Penn (also known as UPenn) is committed to making its inclusive, innovative, and impactful
Ivy League education available to the best and brightest students, regardless of their ec
onomic circumstances. A generous financial aid budget and inclusive aid policies make matr
iculating at Penn an attainable goal for students from the widest possible range of backgr
ounds. Every day, Penn embodies this truth: Our unique perspectives and backgrounds brough
t together make us strong, resilient, and singularly prepared to define the future.First t
hings first: We’re the University of Pennsylvania (aka Penn), an Ivy League research unive
rsity founded by Ben Franklin in the heart of Philadelphia. Did that sound stuffy? It felt
stuffy. Here’s what we’re really about:Penn is a place for people who want to do somethin
g big. But it’s also for people for who want to try a bunch of little things first. It’s a
place for sparking revolutionary ideas. For pioneering thinkers. And it’s a place that wi
ll help you figure out what inspires and excites you. Where you won’t just gain knowledge,
you’ll make it. You’ll research solutions, invent ideas, engineer art – all in a culture
that’s not about perfection, but about perfecting the pursuit.The people who love it here?
People who are drawn to other people and who are curious about everything. This is the ti
me to figure things out. Try everything that seems worthwhile. You’ll find what truly is.S
ound like the place for you? Then we can’t wait to meet you.We look for students who aspir
e to develop and refine their talents and abilities within Penn’s liberal arts-based, prac
tical, and interdisciplinary learning environment. Our ideal candidates are inspired to em
ulate our founder Benjamin Franklin by applying their knowledge in “service to society" to
our community, the city of Philadelphia, and the wider world. To best understand prospect
ive students’ paths through Penn, we approach applications holistically and with great car
e.