ANSWER: No. Penn does not have a "cut-off" GPA or test score for applicants. All applications receive a thorough review by the admissions committee, regardless of GPA or test scores. Most successful Penn applicants rank in the top five percent of their secondary school classes, but, because high school programs and grading systems vary widely, Penn looks beyond the class rank. The Admissions Office pays close attention to the types and levels of courses taken and the grades achieved, particularly as they relate to your educational interests and the availability of courses at your high school.
For detailed information on the statistics of the most recent entering class, go to the Incoming Student profile.
ANSWER: The rigor of your coursework is considered in relation to the possible courses offered at your school.
Engineering and Wharton applicants are strongly encouraged to take the most rigorous calculus course offered. Engineering applicants should also take the most rigorous physics course.
For more information, visit our Opinion
Forum to learn about "Do selective colleges look differently upon students who don't have more than one or two AP classes?"
ANSWER: Freshman applicants may take the SAT Reasoning Test plus two SAT Subject Tests OR the American College Test with Writing.
Students may take any two subject tests of their choosing:
- Candidates to the School of Engineering and Applied Science or the Wharton School are encouraged to take a Mathematics Subject Test.
- Students applying to the College are encouraged to take a foreign language Subject Test. This test is used for both admissions and proper placement at the college level. Appropriate language scores also afford exemption from the language requirement.
- Students interested in science-related fields, and especially applicants to the School of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of Nursing, are encouraged to take a science Subject Test.
Here are some additional tips for Penn's standardized tests:
Early Decision candidates should take SAT and ACT exams either during the junior year or in the summer before the senior year, but no later than November. Early Decision candidates who opt for November examinations must rush those scores. Regular Decision candidates should complete all testing by December of their senior year. First-time testing delayed until January will place the applicant at a disadvantage in our evaluation process. Tests retaken in January will be accepted.
Don't leave your SAT and ACT testing to the last possible date. Unforeseen emergencies and illnesses might keep you from attending the exam.
Please be sure to indicate the University of Pennsylvania as a recipient of ALL your test scores. ETS Code: 2926; ACT Code: 3732.
Please Note: Using the score suppression option may result in scores not being received by the applicable deadline. (Penn requires that applicants submit all testing results from any administration of the ACT, SAT, and SAT Subject Tests. They evaluate only the highest of your ACT Composite scores, the highest score on each section of the SAT, or the highest single testing result from multiple sittings of any SAT Subject Test.)
Testing Means for the Middle 50 Percent of Admitted Students (25th-75th percentiles):
| TEST |
RANGE |
| SAT I: Critical Reading |
650-750 |
| SAT I: Math |
670-780 |
| SAT I: Writing |
660-750 |
| ACT Composite |
31-34 |
View additional information on Penn's
standardized test requirements.
ANSWER: These are equal options, and it makes no difference which one a student submits. Different tests used to be more popular in different geographic regions, however, this dynamic has changed. Penn accepts either the SAT plus two subject tests, or ACT plus writing. You don't have to do both, and you can't mix and match. Visit our Opinion Forum for some additional insight.
ANSWER: Penn requires that applicants submit all testing results from any administration of the ACT, SAT, and SAT Subject Tests. Penn Admissions will evaluate only the highest results--- either the highest ACT Composite score, or the highest score on each section of the SAT as well as the highest two SAT Subject Tests.
When a student registers to send their scores to a college/university, the institution’s policy will appear for a student to review and meet those requirements. As with all parts of the application, Penn requires students to sign a statement that they “honestly presented” their credentials.
Why does Penn require the test scores from all test dates?
Penn does not want testing administration policy to influence test taking behavior and results. Penn is operating under the principle that they will always shine the brightest light on the highest test scores to inform them of a student’s achievement and potential.
Bottomline- They really do look at the highest scores. Visit our
Opinion Forum for some additional insight.
ANSWER: Penn requires at least two teacher recommendations. These commentaries are quite important, so it is best to find persons who are well acquainted with your work and potential. It is also helpful to us, and beneficial to you, to obtain a recommendation from a teacher in the area in which you think you might like to continue your studies. Recommendations from guidance counselors, headmasters, and teachers, considered in concert with your classroom performance, give us a more subjective evaluation of your work. They provide a perspective that may not be evident from mere grades and scores.
Visit our Opinion Forum for some additional insight.
8. How can I learn more about Penn's financial aid incentives?
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Also, visit our Opinion Forum where we discuss additional Penn Admissions topics (like "What does Penn look for?" or "How can I determine if I would be a realistic applicant to Penn?").
Legacies Applying to Penn:
9. What is the application process for legacies?
ANSWER: The process is the same for all applicants, regardless of legacy status. There is a space for legacies to note their family ties to Penn within the Penn supplement portion of the application.
10. What resources are available for legacies?
ANSWER: 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.
The main resource for this information is through a Legacy Advising Session. These informal sessions allow prospective legacy applicants and alumni to understand more about the ACA, Penn's application process, and the college search process in general. These advising sessions are held throughout the year and are open to any alumni family thinking about the college process. The ACA has helpful academic and application advice, and is most helpful before an application has been submitted to Penn. Reservations are not required.
11. How important is the legacy tie in the admission process?
ANSWER: Legacies undergo the same competitive review process as all other Penn applicants. If the Committee finds an application compelling, the legacy status could represent an additional point of interest about the candidate. However, it is important to note that the legacy affiliation cannot serve to counterbalance weaknesses or shortcomings in an application.
12. What percentage of legacies are admitted?
ANSWER: This number varies from year to year, and there is no quota in place to determine how many legacies might be admitted. To see the incoming class profile, click here.
| Penn’s approximate admit rates over the last five years: |
| |
LEGACY |
OVERALL |
| Early Decision |
38%-42% |
28%-34% |
| Regular Decision |
13%-15% |
13%-15% |
| Full-Cycle |
32%-34% |
16%-18% |
While legacies have been admitted at a slightly higher rate, particularly during the Early Decision round, the Alumni Office is very sensitive to the fact that nearly two-thirds of legacy applicants are not admitted to Penn each year.
13. Is there an advantage for legacies to apply Early Decision?
ANSWER: Legacies receive maximum consideration under the Early Decision Plan. This is because an Early Decision application reflects the student's heightened personal commitment to Penn, independent of any family influence. Penn's Early Decision Plan is binding. Legacies are encouraged to apply Early Decision if Penn is their first choice institution. Read
more about Early Decision.
14. If I apply Early Decision, do I have less leverage concerning my financial aid?
ANSWER: Penn will meet 100% of demonstrated need for those admitted Early Decision and Regular Decision. Some students will apply Regular Decision so that they can weigh financial aid packages from all the schools to which they have been admitted. For more information on financial aid, contact the Student
Financial Services Office.
15. Does it help if I have multiple family members who have attended Penn?
ANSWER: You are considered a legacy whether you have one alumni parent/grandparent or several.
16. Should I send any materials (resume, recommendations, etc.) to the ACA?
ANSWER: No. The ACA does not keep any files on applicants or students with whom we have had contact. All application materials should be sent directly to the Office
of Undergraduate Admissions.
17. Is the legacy tie considered during regular decision?
ANSWER: Yes. Family affiliation with Penn is noted in all undergraduate applications: Early Decision, Regular Decision, and Transfer. However, legacies receive maximum consideration when they apply under the Early Decision Plan.
18. What influence does the ACA have in the application process?
ANSWER: Advocacy is not part of the mission of the ACA, therefore we do not advocate on behalf of legacies during the admission process.
