University of Pennsylvania Admissions

Get Into the University of Pennsylvania

The University of Pennsylvania, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1740, is located on a 299-acre urban campus in Philadelphia, PA. There are 5,000 total faculty members in addition to 10,610 undergraduate students and 13,338 full-time graduate students. Of these students, about 4,800 are international. Penn is ranked #7 for National Universities (tied with Duke, Johns Hopkins and Northwestern) according to 2025 U.S. News and World Report, and is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Penn is well known for its athletic teams in addition to its academic opportunities. The Quakers have varsity teams in 33 sports and are a member of the NCAA Division I Ivy League conference. 

Within the larger university, students at Penn select one of four colleges for undergraduate study. There are also twelve graduate programs and schools on campus, including the Perelman School of Medicine, the first medical school in North America.

University of Pennsylvania College of Arts and Sciences

The College of Arts and Sciences or “The College” offers a liberal arts curriculum and a wide range of majors across the natural sciences, social sciences, and the arts and humanities. This is the largest of the undergraduate schools, enrolling 7,000 of the University’s c. 11,000 undergraduates.

Penn School of Engineering and Applied Science

There are c. 1700 undergraduate students enrolled in the school of Engineering and Applied Science. Undergraduates can pursue majors in either Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE) or Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) programs. The faculty-to-student ratio provides many opportunities for undergraduate research with Penn faculty in laboratories during the academic year and in the summer. 

Penn School of Nursing

There are approximately 600 undergraduate students enrolled in the School of Nursing—the top nursing school in the world. This traditional four-year BSN program for graduating high school seniors offers clinical experience at nearby hospitals and the chance to participate in faculty-driven research. Students may also enroll in combined programs that integrate a nursing education with a strong liberal arts curriculum.

Wharton School

Nearly 1,700 students are enrolled at the Wharton School. All Wharton students graduate with the same degree: a bachelor of science in economics. However, during their course of study, students choose focused concentrations (such as accounting, business analytics, finance, or marketing, among many others). The Wharton degree, unlike a BA in economics, places an emphasis on how to apply business methods and economic theory to real-world problems.

Penn’s undergraduate students pursue more than 90 majors across these four schools. They also engage in interdisciplinary programs, forge new paths in research, and participate in international study programs offered in more than 50 countries.

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Applying to the University of Pennsylvania

Penn accepts either the Common Application or the Coalition Application. They are also a QuestBridge partner institution for high-achieving students with significant financial need. Applicants may choose to apply through the binding Early Decision option (November 1) or Regular Decision (January 5). For those who apply ED, decisions are made in mid-December. Regular Decision applicants hear back by April 1. 

In addition to the materials submitted online via the Common App or Coalition App, applicants must submit their official high school transcript, standardized test scores, school report, counselor recommendation, two teacher evaluations, a mid-year report and a final report (for matriculating students). 

Note: Penn has end their test-optional policy and students are now required to submit standardized testing scores.

Interviews are offered based on availability. Although typically, more than 90% of applicants are offered an interview with an alumni volunteer, this depends entirely on availability and not on a candidate’s strength. For Early Decision applicants, these interviews take place from mid-October through early December. For Regular Decision applicants, they take place from December through early March. 

Students are also asked to submit a mandatory writing supplement. In 2026, there are two mandatory essays:

1) Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge. (We encourage you to share this note with that person, if possible, and reflect on the experience!) (150-200 words)

2) How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (150-200 words)

School of Nursing

What do you think this means for the future of nursing, and how do you see yourself contributing to our mission of promoting equity in healthcare?

College of Arts and Sciences

What are you curious about and how would you take advantage of opportunities in the arts and sciences? 

The Wharton School

  Please reflect on a current issue of importance to you and share how you hope a Wharton education would help you to explore it. 

School of Engineering and Applied Science

Please share how you hope to explore your engineering interests at Penn.

Here are the first lines from a few applications UPenn admissions officers reviewed and accepted in recent years:

“My love of history began in a swimming pool parking lot when I bought a book on U.S. presidents from a guy selling stacks of paperbacks from the trunk of his car.” 

“Before I even saw her, my adrenaline levels spiked. I had spent plenty of time with girls my age, but never with a woman quite as old and mature as her. My heart raced and beads of sweat formed on my brow as I searched for her. And then, suddenly, there she was: short, delicate—and almost 3,000 years old.”

“Silvia, a Grameen America loan recipient and Bronx resident, described the paint crumbling off the walls and the occasional rodent scuttling across her not-so-beautiful beauty salon; she also described the rewarding week of work she and her co-workers put in to fix “Silvia’s Salon” after receiving $1,500 from Grameen.” (Student admitted to Wharton) 

“According to economics, an object becomes more valuable as it becomes scarcer. Having been born with cerebral palsy, I was the only disabled girl in my school—why wasn’t I valuable too?” (Student admitted to Wharton) 

UPenn Admissions Wrap Up

Class of 2029

Penn received 72,544 applications to the Class of 2029. They accepted 3,530 for a rate of 4.9 percent. This is a decrease from last year’s rate of 5.38 percent. Last year, 65,325 students applied to Penn’s Class of 2028 in the early and regular rounds. They accepted 3,508 for a rate of 5.38 percent. Penn announced that about 9,500 students applied through the early decision round but did not disclose admissions rates.

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