How To Get Into University of Pennsylvania: Complete Guide
A complete guide of how to maximize your chances of chances of being admitted to the University of Pennsylvania. (Includes admissions data and tips from the 2022 admissions cycle!)
The University of Pennsylvania (“UPenn” or more commonly “Penn”) is a private research university located in Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1740. Penn is one of the most well-known universities in the Ivy League. Its prestigious reputation, exceptional academics, and all-star alumni make it one of the most competitive college institutions of higher education in the United States.
Penn offers a broad liberal arts education across its four undergraduate institutions: the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the College of Nursing, and the Wharton School. Many Penn students take courses across all four undergraduate schools or twelve graduate schools, as Penn encourages academic exploration and interdisciplinarity.
Penn is full of tradition and prides itself on fostering some of the world’s leading thinkers and leaders, including Elon Musk, Noam Chomsky, Anil Ambani, John Legend, Tory Burch, and Sundar Pichai.
In this guide, we’ll take a deep dive through the ins and outs of what it takes to be a competitive applicant to the University of Pennsylvania.
Penn is consistently regarded as one of the top ten institutions of higher education in the United States, attracting several tens of thousands of applicants each year for only a few thousand spots. We describe Penn as an institution of “highest selectivity.”
Penn did not release specific admissions data for the 2021-2022 cycle, citing an interest in focusing on celebrating its admitted students rather than celebrating its selectivity.
Roughly 55,000 students applied to Penn across both early and regular decision — a decrease from last year’s 56,333, which marked the largest application pool in history. The first-year class is expected to number approximately 2,400 students. Penn accepted 15.63% of applicants under the Early Decision Program in December 2021 — 1,218 students from a pool of 7,795,” Soule continued.
Below you’ll find the academic breakdown of a typical admitted student at the University of Pennsylvania. Keep in mind that applications are reviewed holistically and your extracurricular involvement, leadership roles, and college admissions essays also carry weight in the decision-making process. Over 80% of the students admitted to Penn’s class of 2026 are tying their knowledge to social-minded action through activities that have made a significant impact locally, nationally, and globally, according to Penn’s 30th-issued Alamanac.
The University of Pennsylvania hasn’t disclosed its overall acceptance rate or admissions results for the class of 2026. Below you can find academic profile numbers for the class of 2025.
The average high school GPA of Penn’s class of 2025 is 3.90 and 96% of students graduated high school in the top 10% of their class.
The middle 50% SAT score range is 1510-1560 for Penn’s class of 2026, and its middle 50% ACT composite score range is 34-36.
Penn adopted the test-optional policy for the class of 2025 and will be extending this policy through the 2022-23 admissions cycle for first-year and transfer applicants.
Penn will not require submission of SAT or ACT scores and will be extending this policy through the 2022-23 admissions cycle for first-year and transfer applicants. If the student chooses to not disclose their scores, they won’t be at a disadvantage during the decision-making process.
According to the recent class of 2026 numbers released by Penn Admissions, the middle 50% of test cores submitted were:
SAT: 1510-1560
ACT: 34-36
Yes. Penn will combine your highest reading, writing, and math scores across every attempt at taking the SAT to come up with a super score. As for the ACT, Penn will also consider your English, math, reading, and science scores across multiple exams to come up with a super score.
If you’re choosing to send multiple test scores for multiple attempts at either of these standardized tests, you’ll need to submit official documentation supporting each of the test scores you reported.
Penn doesn’t require a specific GPA to apply. However, College Confidential reports that the average high-school GPA of an admitted student to Penn for the class of 2026 was 3.9.
Yes. Penn can award credit to students that have taken AP, IB, or other internationally-recognized courseloads.
Penn is home to four undergraduate schools: College of Arts and Sciences, Penn Engineering, School of Nursing, and The Wharton School. Their requirements and expectations for a competitive applicant are different. As for all top schools, Penn is looking for four years of high school English, four years of science, and four years of math. At least three years, if not four years of a foreign language is always recommended for highly selective students.
If you plan to attend Penn Engineering, STEM coursework should be a stand-out on your transcripts, and strong math skills are increasingly valued by the Wharton School. The College of Arts and Sciences houses all of the liberal arts majors that do not fit into any of the other schools. As a result, the best courses to take vary. The same colleges that admit physics students also admit art history students, despite the fact that the courses required for admission to art history and physics are somewhat different. The School of Nursing prefers students who have completed a pre-health curriculum. As a result, science courses are encouraged. Health-related extracurricular activities like shadowing and volunteering at healthcare-related sites are also a plus.
Electives make up what’s left of the pie. That’s where you really want to make yourself an angular student; choosing the course types similar to those suggested above.
The same set of “rules” apply to extracurricular activities that will look on your college application to Penn. You’ll want to remain tailored in your application. If you’re a student whose already made up your mind about your major, you’ll want to make sure your extracurricular activities align with your plans.
According to the class of 2026 numbers published by Penn Admissions, admitted students took part in extracurriculars that exercised the following principles: commitment to learning, cultural engagement, community impact, and personal development.
Extracurricular activities are a great way for the admissions committee to learn more about who you really are. They want to get a better sense of what you’re like outside of the classroom. Do you build robots by day and spend your evenings at dance practice? Do you live, breathe, and eat debate?
For those decided first-year applicants, Penn offers several dual-degree programs. These specialized and dual degree programs have their own set of requirements such as mandatory high school courses, extracurricular involvements, and elective courses.
Here’s a list of the University of Pennsylvania’s coordinated dual degree, accelerated, and specialized programs:
Every university or college has a unique committee review process where all of your application materials are evaluated through a series of multiple steps and by a variety of admissions officers.
Penn uses a dual-reader system and here’s how it works:
In some instances, a stellar applicant will skip step two and move directly to the selection committee where a final decision will be made.
Once you get to the selection committee, the people who put you there are your advocates; someone has to want to advocate for you to be admitted, so there’s a likability factor.
There are many components to your college application and although landing within the range of average test scores and GPA can set you up for success, there are several other areas that can leverage your application.
Here are some tips for improving your chances of getting into the University of Pennsylvania based on the unique values across all four of its schools.
Penn places a strong emphasis on integrating academic knowledge and interdisciplinary interests. The people who are interested in practical deployment by taking academic disciplinary thinking and bringing it to life in some way.
If you find a popular opinion you want to challenge with thought and intelligence, do it and explain your development; blurring the lines between theory and practice is a Penn-focused trait.
Penn views itself as primarily belonging to three distinct community circles:
This explains why Penn attracts natural-born leaders and some of the most successful entrepreneurs we know today. Penn values they want to make the world a better place by working smarter.
Elon Musk
The Wharton School graduate and Founder of SpaceX
For supplemental essays and admissions writing in general, there are core tenets we like to adhere to. First of which is authenticity. You want to tell the truth without falling flat or short on paper. The second principle is standing out. Your answers should be easy to distinguish and unique while, keeping your creative edge alive.
Let’s take a look at the required supplemental essays for Penn’s 2022-23 admissions cycle.
If you’re applying to a coordinated dual-degree or specialized program, answer these questions for your single-degree school choice. You can address your interest in the dual degree or program through the program-specific essay.
How to approach this prompt:
There was a piece published by the New York Times about a student who submitted a letter of recommendation from the school’s janitor. The admissions officer who wrote the piece worked in Dartmouth Undergraduate Admissions and mentioned reading letters of recommendation from celebrities and former presidents before but, never one like this.
The letter of recommendation read, “…This young man was the only person in the school who knew the names of every member of the janitorial staff. He turned off lights in empty rooms, consistently thanked the hallway monitor each morning, and tidied up after his peers even if nobody was watching. He had refreshing respect for every person at the school, regardless of position, popularity, or clout.”
The success of that approach got the student admitted to several schools because it emphasized the importance of “the little things.”
For this prompt, give insight into a unique encounter and think creatively. Who do you want to thank? Who deserves a thank you but maybe, isn’t a usual suspect for that sort of thing? Or think of someone who is a usual suspect to receive appreciation, like a parent or a teacher, but for an unusual reason.
How to approach this prompt:
For this prompt, make sure your answers make sense together. The answer to the first question should complement the second answer. A unique thing about Penn, that it talks about often, is its existence within three community circles. One is the city of Philadelphia, specifically West Philly, an essential relationship. The second circle is Penn nationally and the third is Penn globally.
We recommend choosing one of those circles and then making an interesting comment about how you’ll contribute to that version of Penn’s community and how it’ll contribute to you, or choosing one theme that pervaded all three of those circles.
How to approach this prompt:
Penn has four undergraduate schools, the College of Arts and Sciences, Penn Engineering, the School of Nursing, and The Wharton School, which is the business school. When approaching this prompt, there should be a sense of certainty about the school you chose. For any undecided students, you’ll be most successful in the College of Arts and Sciences because it serves as a giant umbrella.
Penn values interdisciplinarity, which means relating to more than one brand of study. Penn has a university policy that states that students can enroll in classes across multiple schools. That means all 12 of Penn’s schools are eligible for students to take courses simultaneously.
A big part of Penn’s culture is not only demonstrating the depth of interest in the school you’re choosing but also showing a willingness to challenge and explore the boundaries of those disciplinary parameters. Penn will encourage you to think between the lines. Keep that in mind when you’re writing this prompt.
The admissions committee will only evaluate your high school transcripts. This can include middle school if you’ve taken high school-level courses in middle school. However, extracurricular activities are only evaluated beginning in ninth grade.
However, It’s never too early to start working on your college admissions narrative. Your application should tell the entirety of your high school story through your academics, extracurriculars, personal statement, supplemental essays, and letters of recommendation.
Penn doesn’t require an interview for admission, however, more than 90% of applicants receive an interview request. The interviewers are not part of the admissions committee but rather, members of the Penn Alumni Interview Program who are excited to know more about you. All interviews for the 2022-23 application cycle will be conducted online.
Questions asked during the interview will mainly focus on what led you to apply to Penn, and your interests, and serve as an opportunity to learn more about the university.
These are some of the questions you can expect during the Penn Interview:
If you’re offered an interview, remember to send a thank you email after the interview. Your gratitude is appreciated by the interviewer. Your interviewer will submit a summary of your interview experience to the admissions committee.
While many schools consider campus visits a form of demonstrated interest, Penn doesn’t take this into account when evaluating your application. If you’re skeptical about Penn’s campus, the weather, or generally excited about the possibility of attending Penn, we recommend you tour the campus to answer your questions.
Penn accepts both the Common Application and the Coalition Application. For a select few, the QuestBridge National College Match program.
Here’s the breakdown of application requirements for Penn.
Materials can be sent via email to documents@admissions.upenn.edu or by mail to: 3535 Market Street, Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
Penn will not require applicants to submit the SAT and ACT for the 2022-23 application cycle. If you wish the take the ACT and SAT, you can continue with that plan.
To view all required documents and dates for financial aid materials, click here.
These are the deadlines and notification dates for the 2022-2023 admissions cycle. Penn has a $75 application fee or a fee waiver for those who qualify.
Penn typically announces decisions on Ivy Day, April 1st, with the other Ivy League schools however, in 2022, Ivy Day was on April 6.
For the most accurate information regarding a decision date, I’d keep an eye on The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn’s newspaper.
It’s nearly impossible to game the college admissions system, and you probably shouldn’t. Admissions officers are intelligent individuals who spend their days reading and comparing applications from students across the globe, so any student who attempts to inauthentically position themselves for the desired outcome won’t guarantee their admission.
Everyone in Penn admissions is decent, hard-working, and a good person who views their role in admissions as attempting to make the world a better place. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to be authentic and to build their unique admissions narrative.
In conclusion, be yourself!
To stay up to date on the latest developments within Penn admissions, check out Penn’s free resources. Their YouTube channel and blog have insightful information on the Penn community and its admissions process.
A complete guide of how to maximize your chances of chances of being admitted to the University of Pennsylvania. (Includes admissions data and tips from the 2022 admissions cycle!)
Welcome to our comprehensive guide, designed to equip you to [...]
Freshman year of high school flies by and before you know it, you're already preparing to step into 10th grade. Here's some advice to ease the transition.
Freshman year of high school flies by, and before you know it, you’re already a sophomore. As you prepare for your second year of high school, you likely have lots of questions, such as: Is sophomore year hard? Do colleges look at sophomore year? And how many AP classes should I take sophomore year? With these questions in mind, our team of professionals has assembled a sophomore-year survival guide, complete with 10 tips for 10th graders. So if you’re looking for advice for sophomores, you’ve come to the right place.
The best advice for 10th graders we can give is to join lots of clubs. Not only will this enrich your college applications, but it is also a great way to make friends! Join as many clubs as you want. Remember, though, if you are not interested in some of the activities, don’t be afraid to try something new or to give your attention more fully to the extracurricular activities that you do enjoy. You might even want to consider pursuing a passion projects for high schoolers.
Sophomore year is a great year to try new things and determine which activities you want to focus on during your junior and senior years. Extracurricular activities often have great leadership and volunteer opportunities and can be a great way to become involved in your community and give back. Once you decide which activities to focus on, you can start brainstorming ways to strengthen your involvement.
Although having a robust schedule of extracurriculars may help bolster your college applications, don’t make decisions about extracurricular activities based on what you think might look good on an application. Be true to yourself and pursue activities that you are truly passionate about. College admissions officers care more about passion than whether or not you are involved in the “right” activities. In short, our best advice for 10th graders is to be yourself and pursue activities that you are genuinely interested in.
Being bilingual is a common occurrence nowadays. Language classes are usually a requirement because the skills you develop are extremely beneficial. That being said, even if your high school doesn’t have a foreign language requirement, highly-selective colleges prioritize applicants with four years of foreign language experience.
It’s important to take your language classes seriously; don’t just coast through the class and only aim to pass it. Learning a new language is a valuable skill, one that will continue to help you socially, academically, and professionally. Additionally, it may help qualify you for study abroad and maybe even fellowship opportunities in the future. In short, one of the best pieces of advice for students to be successful is to genuinely try to learn another language.
Can sophomores take the SAT? While the answer is technically yes, you’re better off studying for the PSAT.
Since the PSAT is low stakes, a lot of students take it for granted. This is a missed opportunity, however, because the PSAT is a great way to gauge how much you’ll need to study for the SAT and what areas you should be focusing on the most. It will also give you an idea about what the real tests will be like.
In addition to taking the PSAT as a sophomore, you will also be taking the PSAT in October of your junior year. This time, merit scholarships will be at stake. The October test is called the PSAT/NMSQT, short for PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. If you score high enough, you can become eligible for scholarships that will help you finance college.
If you have a good PSAT score in 10th grade, aim to get it higher for the PSAT/NMSQT. This is one of the many reasons why it’s important to focus on study skills for high schoolers. If you find yourself struggling, you may want to consider working with a tutor who specializes in preparing students for standardized exams. Working with a tutor can be a valuable resource for study tips for high schoolers.
If you’re interested in learning not only how to survive sophomore year but how to thrive, you may want to consider various leadership opportunities. Now that you’ve spent some time participating in various clubs, you have a better idea of what might need to be changed. In other words, it’s your chance to better the club by becoming a club leader.
This mindset doesn’t only apply to clubs but to every other aspect of your life. Start cooking for yourself, find a job or a high school internship, start tutoring, explore productive ways to spend your summers, etc. Overall, demonstrating leadership skills in and out of the classroom will help you step out of your comfort zone and try new things.
Another very obvious piece of advice for students, but one you really need to consider: You are not in high school just to go to a good college afterward. The knowledge, not only academically but personally, is going to start shaping who you are and who you will become.
Choose classes that strategically align with your goals and interests. These may include advanced courses, such as AP, IB, and AICE classes, or classes in carpentry, welding, graphic design, or public speaking. Regardless of your specific interests, always try to take classes that will challenge you to think critically and creatively.
For students interested in attending college, you’re likely wondering: Is sophomore year important? And do colleges look at sophomore-year grades? While colleges look at all of your high school grades, they are more interested in whether or not you are interested in challenging yourself academically and intent on improving yourself. In other words, they tend to focus on trends more than individual grades. They do, however, consider your grades junior year very seriously, so it’s important to form good study habits now.
When designing your class schedule, set realistic goals for yourself. Taking 16 APs in high school doesn’t mean anything if you get mostly C’s. Take classes that you know are within your potential and that will allow you to have free time and enjoy high school. Instead of taking the most rigorous coursework, choose classes that genuinely interest you. Understand your boundaries now so that you know what type of classes and schedule you are able to manage in college.
Start reflecting on your interests and what you expect from your college experience. Write a list of what you want and what you don’t want. Explore potential career paths and seek out job shadowing opportunities. Make a list of colleges where you might be able to pursue these goals. Start researching these colleges. If you have the time and resources to travel, plan a few college tours so you can get a better sense of what you’re looking for in a college. You’ll also want to talk to your parents about financial planning for college as soon as possible.
How many hours should a 10th grader study? Everyone works differently. Therefore, you will need to find the best way for you to be productive and manage your time effectively. Reach out to your teachers, your high school guidance counselor, and upperclassmen for study tips and tricks.
In terms of time management, sophomore year is a great time to start taking deadlines seriously. Try to follow a schedule and be realistic about how much time you give yourself to study. You’ll also want to improve your organizational skills. Consider various tips for high schoolers by referring to our article, Tips on Staying Organized in High School.
Get ready for some of the most important advice for high schoolers: Do your readings!
Seriously. It’s surprising the number of students who get by simply reading Cliff notes and summaries. If you’re not actually doing the reading, you’re wasting your time. It’s impossible to form your own opinions by simply reading a summary. You miss out on all of the nuance, metaphoric language, and symbolism. What’s more, you’re passing up an important opportunity to be able to think critically and creatively.
You will most likely live in your high school guidance counselor’s office during your senior year. So become acquaintances now. After all, the better they know you, the more they will be able to help you.
High school guidance counselors are valuable resources and have lots of great advice for students. So ask them all of your college-related questions: Do colleges look at sophomore grades? Which classes do I need to take in order to get into my dream college? What should a 10th grader know about their goals for the future? Which AP classes should I take this year? Do colleges care about sophomore year?
Now that we’ve reviewed 10 ways to be a great student, you’re well on your way to having a successful sophomore year! Study hard, join clubs, and reflect on your goals for the future. Challenge yourself, both inside and outside of the classroom. It’s also important to remember that high school isn’t just about preparing for college. High school is a valuable experience, and you should make the most of every opportunity that presents itself.
If you feel like you need additional help, consider contacting an independent advisor to help you through the college admissions process. Whether it’s getting involved in new extracurricular activities, preparing for junior year, or challenging yourself by taking on more rigorous classes, our college counseling program‘s student-centric approach focuses on making the student as well-rounded but competitive as possible: reach out to learn more about our services.