Ananya Shah | Club-bing you over the head

The crisp morning air, the rapid-fire typing in Van Pelt, and the steady stream of bleary-eyed students leaving Huntsman at 2 a.m. all signal one thing: club application season is in full swing. As first years, we’ve been tossed into the deep end of Penn, left to navigate the deep dark ocean that is club applications.  

It's a tale as old as time. Penn first years move in starry-eyed, excited by NSO events and making new friends. They visit the club fair, signing up for 35 listservs and collecting twice as many flyers because they’re too afraid to say no. The next thing they know, they are struggling with club applications that advertise “no experience needed” (you definitely need experience).  

They work tirelessly for two weeks: coffee chatting in Stommons, writing generic applications about when they’ve demonstrated leadership, and figuring out how to write a stock pitch. And inevitably, when the masses don’t make it into the most coveted clubs, chaos ensues.  

The abolition of club applications entirely has been proposed several times, which frankly is unfeasible and unrealistic for the high levels at which many Penn clubs operate.  

Every year, complaints of unfair policies are voiced regarding club applications, like the implicit emphasis on personal connections, single-digit acceptance rates, numerous rounds of interviews and casing, as well as other unintended consequences like the perpetuation of Penn Face. But I am not here to dispute these arguments — I’ve faced and voiced these frustrations myself. And yet, despite dealing with these obvious shortcomings, I still find value in this flawed club application process.  

This isn’t to say that my application process has been all sunshine and rainbows. I’ve gotten rejected from an unreal amount of clubs, College and Wharton ones alike, including Intercol and even the DP at first. I’ve had traumatic interviews that have made me need to touch grass, written thousands of words for “Why Club XYZ?” and coffee chatted with what feels like all of Penn’s upperclassmen.  

But I’d argue that the general student body’s gripe with clubs isn’t with the lost opportunity to learn something new — it's with the rejection. Rejection is (unfortunately) a part of life, a concept that many Penn students may find foreign. Many Penn students’ high school careers were exceptional, littered with literary accolades and class presidencies, sharpening the sting of rejection at Penn. The shift from being valedictorian to not even receiving a courtesy club rejection email is a culture shock that many may take a while to get used to. Welcome to Penn, where even a rejection email is a privilege you have to earn!  

While it may feel personal, the truth is that clubs are wrestling with their own set of challenges when it comes to selecting members. Realistically, faced with hundreds of qualified applicants, clubs face a nearly impossible decision of how to pare their pool down. Furthermore, many clubs face a financial restraint when deliberating on who to accept; the School Activities Council funds over 250 student groups, facing a limited budget themselves from the Undergraduate Assembly. In order for clubs to stay afloat, they have to maintain a certain level of exclusivity with a smaller number of members who are highly dedicated to the club.  

Despite my own traumatic application cycle, I believe that even going through this process is a privilege we aren’t fully appreciating. Penn’s application cycle is a mini simulation of the “real world.” In just my first month at Penn, I’ve learned how to coffee chat, do group interviews, and prepare for case presentations. By the time recruiting for post-grad jobs comes around, interviews are second nature, and coffee chats are a regular Tuesday afternoon for most Penn students. 

While the drawbacks of this highly competitive culture are hard to ignore, the benefits are equally significant. The long term success of Penn graduates speaks for itself — Penn graduates reportedly enter financial services and consulting at higher rates than any other Ivy League school. This competitive atmosphere can be incredibly overwhelming, but it is ultimately preparing students who want to pursue demanding industries, offering them a significant edge in the professional world.  

Even though I’ve been rejected from a majority of these clubs that I partook in these activities for, they have been incredibly valuable learning experiences, and even a way for me to find community. I’ve made friends through these rejections, trauma bonded by group interviews and the exhausting essay-writing process. 

At the end of the day, while Penn’s application process is intimidating and draining, it ultimately prepares us for the realities of the professional world. So who cares if you don’t get into a club? Join the Penn Cheese Club or Penn XCTF where all are welcome. There are countless opportunities for community waiting to be explored beyond these competitive clubs. Even though it may not seem like it right now, your club involvements do not define you. 

ANANYA SHAH is a College first year studying philosophy, politics, and economics from Bonaire, GA. Her email is aoshah@sas.upenn.edu.