Penn announced early decision admissions for the Class of 2029, admitting nearly half of the incoming class in another record-breaking application cycle.
Over 9,500 students applied to Penn through the Early Decision Program — an increase from last year’s total of over 8,500 applications — according to the University's announcement. The results were announced on Dec. 19 at 7 p.m.
Penn did not disclose the acceptance rate for Early Decision applicants, continuing its decision to withhold detailed admissions statistics.
“We are thrilled to welcome our newest Quakers, applaud their many accomplishments, and eagerly anticipate the arrival of the rest of their classmates in the spring. Hurrah, hurrah for the Penn Class of 2029!” Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule wrote in the announcement.
These admissions results come exactly one month after Penn announced a major financial aid expansion for the 2025-26 academic year.
The expansion aims to increase access to financial aid by raising the income threshold for full-tuition scholarships from $140,000 to $200,000 for families with typical assets. Additionally, it will exclude the primary family home as an asset in financial aid calculations.
Following the June 2023 United States Supreme Court decision to overturn affirmative action in college admissions, Penn saw a drop in underrepresented students in its admitted classes.
In a statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian in response to the Class of 2028’s demographic data, Soule suggested that Penn would assess and adapt its practices to comply with the law and reaffirmed the University’s unwavering commitment to diversity as a cornerstone of the Penn educational experience.
The decline in the number of students from underrepresented backgrounds aligns with similar trends observed at peer institutions, including Harvard University, Brown University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
At the University Board of Trustees spring full-board meeting earlier this year, Soule shared that 3,508 students were admitted to the Class of 2028 out of 65,236 applicants, marking the University’s most selective admissions cycle on record.
The 2024-25 application process for Penn remains test-optional despite several peer institutions recently reinstating their standardized testing requirements. Penn’s test-optional policy was first implemented during the 2020-21 admissions cycle due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Students who wish to apply to the University through the regular decision path have until Jan. 5, 2025 to submit their application. Regular decision results are expected to be announced in the spring.
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