Penn announced regular decision results for the Class of 2029 in another historic application cycle.
Over 72,000 students applied to Penn this year, marking an increase from last year’s applicant pool of over 65,000. Results were released to students at 7 p.m. on March 27.
According to a press release from Penn Admissions, the Class of 2029 includes students from over 100 countries and all 50 states. The University chose not to immediately share further demographic data about accepted students.
Penn also did not share its acceptance rate, continuing a decision to withhold admissions data during the regular decision admissions cycle.
“What stands out most about this class?” Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule wrote in the announcement. “Their boundless curiosity, enthusiasm for making our world more sustainable, and commitment to making a positive impact.”
The announcement comes after recent executive orders from 1968 Wharton graduate and President Donald Trump have posed what Penn President Larry Jameson called an “existential threat” to the University.
Following a proposed $240 million funding cut from the National Institutes of Health, Penn has reduced admissions across its graduate programs. On March 19, the Trump administration announced a $175 million freeze in federal funding to Penn, citing Penn’s “policies forcing women to compete with men in sports.”
This year marks the second full application cycle in which Penn has not been able to consider race in its admissions decisions. After a 2023 ruling from the United States Supreme Court declared race-conscious admissions unconstitutional, Penn’s Class of 2028 saw a decline in students from historically underrepresented races and ethnicities.
The test-optional policy that Penn first implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic was extended for the final time to applicants in this cycle.
The University has since announced that its standardized testing requirements will be reinstated for applicants in the 2025-26 admissions cycle, requiring students applying to Penn to submit their ACT or SAT scores. Several other Ivy League universities — including Dartmouth College, Harvard University, Cornell University, Brown University, and Yale University — have also reinstated testing requirements.
This year’s supplemental essays continued to include the “thank-you letter” prompt introduced during the 2022-23 application cycle.
“Each of these students embodies the spirit of Penn: a dynamic blend of intellectual curiosity, determination, and joy. We can’t wait to see them bring their talents to campus this fall,” Soule wrote.
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