UPenns Acceptance Rate: What Does It Take to Get In?

Only 8.4% of students get into UPenn. How can you stand out in the college admissions process? The University of Pennsylvania is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the nation. A member of the Ivy League, UPenn was founded by none other than Benjamin Franklin, who wanted to create a culture that â€Å"well-done is better than well-said.† Located in Philadelphia, UPenn provides numerous opportunities for its students to put into practice what they are learning and become leaders in their fields. Here’s what you need to know to get in. When you apply to UPenn, you will apply to one of the following—the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science (Penn Engineering), the School of Nursing, or the Wharton School. It’s not easier or harder to get into one school over the other; just choose the one that matches your academic and professional interests. There are some important dates and deadlines to keep in mind: Early Decision applicants should submit all the requisite materials by November 1. For Regular Decision, the deadline is January 5. If you’re unsure about whether or not you should apply early, check out our post that explains the difference between early action, early decision, and regular decision . Be sure to submit all of the following components by the date required: For students with significant financial need, they may substitute the QuestBridge Application instead of the Common or Coalition Application. Last year, UPenn received a total of 44,491 applications. Of those, only 3,740 students were admitted, meaning they have an 8.4% acceptance rate. Out of the admitted students, 2,518 enrolled this year. That means that UPenn has a yield of 67%, meaning that most students who are accepted into UPenn choose to attend. 8.4% may sound daunting or nearly impossible to get in, but it is important to remember that your chances of acceptance depend on the strength of your application profile. There are a few things you can do to increase your chances of being admitted, including talking to people who have been through the UPenn admissions process, whether an alumni in your community, or a third-party college admissions consulting team like . Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. UPenn looks for students who embody Benjamin Franklin’s ideal of people who want to be in service to society. As one of the â€Å"elites†, UPenn factors every part of your application, from your essays to your test scores into their admissions decision, so you’ll want to showcase how your passion and talents serve or impact your community. In terms of academics, UPenn requires that students consistently take classes in core subject areas (English, Social Studies, Math, Science, and foreign language). You should aim to take at least one course in each of those subjects every year you are in high school, or as close to every year possible, and excel in each. In the class of 2022, 96% of applicants were in the top 10% of their high school. When taking the SAT or ACT, aim for a score in the range of the middle 50% of applicants to increase your chances of being admitted: UPenn is similar to Brown and Columbia in that it heavily values academics, but with more of an explicit focus on intellectual diversity and service to society. UPenn wants to admit scholarly students with a clear passion to impact community backed by quantifiable action and leadership. When you apply to one of UPenn’s four schools, you need to demonstrate how you would fit the type of student that school is looking for in each component of the application. Showcase your intellectual diversity. It’s not enough to just get good grades in your classes. If you want to receive an acceptance letter from UPenn, you need to make sure you are taking (and excelling in) the most rigorous high school curriculum. Additionally, your course load should reflect diversity. So, if STEM courses dominate your transcript, you should make sure you are balancing it out with humanities classes (or vice versa). Tell your story. UPenn approaches applications holistically and with great care. All students are required to tell the university how they will explore their intellectual and academic interests and there are additional essays specific to the program you choose. Use these opportunities to tell UPenn what you’re like as a student, friend, family member, innovator, and future world-changer – all the intangible qualities that make you unique.