The Daily Pennsylvanian is looking for witty, creative and dedicated writers to pen weekly or biweekly columns for Penn's independent student newspaper.

Please complete the following application by 11:59 p.m. on Aug. 15 if you wish to apply. Email Opinion Editor Jennifer Yu at yu@thedp.com if you have any questions or if you need an extension (extensions are granted in limited circumstances).

Columnists write articles (usually about 700 words) on a regular basis -- weekly or biweekly -- and are required to submit their columns by the deadline and come to the DP to edit their stories. However, the best columnists do more than tell stories or argue their opinions -- they identify topics relevant to the Penn community, do some research and basic reporting (usually in the form of interviewing Penn students and professors), think critically about what graphics and visuals would contribute to a column's effectiveness, and read other columns from the paper and around the web in order to contribute to our mandatory weekly columnist meetings.

We also highly encourage our columnists, in conjuncture with the DP, to utilize social media to promote their columns. This is primarily designed to help columnists reap the maximum benefits of their work by exposing as many people as possible to it.

Being a columnist is hard, time-consuming work. Think carefully before applying. That being said, this position is extremely rewarding. Your writing and reporting skills will improve tremendously, and you will have the rare opportunity to reach thousands of people with every column you write.

Why you?

Please answer the following questions to the best of your ability in around 100 words each:

1. What distinguishes you and your column from the other applicants? What unique perspective do you bring? 

2. What do you want your column to be known for? How do you want your readers to see your persona?

3. What do you see as the most important issue facing Penn students in today's world, and what is your position on it?  

4. In your opinion, what is the University's greatest shortcoming (and why)? 

5. What is the most thought-provoking work you have read over the course of the summer and why? (Could be a book, newspaper article, magazine feature, etc.)

Column Ideas

Please submit a list of three column ideas. These ideas can range from topics that you would have written about last semester or that you would like to write about in the future. Tell us what you want to say, and be as specific as possible. Good column ideas that engage the reader traditionally deal with issues directly pertaining to Penn, Philadelphia or the higher-education community. That being said, feel free to approach national issues if you believe they are important or relevant to Penn students. For at least one of your ideas, please include one (or more!) idea for a visual or graphic that could be paired with the column. Examples include: charts or graphs (if your column is statistic-heavy), illustrations, or design ideas. You do not need to submit the visual itself -- just describe what you think would work well. 

Check out past DP opinion columns here.

Sample Columns

Your sample columns should be between 650 and 700 words. They should not have been previously submitted to or printed in any publication, including the DP. You do not need to include any other information along with the text of your columns (that is, no names, headlines, etc.).

You'll probably want to type the columns in a word processor first and then copy and paste the text into the boxes below. Make sure to leave a space between paragraphs so we know where one ends and another begins. Don't worry about losing formatting such as indentation or italics. We're more interested in the content of your writing than the presentation.

New Columnists

Please submit TWO sample columns. One of them must be topical (it must deal with a relevant campus or community issue) and the other can be on any subject you choose.

Returning Columnists

Please submit one column (providing a link will suffice) that you have written for The DP that you think best illustrates your work. Additionally, please submit another sample column that has not been published in any medium before. 

Column Tips

When writing your sample columns, please keep in mind that we often read through dozens of applications when selecting columnists.

As cliché as it sounds, there is no one thing we are looking for. However, there are some general qualities which distinguish good columns from weaker ones.

All columns should have a strong opinion. Most professors will tell you not to bring up an issue, present the facts and then say there are two sides to the story. The same goes for columns – we, and readers, want to hear your opinion on an issue. That being said, columns are not always exclusively an author’s thoughts on an issue. Quality work often requires substantial reporting – in the same sense that a news story would.

Columns should also take a novel angle. Rehashing issues such as dining hall food or even writing on hackneyed political topics is discouraged. The column should try to present the reader with something he or she hadn't thought about or known.

Lastly, good columns tend to strongly reflect the writer's voice so that readers can better connect with the author. It can be helpful for the author to have some personal experience with the topic or passion for the subject. We look for columnists who have an area of expertise or passion that they can communicate to the readers.

Your application will be reviewed by the Editorial Board before school resumes. You will be contacted as soon as that process is complete. If you are selected, you will be assigned regular days of the week in which your columns will be published. Biweekly columns will be determined after weekly columnists have been selected.

Again, please feel free to reach out to Opinion Editor Jennifer Yu at yu@thedp.com with any questions or concerns. Best of luck on your application – we look forward to reading it!