Summary
The University of Pennsylvania is a private non-profit university and one of the Ivy League universities in the United States. On their website, they use the large APATSARC strategy of Imagining Ideal Readers and the small rhetorical strategy of Logos to attract their ideal students. Based on these strategies, they want to attract students who are interested in highly intellectual areas such as science and politics. They want students who appreciate art and are willing to analyze and discuss it, and students who look to stay involved in campus’ events.
Analysis
The website of UPenn opens with a text that says “Health Science” followed by a headline that says “From wearable light to tech startup,” (upenn.edu) which is an announcement about Lumify Care (an LED light for nurses) launching an app and a new version later this year. The announcement states that Lumify Care was “supported by the 2021 President’s Innovation Prize and co-founded by May graduate Anthony Scarpone-Lambert and NICU nurse Jennifferre Mancillas” (upenn.edu). This is the first thing shown as soon as the website is opened. By opening with information and facts, the rhetorical strategy of Logos is being applied. UPenn wants to inform its audience about the research innovations achieved by its students, and expects its audience to be interested in it.
The text is shown with an image that occupies the whole screen. The image includes a student wearing formal clothing. By doing this, the university is applying the APATSARC strategy of Imagining Ideal Readers. What is more likely for students to wear is casual clothing, but UPenn is looking for students who are interested in fields where formal clothing might be required. Examples of areas of work where this might apply include education, science, and politics. And we know that these are fields UPenn prioritizes because of its news sections, which is below the opening announcement on the website. The news section is separated by different categories, which include “Education, Business, & Law,” “Campus & Community,” “Art, Humanities, & Social Sciences,” and “Sports.” The articles go from news about the state of Pennsylvania and cyberattacks in Russia, to information about the metaverse and climate change. UPenn is looking for students who are up-to-date with the challenges and innovations happening in the world.
After the news section, an article about “Science & Technology” is highlighted. It includes a short description about UPenn Engineering researchers that is followed by a link to the full story. Below the article there is a section of Upcoming Events. It displays a list of three art exhibits happening throughout China, the Caribbean, and the Middle East in the following couple of months. By mentioning only art events, UPenn is trying to get the attention of students who are attracted towards the art field. This way they also want to show that their people believe that art has value, and that their students staying involved in the institution’s events matters to them.
Below the Upcoming Events section follows the introduction to two projects. “Inspiring Impact” is the name of one of them. There is a button under it that says “Support Penn” and it gives a link to a separate webpage where it is explained how making a donation towards the institution would help, and why. The second project is called “Penn COMPACT 2022.” It claims that the project focuses on inclusivity, innovation, and impact. It explains that the university wants students who will take everybody into consideration, regardless of race, nationality, religion, or financial background; also students who are creative and have a sense of leadership, and want to make a change in the world and their community.
Following the projects, there is a gallery displayed that shows the priorities of UPenn. It claims that its priorities are “Climate and Sustainability Action Plan,” “Diversity and Inclusion,” “Penn Cares,” and “Campaign for Community.” UPenn is attempting to convince its audience that the well-being of the community matters, and that it wants its students and staff to feel welcomed, safe, and at home.
The next section is for the audience to find the university’s social media and connect with other students, and for them to be updated with news about the campus. Following, the last section is titled “Equal Opportunity and Nondiscrimination at Penn.” In this section, the idea of being inclusive and how important it is for them to have an environment of talented people who are from diverse backgrounds is again reinforced. It states that if there is any concern about this policy, they can be addressed with the “Executive Director of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Programs.”
Response
There are many reasons why I would not be able to attend this university. My family would like me to stay near them and Pennsylvania is very far away. Money would also be an issue. Regardless of this, if these reasons did not exist, I would definitely like to attend this university.
I like that UPenn welcomes students that appreciate art. Even though it is a research university and it is interested in students who are more politically and scientifically inclined, it still wants to include students who are interested in art and design fields. There are many people who consider art to be “pointless” and claim that studying a career related to art will be a waste of time and money. As an art major student, seeing such a recognized university care about art just as much as other majors makes me want to go there. And because UPenn is one of the Ivy League universities in the United States, I know that if I got a degree from there, I would have higher chances of getting a job at top design companies. I also like that one of the major policies at UPenn is about nondiscrimination and diversity. I was not born in the United States, and people notice that by my accent. Even though being from another country has become easier for me, it did not use to be that way, and I know that there are people just like me who feel out of place sometimes.
Because of these reasons, I believe that if money and distance were not a problem for me I would be comfortable attending UPenn and completing all of my degrees there.
Works Cited:
University of Pennsylvania. Home Page. Accessed on March 10, 2022. https://www.upenn.edu/