll notice you’ll feel more confident about composing them.

Creating handwritten thank-you notes and cards is still the best way to express genuine gratitude for gifts your receive or thoughtful acts of kindness. When someone does something nice for you personally or professionally, the tips presented above can help you write the perfect thank you.

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• Condolences & What To Say

How to Write a Short Heartfelt Thank You Note

Updated 08/30/2022

Published 02/5/2020

Yvonne Bertovich

Contributing writer

Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure .

Though you may not believe gratitude is a lost art, thank you notes — especially handwritten ones — have grown more scarce. The next time you experience significant gratitude and feel that a thank you note would be the perfect response, we’re here to help.

Jump ahead to these sections:

Step 1: identify the recipient(s), step 2: focus your gratitude, step 3: decide on your medium, step 4: jot down bullet points or make a draft, step 5: write your official note, step 6: deliver as necessary, thank you note message ideas.

It’s likely you’ll experience one of these situations sooner than later. This may occur on a holiday, your birthday, at a professional event, or an otherwise ordinary day. You’ll likely feel as though you need to return the person’s gesture in a special way. But, perhaps the gesture can simply be returned with a thank you note.

A short, heartfelt thank you note would suit a variety of situations nicely — whether it was a gift, someone’s company, an interview, a professional interaction, or something else — there are different points you can touch on. If you’re unsure how or what to say for each of these situations, we’re here to guide you.

For each thank you note you intend to write, there is a structured process you can follow and repeat as necessary. We’ll also provide you with specific message ideas for a wide variety of scenarios that you can customize as you see fit. 

Identifying who’s receiving your thank you note should be the easiest part. However, perhaps you have a lot to be thankful for lately — and a lot of people to thank. This is great. However, getting in the right headspace to write all of these notes in one or a few sittings may benefit you. Thank you notes don’t have to be for traditional exchanges or relationships, either.

 It’s likely you’d feel compelled to thank a physician or a care provider, for example, and may wonder how to write a thank you message to a doctor . You’re also more than welcome to have a less-structured approach to your note writing and send them “just because.” This can also be a great approach. People love to be thought of and appreciated, if even for “nothing.”

Tip: Keep a running list on your phone, on your counter, or wherever you’re likely to not miss it. Jot down the names of people and keywords of what you’d like to thank them for. This can save you time and help you to not forget anyone over the holidays or on a birthday, for example. 

Focusing your gratitude for each recipient may be easier in some situations than others. For example, if your relative sent you money for your birthday, this would be the key thing to thank them for.

However, you can take it a step further and call attention to the gesture at large. It’s not so much that the person sent you a gift or did something for you — they took time and care away from themselves and their other priorities to “see” you and make you feel special. They connected with you in an additional way and made an effort to make you feel appreciated, whether you deserve it or not.

That being said, maybe the gesture was pretty small by comparison, but you’d like to go the extra mile yourself to ensure that person knows you “see” them. This is great, too, and you can write your message accordingly.

Tip: It’s easy in this age to just think of ourselves. Self-care and self-love are incredibly important, however, you’ll likely experience powerful results if you reserve a little of this positive energy to put out into the world. Thank you notes are a tangible, yet manageable way to do so. 

Just as there’s more than one way to write a thank you note, there’s more than one medium to write your notes on. Are you going to send a text? An email? A handwritten note on custom stationary? On something specific or humorous that the recipient would enjoy? The manner in which you send your note or notes will likely be determined by how many recipients there are.

Or, perhaps you like to buy blank thank you notes from the store one-by-one as the situation permits. Deciding on your medium will help you create the ideal environment for writing and drafting when the time comes, of course. Granted, you’re more than welcome to send a thank you via a Twitter DM from a parking lot, for example, and still have it be very well-received. 

Tip: Think of your audience. Also, consider the scarcity of handwritten thank you notes and how powerful a message they can send. However, telling someone “thank you” immediately upon receiving a gesture and later sending a follow-up via text or email can also be quite special. 

Now that you’ve decided on your recipient and what you’re going to write your thank you message on, you can decide on what you want the contents of your message to read.

Do you need to jot down the key points and make a draft, or can you just dive right in? If you’re using stationary and handwriting a note, for example, you may consider using a scratch sheet of paper so you can ensure that you don’t miss anything or make a mess of an otherwise nice card. 

Tip: Read your message from bottom to top, or make sure you read each word independently. It’s easy to get caught up in your own writing or voice and miss a crucial word or grammatical element.

Take a breath and begin writing your final draft. Or, perhaps, if you’re sending a text or DM, write out a draft in another application, such as the notes app. This can give you a separate space to more easily determine if you’re missing anything.

There’s nothing worse than sending a message and wanting to “undo it” when it’s not possible. Making an error in a note to a family member or a long-time friend wouldn’t be that bad (quite frankly, it’d likely be seen as humorous). However, an error in a message to a teacher or a professional contact may prove a bit embarrassing.

Tip: If you’re creating a handwritten note, choose a pen that you feel comfortable using and that works on your chosen paper. Writing a thoughtful note only to have it smear illegibly would be pretty disheartening.

Once your message is ready to send, you can copy and paste it into the preferred window, or just hit send. Of course, if you’re writing a thank you note to someone who’s home address is unavailable to you, and you’d like to handwrite a message, ensure that you can get it to their place of work in a timely manner.

Though impromptu thank you notes are great, thanking a person within a few days (and not much longer) of their gesture is preferred. 

Tip: Double-check everything in your message, particularly the address of the recipient on the envelope if you’re sending a handwritten note via mail. You should also check the email address of any email recipients, too. Though receiving a response to a thank you note may not happen, and really isn’t the point, it’s important to do your part in ensuring that the message actually gets there. 

There are a lot of situations that can warrant a thank you note. Whether your situation is more traditional or unique, there are ways to ensure your message is special and heartfelt, even if you feel that you don’t necessarily have a way with words.

Below are a variety of specific examples that you can use as inspiration and really make your own. 

As children, we may be conditioned to expect a gift (or several) around the holidays or on our birthday. However, it’s important to recognize not only the gifts in themselves, but the meaning behind them.

In actuality, we’re not really entitled to anything and we should express our gratitude whenever possible. The very word “gift” should feel special, because it is. Here are some heartfelt ways to thank others for a gift. 

• “Thank you so much for thinking of me when you have so much else on your plate. It really means a lot that you went to the effort of picking [this] out for me! You know me so well, even after all these years.”
• “I got your gift in the mail and I was floored, really. I wasn’t having a great day and that immediately turned it around! I can’t wait to use [it] this weekend!”
• “Thank you so much for the birthday gift! You know how to make me feel really special, and I hope this little note expresses at least a little bit of my gratitude. I love you!”
• “I’m so thankful to have you in my life and for all the ways you treat me. It’s such a blessing to know you, and I can’t wait to see you soon!” 
• “Thank you for the sympathy gift . Though, you know you didn’t have to go to the effort. It helped put a big smile on my face, which, I’ll admit, hasn’t been happening too much lately. Sending you lots of love.” 

Money may not seem like the most personal gesture, however, it’s just what some people need sometimes. Thanking people for money is incredibly important, as it’s unlikely whoever gave it to you couldn’t benefit from it themselves. 

• “Thank you so much for sending me some funds! I know you said spend it on something special for myself (wink), but I’m gonna have to let you down and put most of it in savings. It really will help me out. Again, thank you.”
• “I’m writing to thank you deeply for the money you sent me for my birthday. You didn’t have to do that, but I love you for it.”
• “Thank you for sending me money — I know it’ll come in handy over the next few weeks! I really miss you and hope you’re doing well.”
• “Thank you for sending the money I know you know you didn’t have to send, but did so anyway. I’ll get you back. Kidding. I love you nonetheless. You know how to make me feel important.”
• “I’m so grateful to have you in my life. Thank you so much for the money you sent! I’ll be thinking of you.”

For thoughts or company during a difficult time

When someone shows up for you during a difficult time, it’s important to express your gratitude to this person. Having people you can count on during good times and bad times is something you should never take for granted. 

• “Thank you for always showing up for me, especially when I’m at my worst. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I love you so much. It meant the world to me to see you as a pallbearer for [him/her].”
• “It means the world to me that you sat by me while I was healing and talked me through it. Not many people know what to say to those who are sick , but you said all the right things, and I know you meant them.”
• “Thank you so much for keeping me company last week. It means the world that you still make sacrifices to make me feel special and safe.”
• “I just wanted to thank you for your words of sympathy . Your message was so beautiful, and I could tell how much you meant it.”
• “Thank you for thinking of me. Your note meant a lot and it honestly turned my week around. I hope we can get together soon.”

For an interview

Just about any professional experience can shape you. Interviews are no exception. No matter how well (or how poorly) an interview went, it’s important to recognize that someone took the time to sit down with you, with potentially no direct benefit to them in return. 

• “Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me and the steps I should be taking in my career. I look forward to connecting again soon, and wish you the best of luck with this process.”
• “I greatly appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to discuss [this]. It was a great opportunity for me to learn more about our field from a professional as yourself.”
• “Thank you so much for considering me for [this] position. I will take all of your advice to heart and apply from now on. I look forward to hearing from you!”
• “Thank you for seeing potential in me. I will continue to work on [the] skills that we touched on during my interview. I had a wonderful time speaking with you and look forward to connecting again soon.”
• “I really appreciate you setting time aside to discuss [this] with me. I hope you know our conversation has given me a lot to think about and I am excited to apply what I have learned.”

For a teacher, boss, client, or professional connection

It’s important to thank individuals that we view as mentors or superiors. Perhaps one of these individuals taught you a difficult lesson, or told you something that you actually needed to hear (but didn’t necessarily want to). Thanking him or her can show tremendous maturity and growth. Their roles may also come along with a good bit of pressure, and they may not get thanked often, if at all.  

• “Thank you so much for all you do. Your work ethic and professionalism are truly inspiring!”
• “I just wanted to let you know I’m very grateful to work with you. I’m thrilled that I get to learn from you and contribute to [this] project, and I’m so excited to see the results.”
• “I’ve experienced a huge amount of growth both personally and professionally since I started working with you, and I hope that my work is a reflection of that. Of course, I know that if there’s room for additional growth, you’ll let me know. Cheers.”
• “Thank you for taking the time to work on [this] with me. It means the world that you take time out of your schedule to ensure I don’t get left behind.” 
• “Thank you for believing in me. I’m so grateful that I get to be your student. You’re amazing!”

Recognize Your Opportunity

A heartfelt thank you note can be just as impactful as the gesture itself. Your expression of gratitude can easily create a ripple effect and motivate a further cycle of giving and gratitude. Don’t ever diminish the power that even a simple thank you note can have.

Much like the gesture that inspired the note, you too can turn someone’s day (or quite frankly, life) around. For more support about navigating difficult-to-write messages, such as condolences , as well as end-of-life planning , check out the rest of Cake. 

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Home / Essay Samples / Life / Thank You

Thank You Essay Examples

Gratitude and appreciation: an example of thank you letter.

Here's an example of a thank you essay. Dear Sam, I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for your kindness and support. Your generosity has touched my heart and has made a significant impact on my life. When I was going...

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