UPenn Undergraduate Requirements
The University of Pennsylvania is recognized as one of the eight colleges that comprise the Ivy League and is regarded as a haven for academic excellence. Benjamin Franklin established the university in 1740. The University of Pennsylvania, also known as the “Wonderful Old Lady of Learning,” is not only one of the most prestigious universities in the world but also one of the most venerable educational establishments in the entire country of the United States of America (USA). Learn more about UPenn undergraduate requirements now.
When we talk about the ranking of UPenn, the US News & World Report – National University Ranking has ranked the university at #8. Other popular ranking organizations, such as US News & World Report – Global Universities, THE (Times Higher Education) – University Ranking, and QS World University Ranking, have collectively ranked the University of Pennsylvania world ranking at #13 for 2022.
The university is located in University City, which is adjacent to West Philadelphia, directly across the Schuylkill River from Center City Philadelphia. The campus encompasses a total of 12 schools, and among them are some of the highest-ranked undergraduate and graduate programs found anywhere in the world.
The College of Arts and Sciences, the Wharton School of Business, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the School of Nursing are the four schools at the University of Pennsylvania that offer undergraduate degrees.
Alumni of Penn include a number of CEOs, as well as people who have won Nobel Prizes and been awarded Guggenheim Fellowships. Among the many notable people who graduated from the University of Pennsylvania is Noam Chomsky, a social critic and a well-known leftist activist, John Legend, a world-renowned Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter, Anil Ambani, an Indian businessman, Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, and Sachin Pilot, an Indian politician. John Legend is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter. John Legend is a Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer-songwriter
In light of the fact that graduates of the University of Pennsylvania have gone on to achieve remarkable levels of success in a wide variety of professional fields, this university is undeniably an outstanding choice. Students who have aspirations of attending the University of Pennsylvania for their higher education must submit a comprehensive application that satisfies the stringent UPenn undergraduate requirements in order to have any chance of being accepted. But before you start the application process, if you want to ensure that you have a spot at the university, you need to be familiar with the UPenn undergraduate requirements has for its students.
What are the requirements for UPenn?
What are the requirements for UPenn admissions? When you submit your application to Penn or UPenn undergraduate requirements, you will be asked to select one of our four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree, accelerated, or specialized program that will serve as your academic “home base” throughout the duration of your time here.
The context of the school or program to which you have applied will be taken into consideration when evaluating your application. Before beginning the application process, the University of Pennsylvania strongly recommends that you familiarize yourself with our undergraduate schools, coordinated dual degree programs, and specialized programs. The following is a list of UPenn undergraduate requirements and everything you need to do to get into Penn.
- Both the Common Application and the Coalition Application can be submitted to Penn. They do not have a preference for either format, and they will review both applications with the same level of consideration. They want you to examine the features of each application format and utilize the platform that works best for you, so they encourage you to do so. You are only allowed to submit one application for each admissions cycle, and you cannot combine information from multiple sources.
- The Cost of the Application is $75, with a fee waiver offered to those who meet the requirements.
- An Authorized Copy of Your High School Transcript
- Report from School
- Character references in the form of letters (3) Counselor Recommendation (By the school counselor) and Letters of Recommendation from Two Teachers Two letters of recommendation from teachers who teach major subjects such as English, Science, Math, etc. are required.
- The Agreement on an Early Decision (only if applying for Early Decision)
- Report on the Half-Year Mark
- If a student’s application is deferred, the Early Decision deadline is February 15, 2022.
- Regular Decision: Needs to be sent in by the school on its own as soon as midyear grades are available
- Final Report -Required beginning in June for students who will be matriculating.
- Tests that are standardized
In light of COVID-19, Penn will not require applicants to submit their SAT or ACT scores to be part of UPenn undergraduate requirements beginning with the application cycle for the 2021-22 academic year. Both first-year students and transfer students must follow these requirements.
Applicants who choose not to submit their scores from either the SAT or the ACT will not be at a disadvantage in the admissions process. Those students who are able to take either the SAT or the ACT and who wish to report their scores can keep moving forward with that plan.
- Interviews- Depending on the number of available volunteers, more than ninety percent of applicants are typically given the opportunity to participate in an interview. The interviewers for UPenn aren’t admissions officers, but they are eager to find out more about you and to talk about their experiences at Penn.
- Additional Resources and Information
- Fine Arts Supplement
- One more letter of recommendation, if possible (1)
- Financial Aid Material
What is the required GPA for UPenn?
What is the required GPA for UPenn? On a scale from 4.0 to 3.9, the high school grade point average of admitted students to the University of Pennsylvania was 3.9. Students who enter the University of Pennsylvania typically rank in the top one percent of their high school class and earn primarily As in their final few years of education. However, these GPA requirements are not stated explicitly by the UPenn undergraduate requirements for application. The University of Pennsylvania does not impose a minimum GPA requirement on applicants.
This indicates that other aspects of your application that stand out, such as a good score on the SAT or ACT, can give you an edge over other applicants to the University of Pennsylvania. It is difficult to pinpoint a single metric for a student’s success in the classroom, as stated on the website of the University of Pennsylvania.
Does UPenn require SAT for 2023?
Does UPenn require SAT for 2023 admissions? As part of the UPenn undergraduate requirements, Standardized testing is used as part of the comprehensive admissions process at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) to gain a better understanding of the applicants’ level of academic preparation.
These examinations are just one factor among many others, both academic and non-academic, that are taken into consideration during the admissions process here.
However, beginning with the 2022-2023 admissions cycle, Penn will no longer require applicants to submit either the SAT or the ACT. Both first-year students and transfer students must follow these requirements. Applicants who choose not to submit their scores from either the SAT or the ACT will not be at a disadvantage in the admissions process.
Those students who are able to take either the SAT or the ACT and who wish to report their scores can keep moving forward with that plan. Throughout their process of comprehensive review, they will continue to assess all aspects of an individual’s application.
Penn is aware that the pandemic has had far-reaching effects, which have been unevenly distributed, and which, for some families, have been all-encompassing. The extraordinary fortitude, inventiveness, and adaptability displayed by UPenn’s applicants have been a source of inspiration for the university.
As a consequence of this, Penn has decided to continue maintaining its test-optional policy through the admissions cycle of 2022-2023. This extension will apply to all applicants, whether they are first-year students or transfer students.
Penn will continue to accept SAT and ACT scores from prospective students who want to include standardized testing as part of their application to the university. They will continue to accept ACT and SAT scores through the November test dates for applicants interested in the Early Decision program, and they will continue to accept scores through December 2022 for applicants interested in the Regular Decision program.
At this time, self-reported scores will continue to be accepted by Penn for admissions consideration. Students who were accepted to the school and who included test scores as part of their application will be required to submit official score reports before beginning their studies.
Testing that demonstrates English language proficiency is still a requirement for international students who are enrolled in schools where English is neither the language of instruction nor their native language.
UPenn Requirements for International Students
What are the UPenn requirements for international students? The application requirements are comparable for an international student, with the addition of the UPenn undergraduate requirements that they must take an English proficiency test. If you want to be admitted, you have to show that you are proficient in the English language. You can demonstrate this by passing tests such as:
- The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is one example.
- The International English Language Testing System (also known as IELTS).
- This is the Duolingo English Test (DET).
What kind of student does UPenn look for?
What kind of student does UPenn look for? It is not sufficient to gain admission to a highly selective school like the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) merely by having excellent grades and scores on standardized tests because almost all of the applicants are academically qualified.
In the words of the University of Pennsylvania, they are looking for students who “are inspired to emulate the school’s founder Benjamin Franklin by applying their knowledge in service to society, to our community, the city of Philadelphia, and to the wider world. ” Students are recruited from all over the world and come from a diverse range of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds because Penn wants their campus to be reflective of the world in which we live.
“UPenn students share a passion for learning and want to make a difference in the world,” according to the university, and “they possess a curiosity about the world in which they live – locally, regionally, and globally.”
What Penn is looking for in a student and how competitive the admissions process is will vary depending on the program you wish to enroll in at the university. The College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) at the University of Pennsylvania is less selective academically than the HYPSM (shorthand for five of the most prestigious and selective colleges in the country: Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Stanford, and MIT), and it places more of an emphasis on extracurricular activities and admitting students who are well-rounded.
Students interested in applying to certain programs at Penn must possess certain characteristics. Take, for instance:
- The Wharton School: If you want to improve your chances of getting into the highly regarded Wharton business school at the University of Pennsylvania, you don’t need to have a lot of business experience. However, having demonstrated leadership skills is a desirable quality.
- Huntsman Program: If you want to get into the University of Pennsylvania’s dual-degree program for business and international relations, having a multicultural college profile and experience with other languages will help you stand out to admissions officers.
- The Jerome Fisher Program: Applicants who are competitive for this engineering and business dual-degree program will have prior experience on par with that of MIT in STEM fields.
- The Vagelos Program: Applicants to this dual-degree program integrating life sciences and businesses will want to have patient care experiences similar to those that are required for applicants to accelerated medical care programs.
Moreover, students who place a high value on getting hands-on experience and actively seek out opportunities to do research will thrive at the University of Pennsylvania.
In addition to the fact that seventy-five percent of students will have participated in direct research by the time they graduate, the University of Pennsylvania also provides students with the opportunity to gain non-traditional practical experience through its study abroad programs. These programs include Penn-in-Cannes, a partnership with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and the world-famous Kelly Writers’ House.
Advice for Applicants to UPenn
The following information is something that all 55,000 or more prospective Quakers should be aware of:
- Although applicants are not required to participate in an interview as part of the admissions process, approximately ninety percent of those who apply are typically given the opportunity to do so with a former student. Although interviews are a required part of the application process, their primary purpose is to gather information about the candidate. Interviews may take place in person or via Skype.
- If you want to distinguish yourself from other students in your class, get involved in extracurricular activities. During the admissions process, the University of Pennsylvania places a high value on distinctive talent and quality.
The committee in charge of admissions wants to know what contributions you can make to the institution. Activities such as creative projects, research that has won awards, and participation in clubs that have received national recognition are excellent ways to make an impression on admissions officers.
- Unlike many other Ivies, Penn takes “demonstrated interest” into consideration; therefore, it is important to maintain communication with the university throughout the application process. A campus visit, an email to an admissions officer, connecting with the school via social media, or attending a Penn event in your area are all potential ways to demonstrate your interest in attending Penn.
- Recommendation letters are one of the most important things you can do to persuade admissions officers that you have the skills they’re looking for. Applicants to the University of Pennsylvania are required to provide a letter from a high school advisor or counselor as well as two letters of recommendation from faculty members.
- You should put in as much effort as possible to “bring life” to your application. This entails searching for recommenders who are able to speak to your passion and make your one-of-a-kind characteristics and characteristics stand out on the page. Essays will also play an important role.
- Ensure that you give the two supplemental essays and short answers that Penn requires enough time and effort to complete successfully. The following is a list of what they were during the 2020-21 cycle:
Essays
- How did you come to realize your intellectual and academic interests, and how do you intend to investigate them while studying at the University of Pennsylvania? Kindly respond by taking into consideration the specific undergraduate institution that you have chosen. (300-450 words)
- At Penn, learning and development can take place in settings other than classrooms as well. How do you plan to get to know the Penn community better? Think about the ways in which your perspective and identity will help shape this community, as well as the ways in which this community will help shape your perspective and identity. (150-200 words)
UPenn application deadline for 2022
When will be the UPenn application deadline for 2022? Even if the University of Pennsylvania has not received all of the components of an application, it reserves the right to evaluate the application and come to a conclusion about it. The application process for the University of Pennsylvania should adhere to the schedule that is provided below.
Application Plan | Application Deadline | Decision Date | Reply/ Enrollment Date |
Early Decision | November 1 | Mid December | January 5 |
Regular Decision | January 5 | Mid April | May 2 |
If you need help putting the finishing touches on your early applications, or want some advice on whether or not applying Early Decision or an Early Action is a good option for you, at AdmissionSight, we have over 10 years of experience guiding students through the competitive admissions process, including our athletic recruitment program.
AdmissionSight can help you put your best foot forward when applying to college this fall. Contact us today for more information on our services.