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All About the 2025 Penn State Application Essays
By
Varonika Ware
Varonika Ware is a content writer at Scholarships360. Varonika earned her undergraduate degree in Mass Communications at Louisiana State University. During her time at LSU, she worked with the Center of Academic Success to create the weekly Success Sunday newsletter. Varonika also interned at the Louisiana Department of Insurance in the Public Affairs office with some of her graphics appearing in local news articles.
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Maria Geiger is Director of Scholarship Services at Scholarships360. She is a former online educational technology instructor and adjunct writing instructor. In addition to education reform, Maria’s interests include viewpoint diversity, blended/flipped learning, digital communication, and integrating media/web tools into the curriculum to better facilitate student engagement. Maria earned both a B.A. and an M.A. in English Literature from Monmouth University, an M. Ed. in Education from Monmouth University, and a Virtual Online Teaching Certificate (VOLT) from the University of Pennsylvania.
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Pennsylvania State University, commonly known as Penn State, is a public land-grant research university located in State College, Pennsylvania. It is widely known for its high ranking athletics and undergraduate degree programs. Penn State included a supplemental essay in previous years’ applications, but for the 2025-2026 application cycle, year students only need to complete the Common App Essays in order to apply.
Next steps for students
As you go through the college application process, mark your calendar with important deadlines! By doing this, you can accurately plan and get things done in advance. You could circle the date for admission notifications or schedule a campus tour.
Penn State has multiple campuses for applicants to choose from, and they also offer virtual tours, so you can get a quick look before visiting in person. Their website even gives brief overviews of each location in Pennsylvania along with degrees, housing, and extracurriculars offered there.
Remember to check Penn State’s social media pages to stay updated on important events and dates. You’ll also be able to get a glimpse of what Penn State is like and how you might fit in there. Good luck on your path toward success!
Other colleges to consider
- University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI)
- University of Illinois (Urbana-Campaign, IL)
- Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN)
Additional resources
Now you know how to proceed with your Penn State application. But the work is not done! You can never be too prepared for college, so here’s a couple resources to make the transition smoother:
- Decide on applying early decision or early action
- Choose different types of scholarships to apply to
- How to write an essay about yourself