Fifty states, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands are represented in the class with the highest concentration of admitted students from Pennsylvania, New York, California, New Jersey, Texas, and Florida. Of those admitted, 155 students reside in the city of Philadelphia.
Eleven percent of the class are international students based on their citizenship, hailing from 95 countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe.
Fifty-four percent of the admitted students are female, 56% are U.S. citizens/permanent residents self-identifying as a person of color, and 15% are first-generation college students. Thirteen percent had a parent or grandparent attend Penn in prior generations. At least 18% are estimated to qualify for a Federal Pell Grant.
Admitted students have pursued a most demanding secondary school curriculum within a broad range of educational settings. Nearly 2,000 high schools are represented.
Penn adopted a test-optional policy with regard to standardized tests for the 2020-21 application cycle. Twenty-six percent of the Regular Decision admitted students did not include testing as part of their application. For the admitted students including testing in their application, the middle 50% testing ranges are 1500-1560 on the SAT and 34-36 on the ACT.
John T. McLaughlin, Class of 2005 alum and interim dean of admissions, says, “This Class of 2025 applied to college under incredibly challenging and unusual circumstances. Yet, my colleagues and I found abundant evidence of their pursuit of the highest levels of intellectual achievement, as well as perseverance and empathy, throughout their applications. In a year in which we’ve all had to adapt to new and changing realities, this class found a way to achieve their own academic excellence and to show care for others and their communities. As we all look to the future, we are inspired by their optimism, ingenuity, and creativity.”
In Senegal, the ambitious Dakar Greenbelt project seeks to create an extensive network of ecological infrastructure in and around the city to sustainably address environmental concerns and enhance urban life. With support from David Gouverneur and Ellen Neises, Ph.D. candidate Rob Levinthal in the Weitzman School of Design led two courses that included a field trip to Dakar, that culminated in students presenting their visions for parts of the Greenbelt.
From a desert to an oasis: Penn engages in ambitious greening effort in the Sahel
Students from the Weitzman School of Design journeyed to Senegal to help with a massive ecological and infrastructural greening effort as part of their coursework. The Dakar Greenbelt aims to combat desertification and promote sustainable urban growth.
As part of an undergraduate course, Penn faculty and students curated an Arthur Ross Gallery exhibition of works from the Neumann family’s extensive collection of modern and contemporary art.
The University’s nexus for technology transfer supports researchers in their innovative efforts, from CAR T to mRNA advancements that have dramatically reshaped the world.
