CollegeAdmissionsInfo.com reports that the University of Pennsylvania will start using the Common Application for freshman admissions to the Class of 2011. Penn will also ask applicants to complete a supplemental, Penn-specific form — undoubtedly posing classic Penn essay questions such as, “What would page 217 of your autobiography say?” University officials hope the switch to the Common App will attract a more diverse applicant pool. Applications to Penn already hit a record high this year, with over 20,300 applicants vying for freshman seats in fall 2006. The adoption of the Common App may cause the figure for the 2006-2007 application season go even higher.
Brown and Columbia are now the only two Ivy League schools that do not use the Common Application. MIT, the University of Chicago, and Stanford are other selective schools that do not use the Common App.
.
