What separated Penn accepted vs. rejected applicants this cycle? Mostly the transcript. The University of Pennsylvania admits about 5% of applicants by its official rate, and in our sample the admitted applicants were more likely to have a 4.0 and had taken noticeably more AP or IB courses, while their test scores were the same as everyone else's.
We compared 147 Penn applicants from self-reported 2026 r/collegeresults posts: 33 admitted, 87 rejected and 27 waitlisted. This is part of a larger comparison of accepted vs. rejected applicants at top colleges, and Penn's decisions are also pooled with the other seven in Ivy League accepted vs. rejected applicants.
People who post results skew strong, so 22% of this sample got in, about four times Penn's real rate. Compare the two groups with each other, not with your own odds. With 33 admits, a gap of a few people can be noise.
Penn admitted student GPA and SAT
| Admitted | Rejected or waitlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| Median unweighted GPA | 4.0 (26 stated) | 3.98 (85 stated) |
| Median weighted GPA | 4.70 (21 stated) | 4.50 (76 stated) |
| Median SAT (scores sent) | 1550 (30 people) | 1550 (87 people) |
| Median ACT (scores sent) | 36 (5 people) | 35 (33 people) |
| Median AP/IB courses | 14 | 11 |
| National-level award | 91% | 74% |
17 of the 26 admits who stated a GPA had a 4.0 (65%), versus 35 of 85 among everyone else (41%). Admits also had a higher weighted GPA (4.70 versus 4.50) and took about three more AP or IB courses. The SAT medians were identical, and 142 of the 147 sent scores.
So at Penn, the difference was in the record of four years of classes, not in a single test. That's the opposite of Cornell, where admits and non-admits had the same median GPA. We look at how much GPA mattered across all top schools in does a 4.0 GPA matter at top colleges.
National-level awards were also more common among admits: 91% versus 74%.
Which activities Penn admits listed more often
- National Merit: 48% of admits versus 32% of everyone else.
- A service or leadership award: 36% versus 23%.
- Debate, speech or Model UN: 36% versus 25%.
- A research publication or paper award: 18% versus 8%.
- A music award: 21% versus 12%.
- Student government: 30% versus 22%.
And some showed up more often among applicants who weren't admitted:
- Science or general academic competitions: 9% of admits versus 30%, the biggest activity gap at Penn.
- Business or entrepreneurship: 15% versus 29%.
- A competition placement award: 55% versus 69%.
The business result stands out at a school with Wharton. 38 applicants in this sample listed business or entrepreneurship activities, and only 5 were admitted. A likely reason is that these activities are very common among Penn's large pool of business applicants, so they don't set anyone apart; applicants are compared with others aiming at the same school. By major, business and economics applicants were admitted at about the same rate as everyone else (10 of 36), so this isn't simply a Wharton penalty. We cover what top business programs look for in top undergraduate business schools.
Penn admits students into one of its four undergraduate schools (the College, Wharton, Engineering and Nursing), so the major you pick decides which pool you compete in. In this sample, though, admit rates by major were fairly even: computer science 14 of 41, engineering 10 of 41, social sciences 11 of 37, business 10 of 36.
Early decision, deferrals and the waitlist
Only 10 applicants in the sample named Penn's binding Early Decision round, and 2 were admitted. That's too few to compare with regular decision. Three said they were deferred, and 1 was admitted in the spring.
27 of the 147 (18%) ended on the waitlist. Penn's own Common Data Set shows how rarely that turns into a seat: for Fall 2024, 2,288 applicants accepted a waitlist spot and 66 were admitted, about 3%. We compare the Ivies in Ivy League waitlist acceptance rates by school.
What Penn applicants can take from this
- Your transcript did the sorting here. A 4.0 and a heavy AP/IB load were the clearest differences between admits and everyone else.
- Test scores didn't separate anyone. Both groups had a median 1550 SAT.
- Common pre-professional activities didn't stand out. Business clubs and science competitions were more frequent among non-admits.
- Don't count on the waitlist. Penn's own data puts its waitlist admit rate around 3%.
- Pennsylvania resident? Compare Penn State, Pitt and Temple deadlines for your in-state options.
Penn's College Intel page carries the same applicant-profile comparison, updated as new posts are logged.
Sources
- College Intel's tally of self-reported r/collegeresults posts, 2026 admissions cycle (404 posts logged as of Oct 9, 2026; 147 with a Penn decision). Recruited athletes and transfer applicants excluded. Aggregates only; no individual post is reproduced, and no figure rests on fewer than 3 people.
- University of Pennsylvania Common Data Set -- Penn IRA (waitlist figures, Fall 2024 entering class, as cited in Ivy League waitlist acceptance rates by school)
- College Scorecard -- U.S. Department of Education (Penn's official admission rate)