What is the ACA?
The Alumni Council on Admissions (ACA) is a resource for advice and guidance for alumni families who have children or grandchildren going through the undergraduate college search and application process.
What is the history of the ACA?
Who is considered a "legacy" at Penn?
The children and grandchildren of Penn alumni are considered legacies in the
Undergraduate Admissions process. It doesn't matter whether the parent or grandparent
received their undergraduate or graduate degree from Penn — we include
anyone with any degree from Penn.
Resources for Legacies
- Legacy Advising
Sessions are informal sessions that allow prospective legacy applicants and alumni to understand more about the ACA, Penn's application process, and the college search process in general.
- Legacies may sign up for a Penn student "email buddy" to get a current Penn perspective. Linking Legacies is open to high school juniors and seniors who are interested in learning more about Penn.
- ACA's Twitter page
Contact the ACA
ACA staff are accessible by phone
and email or by attending a Legacy Advising Session.
Have time for our rhyme?
The ACA is the place for alumni children to turn,
when its college and applications they need to learn.
The ACA works with young and old,
to help students see what college can hold.
I’m glad I started sooner rather than late,
Next time I’m at Penn I’ll make a date,
To attend a session for legacy advising.
To ask Wharton? Nursing? College? Engin-ising?
Or maybe I’d ask which AP classes to take,
or about problems less rigor can make?
What is going to make me stand out?
How will they know what I’m all about?
Should I take Calculus or Spanish Lit?
I wanna take robotics to show my fit.
Should I start a squirrel haters club?
At Penn could I join the writing hub?
Should I write the optional page 217-
It’s an essay that scares me but I wanna be seen.
Please help me to know which teachers to ask
for the recommendation letter writing task.
Which SAT IIs should I take,
What kind of scores should I make?
Linking Legacies are students with the ACA,
I can ask them things like “what is Hey Day?”!
Advising and guidance is what I need,
Thanks mom and dad for planting the seed.
Please ACA help me now,
So the admissions office will think WOW!
