You apply to a school, not to Penn
Penn says applicants choose one of four undergraduate schools or one of its coordinated dual-degree programs.
Undergraduate · Penn
Penn's College of Arts and Sciences: the broad route among four schools
Penn tells applicants that they do not technically apply to Penn: they apply to one of four undergraduate schools, or one of the coordinated dual-degree programs. The College of Arts and Sciences is the broadest of them, granting a Bachelor of Arts with more than 60 major-granting departments and asking students to combine general education with a major. For an A-level or IB applicant, the decision is which school is the right home base, because Penn says each has its own curriculum and requirements. This guide is about applying to the College and makes no claim about admission to any of its majors.
Official information · read 31 October 2026, no entry-year label
What Penn says about Penn College of Arts and Sciences
Taken from Penn Admissions' Four Schools, International Applicants and Testing pages and the College of Arts and Sciences' current curriculum page, read on 31 October 2026. The pages carry no entry-year label, so for a 2028-entry application every statement below is evidence for the previous cycle and may change; check Penn's pages for the 2028-entry details.
60+ major-granting departments
The College grants a Bachelor of Arts and lets students specialise in the area that interests them most.
Five curriculum requirements
The College's curriculum page lists general education, elective, total credit, major and total Arts & Sciences requirements.
No fixed course or score requirements
Penn says it has no explicit course requirements or minimum test score requirements for admittance, and uses predicted scores when final results are not yet available.
The SAT or ACT is required
Penn's testing page says applicants are required to submit scores, with a waiver for hardship.
Official sources
- Penn Admissions: The Four Schoolsadmissions.upenn.edu
- Penn College of Arts & Sciences: Current Curriculumcollege.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: International Applicantsadmissions.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: Testingadmissions.upenn.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Penn Admissions' Four Schools, International Applicants and Testing pages and the College of Arts and Sciences' current curriculum page, which describes 2027 entry. The pages carry no entry-year label. Penn's major pages, the General Education requirement detail, the Penn essays, deadlines and financial aid were not read and are not stated.
The College
What Penn says the College is
Penn describes the College of Arts & Sciences as the school that builds broad, foundational knowledge and lets students specialise in an area of interest, with a Bachelor of Arts and more than 60 major-granting departments. The College's own curriculum page describes general education across the arts and sciences alongside specialised education in a major, within five requirements. Students can take classes in any of Penn's four schools, though each school's curriculum and requirements shape the experience.
Which school?
The College, Wharton, Engineering or Nursing
Penn advises applying to the school that matches both your interests and your preparation to date, and notes that essays should focus on the chosen school. Avandy's comparison is general.
The College fits if
you want breadth and a choice among many majors.
Wharton, Engineering or Nursing fit if
you are certain of business, engineering or nursing. Avandy has separate Penn guides for each.
A coordinated dual-degree program fits if
you want two degrees across schools, with its own application elements. Penn lists these separately.
Admission and testing
SAT or ACT, predicted scores and no fixed A-level or IB scores
Penn's testing page says applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores, with a waiver for hardship. For international applicants, Penn says it has no explicit course or minimum test score requirements, wants to see rigorous courses and accepts predicted scores when final results are not yet available. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Penn's.
Do you want to decide the subject later?
The College lets students specialise after exploring.
Is another Penn school a better fit?
Penn says each school has its own curriculum and requirements.
Can you plan the SAT or ACT with your A levels or IB?
Penn requires one of them, with a hardship waiver.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Penn's pages carry no entry-year label, so nothing on them is confirmed for 2028 entry. Use them to understand the structure of the application, then check Penn's own pages for the 2028-entry details.
The requirements and descriptions on the pages read on 31 October 2026, which carry no entry-year label
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Penn has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, fees, financial aid and any department prerequisites not quoted here: not stated
This guide has not read them. Check Penn for the values that apply to your application year.
What to do now
Compare the four schools on Penn's page and plan the SAT or ACT.
Support
Independent support with planning your own application
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with the University of Pennsylvania or any of its colleges or departments. Preparation sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant, a PhD-level Academic Mentor and a Subject-specific Tutor, working to the actual requirements of each course. Support here is limited to understanding the requirements and planning the applicant's own work; Avandy does not write or edit essays, does not submit any materials and has no partnership with the University of Pennsylvania. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Do I apply to Penn or to a school?
Penn says you apply to one of its four undergraduate schools or one of its coordinated dual-degree programs.
What degree does the College grant?
Penn's admissions page says a Bachelor of Arts, with 60+ major-granting departments.
Does Penn set A-level or IB score requirements?
Penn says it has no explicit course requirements or minimum test score requirements for admittance.
Does Penn accept predicted scores?
Yes, if final exam scores are not yet available, Penn asks the school to provide predicted scores.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Penn's testing page says applicants are required to submit scores, with a waiver for hardship.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Penn's wording with no entry-year label. Check Penn's pages again when Penn publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Penn College of Arts and Sciences
Tell us about the student's curriculum, which of Penn's four schools suits them, how broad they want their degree to be and their SAT or ACT plan, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.