The University of Pennsylvania, often called UPenn or Penn, is one of the eight schools of The Ivy League. It is one of the oldest colleges in America. It boasts a historic campus, a world-renowned business school, the only undergrad nursing program in the Ivy League, and a spirited undergraduate community. Located in Philadelphia, PA, Penn offers a great mix of city and campus living. While it isn’t the most competitive of the Ivies, make no mistake, it is still an extremely hard-to-get-into and elite institution. Applicants who are serious about getting into Penn need to consider applying early decision.
What is ED?
Early Decision or ED is an admission pathway where students pledge to withdraw other applications and attend if accepted. Students who apply ED must submit their applications by November 1 and will know if they are accepted or not by mid-December. Students can only choose one school to apply to through Early Decision (at least– at a time. Some schools offer a second ED round, which accepts applications in January; however, UPenn does not.)
We love it when our students apply early, but whether you are thinking about RDing or EDing to UPenn, we can help! Reach out to us today.
Why Should I ED?
There are a couple of reasons to apply ED. The first is timing. If you get in, you don’t have to be nervous about college admissions through the spring. The second is strategy: ED is your best chance of getting into Penn. This comes with one important caveat: it's the best chance for qualified applicants. Trust us, if you aren’t a Penn-level applicant, ED won’t help you. However, if you are a Penn-caliber student, applying ED can give you a boost. Why? Well, schools want to protect their yield rate, which is calculated by the number of admitted students who actually attend in the fall. Penn knows that many of its applicants are also applying to other Ivies and elite schools. By taking students who have already committed to coming, they can protect their yield.
Last year, they did not release their ED admissions stats (or their overall acceptance rate for that matter). But, during the 2023-2024 cycle, their ED acceptance rate was 14.8%, while their Regular Decision (RD) acceptance rate was only 4.5%.
What Can You Do?
If you want to get into Penn, you need a great application. This takes work, and it doesn’t happen overnight. We often start working with freshmen when it comes to Ivy League hopefuls. If you haven’t been building a great package over the last 3-4 years, Penn might not be the right fit for you. They are looking for a history of excellence. This excellence breaks down into several essential factors.
Grades
Getting excellent grades might sound obvious, but it bears repeating. In 2023, 58% of accepted Penn applicants had a 4.0 unweighted GPA. If you want to get into Penn, you need a 4.0. Perfection is a lot to ask for, but when it comes to Ivy League applicant grades, it is also necessary. Admissions wants to see applicants who take challenging classes and still excel in them. Your transcript needs to show that you can handle a difficult course load with ease.
Scores
For the 2025-2026 application cycle, Penn applicants have to submit test scores. This is a new policy. For the past few years, UPenn was test-optional; however, that policy has ended. In 2023, only around 70% of enrolled students submitted scores, so take these numbers with a grain of salt. However, the 50th percentile scores for the SAT were 1540, and for the ACT were 35. These are high scores. You want to make sure your scores are similar (if not higher!) That might mean extra studying or even using a tutor!
Extracurriculars
You need spectacular extracurriculars to get into Penn, but more than that, they need to be strategic and tell a story. If you have just started thinking about extracurricular activities during junior year, they are likely a bit thin or scattered. When we work with students, we always plan out an extracurricular path to success. These paths need to include a strong connection to what you hope to study in college (along with leadership and commitment).
If you want to study Art History, your resume should include, for example, an internship at a museum, research with a local professor, serving as president of the art club, taking summer classes at a college, and/or volunteering with a mural project. If you can’t tell what you hope to study from your resume, you likely won’t get into Penn. They are looking for academic curiosity outside of the classroom. Just taking AP Art History is not enough. Your interests and passions need to extend to your activities.
Your application should tell a story, one with a strong and clear message. Planning out your extracurriculars accordingly will help you tell that story. This isn’t something you can do last minute. If you're serious about UPenn, start early and be prepared to put in the work.
Essays
While most of the factors we have listed take years to master, writing great essays starts the summer after junior year. If you hope to get into Penn, you need an outstanding Common App and a perfect supplement. Your essays need to be thought out, impactful, and memorable.
Penn likes insightful Common App essays and well-researched and structured supplements. We specialize in helping students craft eye-catching, Ivy League caliber Common App Essays. However, the Common App Essay is only one of several essays you will need to write for Penn. While it is more work, we love these essays because they are opportunities to show more about yourself as an applicant.
Penn is especially looking for applicants who can connect their interests to the university. Great Penn applications showcase the overlap between who you are as a student/community member and the opportunities offered at Penn. You need to show that Penn is the perfect school to pursue your specific academic and extracurricular goals. Knowing your academic interests is just the first step. You need to then connect those interests to specific opportunities at Penn and paint a picture of who you would be as a Quaker. This will take some research. The more you know about the school, the easier it will be to pull off a great application.
This is going to take time and good writing skills. If you're worried about polishing your writing and coming up with great ideas, we can help, but don’t leave it until the last minute. Good writing takes time, whether you are working with a counselor or not.
Apply Early
As we said above, if you are a qualified candidate, applying ED is your best chance of getting into Penn. If you're still on the fence, reach out; we can help you make the right decision.
Work With Us
College admissions are hard to navigate on your own, especially at elite schools like Penn. For those looking at the Ivy League, we recommend starting to work with a counselor as early as possible. When we work with students from early in their high school careers, we see fantastic outcomes because we know what colleges are looking for. However, even if you're just looking for essay help or last-minute advice, we help students every day to make their applications as strong as possible. We can help with Penn and so much more.
Getting into Penn is difficult, whether you are applying early or regular decision. However, there are things you can do to make your application stand out. It takes work and preplanning, but if you are ready to jump in, we are too. We would love to help you through this process.
Need help strategizing or working on your UPenn application? Contact us today.