History: General History

Our admission decisions are made prior to the announcement of results for many national examinations (such as the A Levels or French Baccalaureate), but applicants are expected to be enrolled in programs that prepare them for these examinations. If you are enrolled in a program that will not release external examination results prior to our application deadlines, you must request that your school send us predictions of external examination results along with your grades.

Where national examinations are required for admission to a pre-university program (such as the IGCSE or the SPM), you should have received high marks on these examinations and should present certified copies of the results with your Penn application.

Students in our diverse global community have a wide range of passions, perspectives, and talents. Beyond academics, we would like to learn about your non-scholarly interests, extracurricular activities, and community service (though we recognize that patterns for non-academic involvement vary from country to country).

When applying to Penn, you will be asked to choose one of our four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree, accelerated, or specialized program that will serve as home base throughout your academic journey. Your application will be reviewed in the context of the school or program to which you have applied. Prior to preparing your application, we encourage you to learn more about our undergraduate schools and our coordinated dual degree programs and specialized programs. We also provide many ways to engage with these programs throughout the admissions cycle.

All admitted students will be admitted to the specific school or program for which they applied. Your admitted school or program will shape your curriculum, and your Penn degree will come from that specific school or program. That said, all undergraduate students at Penn will also gain a strong foundation in the liberal arts and sciences and have the ability to take classes across all four schools.

As you prepare for your application journey, we encourage you to explore your interests and to hear from current students as they share their personal journeys at Penn.