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Just Released: Penn’s Acceptance Rate

See highlights from Penn’s official announcement below:

Penn announced regular decision admission results for the Class of 2027 after receiving a record number of applications.

More than 59,000 students applied to Penn this cycle, the largest first-year applicant pool in Penn’s history, and over 4,500 more applications than the Class of 2026 and over 3,000 more than the Class of 2025. The Early Decision Program for this cycle also featured the largest applicant pool in the University’s history.

The exact number of applications to the Class of 2027 is not public, but Penn Admissions said the University received more than 59,000.

Penn did not immediately share the admit rate and demographic data for this year’s class, continuing its decision to not publicly announce its acceptance rate during the regular decisions admissions cycle for the Class of 2026. The University similarly declined to announce the acceptance rate for this year’s early decisions admissions cycle.

According to Board of Trustees minutes, last year’s admissions cycle for the Class of 2026 admitted 3,554 students from 54,588 applicants — an acceptance rate of 6.5%, an increase from the acceptance rate for the Class of 2025. This included 13% of the class being international students, 56% identifying as female, 55% being domestic students of color, 18% being first-generation college students, and 15% being legacy students.

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Among the Ivy League, Brown University and Harvard University each reported their second-lowest admit rates in history on Thursday, while Yale University accepted a record-low percentage of applicants. Two of the University’s peer institutions — Princeton University and Cornell University — joined Penn in withholding their acceptance rate last year. 

This year’s admissions cycle featured a test-optional policy for first-year and transfer applicants, continuing a policy first implemented during the 2020-21 admissions cycle due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the policy, Penn Admissions accepts and reviews ACT and SAT scores submitted by applicants, but does not disadvantage students who are unable to or choose not to submit test scores. In January, Penn Admissions announced the extension of the test-optional policy through the 2023-24 admissions cycle. 

Penn also added a third supplementary essay prompt for this cycle, encouraging students to share feelings of gratitude. The prompt reads: “Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge,” also encouraging students to share the note with the person they chose to write about.

The DP recently reported that Penn may be refining its policy pertaining to legacy applicants for this cycle. Penn Admissions’ webpage removed mentions of legacy applicants being given the “most consideration” through the Early Decision Program, and instead wrote that “Legacies who apply to Penn—like all applicants—receive thorough consideration in the application process.”

TTA Takeaway: Although Penn, like Princeton, and Cornell, opted to withhold their acceptance rate data yet again this year, the ballpark figures released show a record-breaking number of applications. Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule is a leading voice in the admissions space and has published a more personal perspective on her admissions philosophy.

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