Feeling I Belong Rachael Ji Yoon Kim

As a young aficionado of poetry and prose, I would love more than anything to develop my skills through a disciplined and distinguished writing program, and Penn’s School of Arts and Sciences definitely offers just that. Believing that one must be a great reader before becoming a great writer, I indulge in books of every genre to expand my range of knowledge. Literature brings me a truly indescribable joy, and I wish to carry my fondness for reading and writing into my college major. Penn’s English Department is unique in that it provides the opportunity for students to place an emphasis on studies in creative writing, and through it, I want to channel my passion for poetry into academia.

As founder and president of our school’s Poetry Club, if accepted, I plan to visit the Kelly Writers House religiously as a way to satisfy my perpetual craving for remarkable literature. I can just picture myself grabbing a turkey and cheese sandwich with no mayonnaise at the 1920 Commons, then rushing off to the Kelly Writers House with an armful of books by Maya Angelou and Eric Schlosser. Gathered in a close circle of chairs, fellow literature lovers and I share professional works as well as our own daring lines of free verse, swap...