How to get into UPenn
What 423 admitted applicants actually had: their grades, test scores, activities, awards and intended majors, counted from 1,854 UPenn results that students posted for the 2016 to 2027 cycles. Every number below is counted, not estimated.
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UPenn admits by the numbers
Median unweighted GPA
4.00
Middle half 3.94 to 4.00
Median SAT
1,550
Middle half 1,500 to 1,570
Median ACT
35
Middle half 34 to 36
Median weighted GPA
4.60
Middle half 4.42 to 4.76
Results posted: 423 admitted, 1,180 rejected, 251 waitlisted. People who post results are a self-selected group, so this is not the UPenn acceptance rate; the official rate is in UPenn’s Common Data Set.
Admitted vs. rejected: grades are not the difference
| Median | Admitted | Rejected |
|---|---|---|
| Unweighted GPA | 4.00 | 3.96 |
| SAT | 1,550 | 1,540 |
| ACT | 35 | 35 |
When the rejected applicants’ numbers sit this close to the admitted ones, the decision was made somewhere else in the file: the activities, the essays and the letters. That is where the rest of this page looks.
What UPenn admits did outside class
Share of admitted applicants listing at least one activity of each type.
- Nonprofit/Service66%
- Athletics50%
- Research47%
- STEM club/competition37%
- Tutoring/Teaching37%
- Internship36%
- Debate/MUN/Speech32%
- Music30%
Held a leadership role
91%
Founded something
51%
National or intl. award
77%
Did research
47%
Early vs. regular decision at UPenn
- Early (280 results)29%
- Regular (678 results)23%
Share of posters in each round who were admitted. Early applicants are a different group (often stronger and more certain), so read this as a description of these posts, not as odds.
Intended majors of UPenn admits
- Computer Science11%
- Economics11%
- Political Science11%
- Engineering9%
- Biology7%
- Business7%
Who got in
Of the admitted posters, 17% first-generation, 19% low income, 22% underrepresented minority, 11% legacy, 2% recruited athlete and 11% international. Of those who said where they enrolled, 41% chose UPenn.
Three recent UPenn admits
2027 cycle · RD · Political Science
Los Angeles applicant whose essay examined the inequality between his commute's two worlds.
GPA 3.98 UW · SAT 1520 · Original post
2026 cycle · Political Science
Feminist magazine founder and policy-minded student who combined writing, mock trial, and a Senate internship.
GPA 3.82 UW · ACT 34 · Original post
2026 cycle · RD · Math
Pure math researcher and debate captain who co-leads a voting-access foundation and founded a chess club.
GPA 4.00 UW · ACT 36 · Original post
Essays that worked for UPenn
“We’ve got it down to a science at this point. That stain can be washed off. That hole can be sewn. That looks really comfortable!”
Published by The New York Times
How the UPenn admissions office reads a file
Where else UPenn admits got in
UPenn admissions questions
- What GPA do you need to get into UPenn?
- Among 423 applicants who posted a UPenn admission on r/collegeresults, the median unweighted GPA was 4.00 and the middle half reported 3.94 to 4.00 (314 reported a GPA). UPenn sets no minimum GPA; these are what admitted posters reported.
- What SAT score do you need for UPenn?
- Among 423 applicants who posted a UPenn admission on r/collegeresults, the median SAT was 1,550 and the middle half scored 1,500 to 1,570 (319 reported an SAT). The median ACT was 35.
- Does applying early help at UPenn?
- In these posts, 29% of early applicants who reported a result were admitted (80 of 280), against 23% in regular decision (158 of 678). Early pools differ in who applies, so this is a description, not a promise.
- What extracurriculars do UPenn admits have?
- The most common activity types among admitted posters were nonprofit/service (66%), athletics (50%), research (47%), stem club/competition (37%). 91% held at least one leadership role and 77% listed a national or international award.
- What is the UPenn acceptance rate?
- The official rate is published by UPenn in its Common Data Set. These pages do not compute one: people who post results are a self-selected group, so the share of admits among them is far higher than the real rate.
Applying to UPenn?
A Specialist who got into a school like UPenn can read your student’s file against these numbers and say where it stands out and where it doesn’t.
Source: self-reported results posts on r/collegeresults, each linked from our Database, counted across the 2016 to 2027 cycles with transfer applicants excluded. Aristo Scholars is not affiliated with UPenn. All colleges