The University of Pennsylvania, often called UPenn or Penn, is an Ivy League research university in Philadelphia, PA. The university has been around longer than the US, making it one of the oldest schools in America. Penn is only one of two Ivies with an undergraduate business school, the Wharton School of Business, and the only Ivy League school offering an undergraduate Nursing school. Penn also offers undergraduate tracks in engineering and, of course, liberal arts. Penn has around 11,000 undergrads, making it one of the largest schools in the Ivy League as well.

Penn is a hard school to get into. Last year, they had around a 6.5% acceptance rate. Weirdly, they don’t publish their acceptance rate as part of their class profile (ok, gatekeep, gaslight, girlboss). However, we have our ways of finding it; more on that later. But with a sub-7% acceptance rate, you have to be a competitive candidate if you hope to get in. But how can you be sure that you are a competitive candidate? We are so glad you asked! Let’s break it down.

What is Penn looking for?

Penn uses a variety of factors to assess candidates. They publish a breakdown of these factors in a document called the Common Data Set. (And yes, this is also where you can find their acceptance rate.) Pay close attention to the columns marked “very important” and “important.” You should try to shine in these categories especially.

The first categories you want to ace in have to do with your academic record. Penn doesn’t have any required units to apply. However, they do have 20 recommended units.

You should treat these units like they are required and try to take as many of them as possible at a high level. You should load your transcript with APs, Honors, IB, dual enrollment, and/or accelerated courses. This speaks to academic rigor. You want your transcript to look as rigorous as possible while maintaining an outstanding GPA.

Last year, most accepted candidates at Penn had a 4.0, and the average applicant had a 3.9. This means you need an excellent GPA to get into Penn.

Penn also looks at class rank. If your school doesn’t rank, don’t freak out. Only around 24% of students came from schools that rank. However, this data can still be helpful. When it comes to class rank, most accepted students were in the top tenth of their class.

You should push yourself to be at the “top of your class,” whether that is an official rank or not. In general, when it comes to education, Penn is looking for top students, and you should show that through a rigorous transcript, great GPA, and class rank, if applicable.

Test Scores

Penn is currently test-optional. However, and this is big, over 70% of matriculated students sent scores last year, and Penn list test scores as “very important” if submitted. So, we highly advise sending scores (especially if you are applying to Wharton or Penn Engineering). That being said, you want your scores to be impressive.

Ideally, your scores should be in the 50th Percentile range (or, really ideally, higher than this range). Meaning, your scores should be similar to or better than the average admitted student. Last year, this range was 1510-1560 on the SAT or 34-35 on the ACT, aka you really want to submit a perfect or near-perfect score. We know that it is a lot to ask, but it will help your chances of getting admitted to Penn.

Recommendations and Essays

You will need great recommendations. Recommendations are a little out of your hands. Still, we generally advise asking teachers who know you well, taking time to fill out any surveys or cheat sheets, and asking them early (they will appreciate you respecting their time, trust us). However, that’s about all you can do. What you can fully control are your essays.

For essays, you want to have a spectacular Common App essay. We have a ton of blogs about how to approach the Common App essay, and we think this one is especially helpful. However, if you need a crash course, the TLDR is that great Common App essays do a few things.

They tell a good story.
They showcase a couple of your positive personal characteristics and qualities.
And they do both 1 and 2 in a creative, engaging, and well-written way.

This is a lot to do in 650 words. So, if you get stuck, reach out. We are always happy to help.

Eagle-eyed readers will notice that your Common App essay is doubly important because it’s one of the places where your Character/Personal Qualities come out. There is no section of the Common App that is called “Character/Personal Qualities.” Instead, you need to showcase them in your recommendations and essays. That includes your supplement.

On top of the Common App Essay, Penn currently requires three supplemental essays. The first two are for everyone, and the third depends on the undergraduate school you are applying to. It's not a complicated supplement, but it takes some research and reflection (and, if done right, a little leg work for the first question.) We have a blog that breaks down the supplement more specifically. Just make sure you give yourself enough time. It's not one that you want to rush.

Extracurriculars

Penn is proud of its “work hard, play hard” vibes and generally wants students that get involved on campus. This means they also care about candidates’ extracurricular resumes. Typically, Ivy League schools are looking for resumes that showcase leadership and commitment. Penn is no exception. However, they also take it a little further. They look for students who excel in four extracurricular categories: Commitment to Learning, Cultural Engagement, Community Impact, and Personal Development. We have a blog further breaking these down here.

You don’t need to showcase all 4 (though it's certainly not a bad idea). Last year, 78% of accepted students showcased a commitment to learning. 67% showed cultural engagement. 92% demonstrated community impact, and 93% had personal development. You should strive for your resume to excel in at least two and, ideally, 3-4 categories. For example, a good Penn resume would include activities like:

Taking a summer course on the Middle Ages and then working with a local professor on a history research project.
Twice-a-week, multiple-hour volunteering shifts at your local library.
Being the captain of your debate club and helping lead your team to the regional finals.
A summer job as a museum docent that you have returned to for multiple summers.

This “resume” hits on several of the categories and shows commitment and leadership. Every resume is different, but a good resume will show you taking advantage of opportunities and getting involved with passions that you care about.

Your extracurriculars are doubly important because this is also where you have an opportunity to show off your talents/abilities. You really want your resume to have some heft. One-hour-a-week commitments are not going to cut it here.

The Interview

Penn puts more weight on the interview than many other Ivy League Schools. They break down the interview process here, but the big things to note are:

The interviews are conducted by alumni.
They try to interview as many applicants as possible. However, it isn’t guaranteed (if they don’t offer you an interview, it won’t be held against you).
They want it to be conversational.

Pretty much, you want to be confident and comfortable talking with an alum about yourself. Since it's a conversation, be ready to ask the interviewer about themselves and their time at UPenn. Also, remember to send a thank you email… they are volunteering to HELP YOU!

Consider Applying Early

We’re not going to mince words—if Penn is your top choice, apply early. Last year, they took 49% of their class in the early decision round. We said earlier that their acceptance rate was around 6.5%, but that rate actually is made up of two rates: the early decision rate and the regular decision rate. Last year, the early rate was 15.5%, and the regular rate was about 4.9%. You still have to be a great candidate, but if Penn is your top school, applying early can certainly give you a bump.

We know this is a lot, but you have to give it your all to be a good candidate at the University of Pennsylvania. With around a 6% acceptance rate, they can afford to be picky. Not everyone with excellent grades will get in. You need to be the whole package. If this sounds too much, but you are still dreaming of Penn, we can help!

Want a professional in your court? We want to be on your side! Reach out here.