If you recently received a rejection from the University of Pennsylvania Early Decision, you are not alone. Penn has experienced a historic uptick in Early Decision applications in recent years, with over 9,500 students applying ED in the winter of 2024. This has coincided with a dramatic decrease in acceptance rate, which has been experienced across the Ivy League and other top-tier universities.

Being deferred from Penn is a gut punch. You spent months building an application that showcased your academic strengths, your personal growth, and why you saw yourself thriving on their campus. You hit submit with hope, and now you're left in limbo. It’s disappointing. But a deferral isn’t the end, it’s a pause. Penn hasn’t closed the door. In fact, they’re still considering you!

The University of Pennsylvania is an iconic urban research university and member of the coveted Ivy League. Admission to Penn, as it is best known, is particularly sought after by students with a strong pragmatic streak. Whether in the humanities, STEM, or business, Penn students are known as problem solvers and solution seekers. There are nearly 10,500 full-time undergraduate students, and the largest undergraduate college (by far) is the College of Arts and Sciences. They also have the School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Nursing, and the Wharton School — the most famous business school in the United States with an undergraduate program. The overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2029 was only 4.9%.