University of Pennsylvania
Finalists who rank Penn
If you are a Finalist who ranked Penn, your National College Match application will be sent to Penn, and you will need to submit the following requirements to the school by November 1. If you have questions after reviewing the information below, please view the FAQs for Penn Applicants or reach out to the school directly.
Requirements
University of Pennsylvania Application Status Portal Activation
QuestBridge will send Finalists’ applications to college partners on October 16, and University of Pennsylvania may need a couple of days to import them into their system. Once processed, University of Pennsylvania will then email you instructions to log in and activate your applicant portal, where you can track the status of the materials you submit.
Submit along with official transcripts, School Report, and two recommendations. If these documents were submitted as part of your QuestBridge Application, you do not need to submit them again.
Applicants must write original essays for the Penn Supplement.
The Penn Supplement will be available through the Penn Applicant Portal. You will receive login instructions for how to access the Penn Applicant Portal once your application has been forwarded to Penn.
While you will not receive access to the Penn Supplement until after you are named a Finalist, you can prepare your answers for it ahead of time. The supplement will ask you to:
- Pick the school/major to which you are applying (click here for information about the schools at Penn)
- Answer a few additional demographic questions
- Write Penn-specific essays (click here to see the essay topics. If you are applying to a dual-degree program, you will also have to write an essay for admission to that program).
If an official transcript was submitted through QuestBridge, it will be accepted. If an unofficial transcript was submitted, please have your guidance counselor or registrar submit your official transcript directly to the Office of Admissions (see Contact Information below).
Penn applicants are required to submit the SAT or ACT. Anyone facing a hardship in meeting this requirement can submit a waiver instead. Learn more about Penn's testing policy. Applicants may self-report their SAT or ACT scores using the QuestBridge application. If an applicant submits scores from both the SAT and the ACT, Penn will pay attention to the higher score from either test. Official scores will be required for students who enroll at Penn and requested that their scores be considered for admission. Penn reserves the right to rescind admissions in the case of applicant misrepresentation including discrepancies between self-reported and official test scores.
For international applicants for whom English is not the native language and for whom English was not the primary language of instruction for the duration of high school, Penn continues to require testing that demonstrates English-language proficiency. For Penn, students should take one of the following: the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) administered by the Educational Testing Service, the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), or the DUOLINGO English Test. Visit Penn's website for additional details.
2025-2026 CSS Profile
CSS code: 2933
Available Oct. 1
Financial information is required from both biological parents to determine a student’s financial aid award. If your parents are unmarried, divorced, or separated, it is very important that you follow the directions below, as your application will not be considered complete until you submit information about your parents:
- If your parents are unmarried but you all live in the same household, you can fill out the CSS Profile and list them as Parent 1 and Parent 2
- If your parents are divorced or separated, your non-custodial parent must submit the online Non-Custodial Profile using the login ID and password that will be emailed to you when you complete the CSS Profile. Your non-custodial parent is the parent you live with less than 50% of the time.
- If you are having challenges collecting your non-custodial parent’s application requirements, then you may submit a petition to have these requirements waived. Submitting a waiver petition does not guarantee it will be approved, and you may be asked for additional information. Please Note: Requests based solely on your non-custodial parent’s unwillingness to contribute or submit application materials are not considered. Download the Non-Custodial Parent Waiver Petition. If your Non-Custodial Parent Waiver Petition is denied, your non-custodial parent’s financial information will be required for your application for financial aid this year and every year you apply for need-based financial aid.
Signed, with all schedules, attachments, W-2 forms and other earning statements. Include personal and corporate partnership tax returns. Also include copies of your parents' recent paystubs or other verification of current-year income. Submit directly to Penn through your Penn Applicant Portal. Note: Penn does not participate in IDOC for document submission.
If either of your parents are self-employed, own a business, or earn income from rental properties, you’ll need to provide the following relevant tax information:
- For a sole proprietorship, submit Schedule C
- For rental income, submit Schedule E
- For a partnership, submit Form 1065 and include Schedule K-1 and all attachments
- For an S corporation, submit Form 1120-S and include Schedule K-1 and all attachments
- For a C corporation, submit tax Form 1120 and include all schedules and attachments
Submit directly to Penn through your Penn Applicant Portal.
2025-2026 FAFSA
FAFSA code: 003378
Submit as soon as available
The FAFSA will open this fall. Please complete the FAFSA as soon as it is available and submit it directly to Penn.
U.S. Citizens and Eligible Noncitizens.
Finalists who rank Penn but do not match may apply Early Decision to Penn, which is binding. If you are interested in changing your application to Early Decision, please fill out the Early Decision form on your Penn Applicant Portal, which will be made available after the Match.
All Finalists who rank Penn for the Match, but did not match to a binding college will automatically have their applications moved into the Regular Decision process. Please submit an updated transcript and any relevant updates.
If you no longer wish to be considered for admission to Penn, you must contact the Admissions Office to withdraw your application by using the withdraw form on your Penn Applicant Portal or by emailing [email protected]. If you have applied using the QuestBridge Application and now want to submit a Common or Coalition Application, do not withdraw your application. Withdrawing your application will remove you from consideration for admission altogether. Instead, you can submit the Common Application or Coalition Application as a supplement to your QuestBridge Application. We will not remove your QuestBridge Application from your admissions file.
Regular Decision Requirements:
Step 1: Select University of Pennsylvania on the QuestBridge Regular Decision Form on your Application Management page between November 4 - December 9. Only check the box if you fully intend to submit a complete application to University of Pennsylvania (including all of the materials detailed in the table below).
Step 2: Activate your University of Pennsylvania Applicant Portal. QuestBridge will send Finalists’ applications to University of Pennsylvania on December 12 and University of Pennsylvania may need a couple days to import them into their system. Use the University of Pennsylvania applicant portal, sent to you via email, to track the status of your materials you submit to University of Pennsylvania.
Step 3: Submit all additional required application and financial materials by the applicable deadlines directly to University of Pennsylvania as detailed in the table below.
Finalists who ranked Penn and submitted all materials (but did not match to a binding college)
Finalists who did not rank Penn
The Penn Supplement will be available through the Penn Applicant Portal. You will receive login instructions for how to access the Penn Applicant Portal once your application has been forwarded to Penn.
Essay topics for the Penn Supplement can be found here.
Penn applicants are required to submit the SAT or ACT. Anyone facing a hardship in meeting this requirement can submit a waiver instead. Learn more about Penn's testing policy.
Penn offers students the option to apply without consideration of their SAT or ACT scores. Learn more about Penn's test-optional policy.
Finalists who ranked Penn and submitted all materials (but did not match to a binding college)
Finalists who did not rank Penn