For prospective undergraduates, the Admissions Office staff play a
critical role in shaping the impressions that students have of the University
through the messages conveyed to prospective students and families
about the importance of balance in life and in the admissions process itself.
The many dedicated alumni who aid in student recruitment—both
those participating in the Penn Alumni Interview Program and those engaged
in more informal interactions with prospective students—also influence
the way the Penn culture may be perceived. Secondary schools
scrutinize Penn’s admissions materials and we can send powerful signals
through messages that we believe student success is predicated on caring
for one’s physical and psychological wellbeing as well as one’s intellectual
development. We recognize that sending consistent messages to that
effect to applicants for Penn’s graduate and professional schools is more
challenging. Nonetheless, we recommend that graduate groups and programs
incorporate messages about the importance of self-care to continued
success into recruitment efforts.