The Daily Pennsylvanian is looking for witty, creative and dedicated writers to pen weekly or biweekly columns for one of the nation's best and most widely-read college newspapers. The role of a columnist is to make a point with color and creativity. Doing the job properly requires a lot of time, research and reporting, but is extremely rewarding.

Please complete the following application if you wish to apply. Email Opinion Editor-elect Anjali Tsui at tsui.anjali@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Introduction

Please submit a brief introduction explaining what you believe makes a good columnist, why you want to be a columnist and what makes your voice unique. It should be no longer than 250 words.

Column Ideas

Please submit a list of five 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.

Check out past DP opinion columns here.

Sample Columns

Columns should be between 600 and 700 words. They should not have been previously submitted to or printed in any publication, including the DP. Don’t 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 sample column. It must be topical and deal with a relevant campus or community issue.

Application Information and Tips

When writing your sample columns, please keep in mind that we often read through dozens of applications when selecting columnists. Choose topics that will best demonstrate originality, voice and writing ability. Political talking points, entertainment reviews, and other common recurring topics (i.e., dining hall food) are discouraged.

In general, successful columns must always answer the question: "So what?" Always ask yourself why a student should read your column.

A good column also expresses a point of view that is supported by evidence. Columns are not merely an author’s thoughts on an issue. Quality work often requires substantial reporting – in the same sense that a news story would — and tells the reader something that he or she would not already know.

We are always looking for the broadest set of voices possible with our columnists. If you possess qualities that you believe make you unique, be sure to let us know.

While not required for a good column, it's helpful if the author has 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.

Columnists become staff members of the DP and are required to meet deadlines, follow journalistic standards and comply with all DP staff policies. All writers attend weekly or biweekly editing sessions, weekly staff meetings and other events.

Your application will be reviewed by the Editorial Board in the beginning of Janurary. 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.

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 hundreds (maybe even thousands) of people with every column you write.

Again, please feel free to reach out to Anjali Tsui, the Opinion Editor-elect, at tsui.anjali@gmail.com with any questions or concerns. Best of luck on your application. We look forward to reading it.