Admissions

Whitney Soule.

Talking admissions with Whitney Soule

As vice provost and dean of admissions, Soule is challenged daily with thinking strategically about undergraduate enrollment at Penn—from recruitment to application processes and all that goes into admitting a class, to how financial aid and retention fits into the mix.

Lauren Hertzler ・

A parent and high school student sit at a desk across from a school faculty member.

College admissions in crisis

Admissions Dean Eric Furda on the Varsity Blues scandal, civil litigation, and rising disgruntlement over the way elite universities select their students.

Penn Today Staff ・

Warrior 3

Academic ‘boot camp’

A group of 13 active-duty service members and veterans took part in the Warrior-Scholar Project, which introduces enlisted personnel toward an undergraduate program at a top-tier institution with a weeklong academic program.

Jill DiSanto ・



Media Contact


Ron Ozio

Ron Ozio Director, Media Relations
ozio@upenn.edu

In the News


Forbes

Princeton, Cornell, University of Pennsylvania withhold Class of 2026 acceptance rates

Princeton University, Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania have also decided to refrain from releasing detailed admissions statistics. The remaining five Ivy League universities—Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown and Dartmouth—have made their traditional admissions announcements. 

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Inside Higher Ed

Record applications, record rejections

Admissions Dean Whitney Soule comments on students engaged in academic research during their time in high school, many earning national and international accolades for research.

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The Wall Street Journal

Some Ivy League colleges to play down how selective they are

Admissions Dean Whitney Soule said drawing attention to the acceptance rate of Ivy League schools like Penn does more harm than good, distressing applicants and their parents. “We’re focusing not on how hard we are to get into but on who these young people are that we chose,” she said.

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Forbes

Getting personal with college admission: Requesting the right recommendations

Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule said letters of recommendation used in college applications should highlight specific examples of a student’s characteristics. “If a recommender can focus on how the applicant does something rather than telling us what the applicant does, it helps a lot,” she said.

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Dallas Morning News

COVID changed college application, but not what colleges are looking for in students

Vice Provost and Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule wrote an opinion piece about changes to the college application process amid the pandemic.

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Los Angeles Times

High school revisited: Students reflect on their year away from campus

Kaitlyn Nguyen, a high school senior in Pomona, California, spoke about being accepted to Penn as an early decision applicant. “I came to the realization that this was the school for me,” she said. “I came to this conclusion primarily because of Penn’s commitment to community service and community advocacy work, which has been something that I have been passionate about growing up.”

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