What are University of Pennsylvania's admission requirements? While there are a lot of pieces that go into a college application, you should focus on only a few critical things:
- GPA requirements
- Testing requirements, including SAT and ACT requirements
- Application requirements
In this guide we'll cover what you need to get into University of Pennsylvania and build a strong application.
School location: Philadelphia, PA
This school is also known as: Penn
Admissions Rate: 8.4%
If you want to get in, the first thing to look at is the acceptance rate. This tells you how competitive the school is and how serious their requirements are.
The acceptance rate at University of Pennsylvania is 8.4%. For every 100 applicants, only 8 are admitted.
This means the school isextremely selective. Meeting their GPA requirements and SAT/ACT requirements is very important to getting past their first round of filters and proving your academic preparation. If you don't meet their expectations, your chance of getting in is nearly zero.
After crossing this hurdle, you'll need to impress University of Pennsylvania application readers through their other application requirements, including extracurriculars, essays, and letters of recommendation. We'll cover more below.
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University of Pennsylvania GPA Requirements
Many schools specify a minimum GPA requirement, but this is often just the bare minimum to submit an application without immediately getting rejected.
The GPA requirement that really matters is the GPA you need for a real chance of getting in. For this, we look at the school's average GPA for its current students.
Average GPA: 3.9
The average GPA at University of Pennsylvania is 3.9.
(Most schools use a weighted GPA out of 4.0, though some report an unweighted GPA.
With a GPA of 3.9, University of Pennsylvaniarequires you to be at the top of your class. You'll need nearly straight A's in all your classes to compete with other applicants. Furthermore, you should be taking hard classes - AP or IB courses - to show that college-level academics is a breeze.
If you're currently a junior or senior, your GPA is hard to change in time for college applications. If your GPA is at or below the school average of 3.9, you'll need a higher SAT or ACT score to compensate. This will help you compete effectively against other applicants who have higher GPAs than you.
SAT and ACT Requirements
Each school has different requirements for standardized testing. Most schools require the SAT or ACT, and many also require SAT subject tests.
You must take either the SAT or ACT to submit an application to University of Pennsylvania. More importantly, you need to do well to have a strong application.
University of Pennsylvania SAT Requirements
Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. This is based on the school's average score.
Average SAT: 1500
The average SAT score composite at University of Pennsylvania is a 1500 on the 1600 SAT scale.
This score makes University of Pennsylvania Extremely Competitive for SAT test scores.
University of Pennsylvania SAT Score Analysis (New 1600 SAT)
The 25th percentile SAT score is 1440, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1560. In other words, a 1440 on the SAT places you below average, while a 1560 will move you up to above average.
Here's the breakdown of SAT scores by section:
| Section | Average | 25th Percentile | 75th Percentile |
| Math | 770 | 740 | 800 |
| Reading + Writing | 730 | 700 | 760 |
| Composite | 1500 | 1440 | 1560 |
SAT Score Choice Policy
The Score Choice policy at your school is an important part of your testing strategy.
University of Pennsylvania has the Score Choice policy of "All Scores."
This means that University of Pennsylvania requires you to send all SAT scores you've ever taken to their office.
This sounds daunting, but most schools don't actually consider all your scores equally. For example, if you scored an 1300 on one test and a 1500 on another, they won't actually average the two tests.
More commonly, the school will take your highest score on a single test date. Even better, some schools form a Superscore - that is, they take your highest section score across all your test dates and combine them.
Some students are still worried about submitting too many test scores. They're afraid that University of Pennsylvania will look down on too many attempts to raise your score. But how many is too many?
From our research and talking to admissions officers, we've learned that 4-6 tests is a safe number to submit. The college understands that you want to have the best chance of admission, and retaking the test is a good way to do this. Within a reasonable number of tests, they honestly don't care how many times you've taken it. They'll just focus on your score.
If you take it more than 6 times, colleges start wondering why you're not improving with each test. They'll question your study skills and ability to improve.
But below 6 tests, we strongly encourage retaking the test to maximize your chances. If your SAT score is currently below a 1560, we strongly recommend that you consider prepping for the SAT and retaking it. You don't have much to lose, and you can potentially raise your score and significantly boost your chances of getting in.
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University of Pennsylvania ACT Requirements
Just like for the SAT, University of Pennsylvania likely doesn't have a hard ACT cutoff, but if you score too low, your application will get tossed in the trash.
Average ACT: 34
The average ACT score at University of Pennsylvania is 34. This score makes University of Pennsylvania Extremely Competitive for ACT scores.
The 25th percentile ACT score is 32, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 35.
Even though University of Pennsylvania likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 32 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. There are so many applicants scoring 34 and above that a 32 will look academically weak.
ACT Score Sending Policy
If you're taking the ACT as opposed to the SAT, you have a huge advantage in how you send scores, and this dramatically affects your testing strategy.
Here it is: when you send ACT scores to colleges, you have absolute control over which tests you send. You could take 10 tests, and only send your highest one. This is unlike the SAT, where many schools require you to send all your tests ever taken.
This means that you have more chances than you think to improve your ACT score. To try to aim for the school's ACT requirement of 35 and above, you should try to take the ACT as many times as you can. When you have the final score that you're happy with, you can then send only that score to all your schools.
ACT Superscore Policy
By and large, most colleges do not superscore the ACT. (Superscore means that the school takes your best section scores from all the test dates you submit, and then combines them into the best possible composite score). Thus, most schools will just take your highest ACT score from a single sitting.
We weren't able to find the school's exact ACT policy, which most likely means that it does not Superscore. Regardless, you can choose your single best ACT score to send in to University of Pennsylvania, so you should prep until you reach our recommended target ACT score of 35.
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SAT/ACT Writing Section Requirements
Both the SAT and ACT have an optional essay section.
University of Pennsylvania requires you to take the SAT Essay/ACT Writing section. They'll use this as another factor in their admissions consideration.
SAT Subject Test Requirements
Schools vary in their SAT subject test requirements. Typically, selective schools tend to require them, while most schools in the country do not.
University of Pennsylvania requires SAT Subject Tests if you're submitting an SAT score, not an ACT score. If you submit an ACT score with Writing, you do not need SAT subject tests.
Typically, your SAT/ACT and GPA are far more heavily weighed than your SAT Subject Tests. If you have the choice between improving your SAT/ACT score or your SAT Subject Test scores, definitely choose to improve your SAT/ACT score.
Our Expert's Notes
We did more detailed research into this school and found the following information.
You can take either the SAT and 2 Subject Tests OR the ACT Plus Writing. Furthermore, applicants to Penn Engineering are strongly encouraged to take the Mathematics Level 2 and Physics Subject Test, applicants to the Wharton School of Business are strongly encouraged to take the Mathematics Level 2 Subject Test, and applicants to the School of Nursing are strongly encouraged to take a Science Subject Test, preferably Chemistry.
Final Admissions Verdict
Because this school is extremely selective, getting a high SAT/ACT score and GPA is vital to having a chance at getting in. If you don't pass their SAT/ACT and GPA requirements, they'll likely reject you without much consideration.
To have the best shot of getting in, you should aim for the 75th percentile, with a 1560 SAT or a 35 ACT. You should also have a 3.9 GPA or higher. If your GPA is lower than this, you need to compensate with a higher SAT/ACT score.
For a school as selective as University of Pennsylvania, you'll also need to impress them with the rest of your application. We'll cover those details next.
But if you apply with a score below a 1560 SAT or a 35 ACT, you unfortunately start out with the odds against you and have a tiny chance of getting in. There are just too many students with high SAT/ACT scores and strong applications, and you need to compete against them.
Want to build the best possible college application?
We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.
We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.
Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.
Admissions Calculator
What are your chances of admission at University of Pennsylvania?
Chances of admission with these scores:
Here's our custom admissions calculator. Plug in your numbers to see what your chances of getting in are.
Pick your test:SATACT
SAT Score
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Note: Your admission decision relies not only on your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, but also on your coursework difficulty, extracurriculars, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. This tool provides only a simplistic estimate of your chances of admission. Instead of treating this tool as a crystal ball, we recommend you consider the big picture of what your chance means:
We recommend you apply to schools across a range of chances. Applying to some safety schools will guarantee you have a college to go to, while applying to some reach schools will give you a shot at getting into the school at the top of your range.
How would your chances improve with a better score?
Take your current SAT score and add 160 points (or take your ACT score and add 4 points) to the calculator above. See how much your chances improve?
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Application Requirements
Every school requires an application with the bare essentials - high school transcript and GPA, application form, and other core information. Many schools, as explained above, also require SAT and ACT scores, as well as letters of recommendation, application essays, and interviews. We'll cover the exact requirements of University of Pennsylvania here.
Application Requirements Overview
- Common ApplicationAccepted, supplemental forms required
- Universal ApplicationNot accepted
- Electronic ApplicationAvailable
- Essay or Personal StatementRequired for all freshmen
- Letters of Recommendation2
- InterviewNot required
- Application Fee$75
- Fee Waiver Available?Available
- Other Notes
Testing Requirements
- SAT or ACTRequired
- SAT Essay or ACT WritingRequired
- SAT Subject TestsReplace ACT
- Scores Due in Office
Coursework Requirements
- SubjectRequired Years
- English
- Math
- Science
- Foreign Language
- Social Studies
- History
- Electives
Deadlines and Early Admissions
- Offered?DeadlineNotification
- Regular Admission
- YesJanuary 5Rolling, notification begins April 1
- Early Action
- No
- Early Decision
- YesNovember 1December 15
Admissions Office Information
- Address:3535
Philadelphia, PA 19104 - Phone:(215) 898-7507
- Fax:(215) 898-9670
- Email:[emailprotected]
Our Expert's Notes
We did more detailed research into this school's admissions process and found the following information:
Penn's admission website offers extensive information and tips for the optional Alumni interview, which is worth reading if Penn is one of your top choices, or if you're applying to other similar schools that also interview. Read more about interviews here.
Other Schools For You
If you're interested in University of Pennsylvania, you'll probably be interested in these schools as well. We've divided them into 3 categories depending on how hard they are to get into, relative to University of Pennsylvania.
Reach Schools: Harder to Get Into
These schools are have higher average SAT scores than University of Pennsylvania. If you improve your SAT score, you'll be competitive for these schools.
| School Name | Location | SAT Avg | ACT Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale University | New Haven, CT | 1515 | 34 |
| Carnegie Mellon University | Pittsburgh, PA | 1510 | 34 |
| Columbia University | New York, NY | 1505 | 34 |
Same Level: Equally Hard to Get Into
If you're competitive for University of Pennsylvania, these schools will offer you a similar chance of admission.
| School Name | Location | SAT Avg | ACT Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Princeton University | Princeton, NJ | 1505 | 34 |
| Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH | 1500 | 34 |
| Brown University | Providence, RI | 1485 | 34 |
| New York University | New York, NY | 1440 | 32 |
| University of Michigan | Ann Arbor, MI | 1435 | 33 |
| Emory University | Atlanta, GA | 1435 | 33 |
| Boston University | Boston, MA | 1420 | 32 |
Safety Schools: Easier to Get Into
If you're currently competitive for University of Pennsylvania, you should have no problem getting into these schools. If University of Pennsylvania is currently out of your reach, you might already be competitive for these schools.
| School Name | Location | SAT Avg | ACT Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boston College | Chestnut Hill, MA | 1420 | 33 |
| Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute | Troy, NY | 1409 | 31 |
| University of California, Santa Barbara | Santa Barbara, CA | 1355 | 29 |
Want to build the best possible college application?
We can help. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League.
We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools.
Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in.
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