Penn supplemental ethical dilemma question

[dent_wannabe]

For the Penn supplemental application, there is this essay question: "What ethical dilemma(s) have you encountered during your education? Please describe."

When they mean "during your education", does that mean it has to be from a college/university student standpoint, or is it fine as long as it is occurs during your time as a college/university student?

For example, I faced ethical dilemmas being a teaching assistant. (If somebody wants to give me feedback on whether or not my idea for how to tackle this question makes sense, I welcome them...) Basically, in a large class with students close to my age, it may not be avoidable to have at least a few friends in my class. I might get to their exam while grading, and see that overall they are not performing well enough to pass. I am thinking that I could consider the decision of grading my friend more leniently as an act of sympathy vs grading objectively in accordance with course policy as an ethical dilemma, because I want my friends to succeed but I also am expected to be fair to other students. I had the means to grade with favoritism with a low chance of anybody knowing, thus that is where ethical decision making comes into play.

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[predent2151]

Sounds good, I was accepted with scholarship and wrote about a situation in which a teenage girl is pregnant and needs anesthesia and you have to face the dilemma of informing the patients about the pregnancy against the patients will or changing the treatment plan.

 

[suede]

I'm also working on UPenn supplement questions. I think your answer is fine. I interpreted the question as just anytime during your undergraduate career.

However, for the "biggest challenge in education" topic... I think they want something from a college student standpoint. thoughts?

 

[Barry0023]

This is sort of unrelated to the question but how long are your answers to the questions on the supplement application? Since they stated that there is no limit.

 

[Badgers2]

This is sort of unrelated to the question but how long are your answers to the questions on the supplement application? Since they stated that there is no limit.

My shortest response was 250 words and my longest was 500. I think it's really just however long it takes you to get your point across in a reasonable manner.

 

[dent_wannabe]

I just got the following reply from them:

"Thank you for your interest in Penn Dental Medicine. We leave this entirely up to your interpretation of the question. There is no correct or incorrect response. We look forward to reviewing your application."

 

[Barry0023]

My shortest response was 250 words and my longest was 500. I think it's really just however long it takes you to get your point across in a reasonable manner.

Did you also submit the supplemental after you submitted the AADSAS application or at the same time? If you submitted it after did you just wait until Penn emailed you about it?

 

[@cetylcholine]

Hi! So I applied and was accepted to Penn this past cycle. I actually wrote about an experience I had in the gap year after undergrad. So I think it doesn't matter when or where you experienced the ethical dilemma, as long as it is relevant and reflects you as a person.

 

[Badgers2]

Did you also submit the supplemental after you submitted the AADSAS application or at the same time? If you submitted it after did you just wait until Penn emailed you about it?

Yeah after I had submitted my AADSAS application I had to wait until they sent me the supplemental questions via email.

 

[helloboys]

What about their first question. Are you guys leaving that blank? I mean it says not to include anything that is on your ADEA application.

 

[dent_wannabe]

What about their first question. Are you guys leaving that blank? I mean it says not to include anything that is on your ADEA application.

I probably will just write a sentence to say everything is already on my AADSAS app.

 

[Krentist_72]

Got into Penn last cycle, each of my answers was around 300 words, a paragraph or two each. What someone else said, as long as it takes for you to answer it succinctly.
OP, your ethical dilemma sounds great (not actually living it great, but writeable great). Mine was something super generic about how my classmates had obtained old exams in one of my classes and I didn't know what to do. Worked fine apparently lol

 

[Ms.2:30]

I thought the supplemental was emailed after you submitted AADSAS application? And the date we can submit is June 5, tomorrow?

 

[helloboys]

I thought the supplemental was emailed after you submitted AADSAS application? And the date we can submit is June 5, tomorrow?

No, it is on their website. You just go there, print it out, fill it out, and mail it.

 

[Bingwen]

I thought the supplemental was emailed after you submitted AADSAS application? And the date we can submit is June 5, tomorrow?

Each school is a little different. Some have their supplementals on the AADSAS, some have websites, some email. Each school is different.

 

[artist2022]

I thought the supplemental was emailed after you submitted AADSAS application? And the date we can submit is June 5, tomorrow?

Refer here: Random AADSAS Questions: 2018-2019 Edition

 

[lmyers]

I was thinking about writing about how sometimes students in my class would want to take pictures of my study guides because I laid things out in a different, easier to understand way... and I was going to talk about how this is kind of stealing my work that I spent time on? And at the time I didn't know what to do so I ended up not taking my study guides out when studying with people or during class. Which hurt my own studying in a way. I know this isn't as clear cut as other ethical dilemmas but I really can't think of anything else. Any thoughts?

 

[dent_wannabe]

I was thinking about writing about how sometimes students in my class would want to take pictures of my study guides because I laid things out in a different, easier to understand way... and I was going to talk about how this is kind of stealing my work that I spent time on? And at the time I didn't know what to do so I ended up not taking my study guides out when studying with people or during class. Which hurt my own studying in a way. I know this isn't as clear cut as other ethical dilemmas but I really can't think of anything else. Any thoughts?

Not so sure what the ethical dilemma here is. I like to think of ethical dilemmas as situations where you had the capacity to unfairly advantage or disadvantage somebody, and often with the chance of somebody not finding out. There should also be some integrity issue. For example, maybe you see an upcoming exam on a professor's desk during office hours, and choose to jot down the questions when the professor steps out for a bathroom break. In that case, you can probably do it without ever getting caught, but would you still do it?

 

[serendipity30]

Got into Penn last cycle, each of my answers was around 300 words, a paragraph or two each. What someone else said, as long as it takes for you to answer it succinctly.
OP, your ethical dilemma sounds great (not actually living it great, but writeable great). Mine was something super generic about how my classmates had obtained old exams in one of my classes and I didn't know what to do. Worked fine apparently lol

I had the same experience but my writing center asked me to write something else lol

 

[jLaws]

Some of these ethical "dilemmas" being posted have a clear ethical choice, including the OP. There isn't really a dilemma when the ethical and immoral choices are blatantly obvious.

**An ethical dilemma is when ethical standards collide. How would helping your friend succeed by violating your responsibilities as a TA be considered ethical?

 

[Life of Pablo]

Hey guys! Feel free to direct any specific questions regarding the supplemental in the Official UPenn Class of 2023 page:

***The Official UPenn Class of 2023 Interview/Acceptance Thread***

 

[queenki]

Some of these ethical "dilemmas" being posted have a clear ethical choice, including the OP. There isn't really a dilemma when the ethical and immoral choices are blatantly obvious.

**An ethical dilemma is when ethical standards collide. How would helping your friend succeed by violating your responsibilities as a TA be considered ethical?

Exactly. Oh well, that's the point of question though. Can you comprehend what is being asked.....