You apply to a school, not to Penn
Penn says you apply to one of its four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme. The school becomes your home base and grants your degree.
Undergraduate · Penn Nursing
Penn Nursing: applying to a school, with sciences and patient care at the centre
At Penn you do not technically apply to the university: you apply to one of four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme, and the choice shapes the curriculum, the essays and what the committee looks for. Penn Nursing looks for a commitment to patient care and strong preparation in chemistry and biology, and its students complete three years of clinical experience in partner hospitals. Penn has no explicit course or score requirements for A-level or IB applicants, accepts predicted results and requires the SAT or ACT. The decision is whether nursing is the home-base school you want, rather than Engineering, Wharton or the College.
Official information · last verified for 2027 entry
What Penn says about Penn Nursing
Taken from Penn Admissions' Penn Nursing, Four Schools, First-Year Applicants, International Applicants and Testing pages and read on 31 October 2026. For a normal 2028-entry application, made in 2027, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Penn's 2028-entry requirements and dates are awaiting publication.
BSN and Nutrition Science degrees
Penn Nursing grants the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science. Clinical experience over three years is a requirement.
Chemistry and biology preparation
Penn says Penn Nursing seeks a commitment to patient care and strong preparation in the sciences, particularly chemistry and biology.
No explicit A-level or IB course or score rule
Penn says it has no explicit course requirements or minimum test score requirements, accepts predicted scores where final results are not yet available, and wants to see rigorous courses.
The SAT or ACT is required
Penn applicants are required to submit SAT or ACT scores, though a hardship waiver exists. There is no minimum score.
Official sources
- Penn Admissions: The Four Schoolsadmissions.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: Penn Nursingadmissions.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: International Applicantsadmissions.upenn.edu
- Penn Admissions: Testingadmissions.upenn.edu
Read on 31 October 2026 on Penn Admissions' Penn Nursing, Four Schools, First-Year Applicants, International Applicants and Testing pages, which describes 2027 entry. Penn Nursing's own programme pages, Penn's English-proficiency scores, deadlines beyond those stated, financial aid and the 2028-entry values were not read and are not stated.
Choosing a school
Nursing against Engineering, Wharton and the College
Penn says the four schools are the College of Arts and Sciences (Bachelor of Arts, with more than 60 major-granting departments), Penn Nursing, the School of Engineering and Applied Science (12 majors) and the Wharton School (Bachelor of Science in Economics, 20 concentrations). Students can take classes in any school, but each school has its own curriculum and requirements. Penn says to apply to the school that matches your academic interests and preparation to date, and gives the example that Penn Nursing seeks commitment to patient care and chemistry in high school. That is a choice made at application, not deferred.
The nursing route
Clinical practice from early on, and options beyond the BSN
Penn Nursing combines clinical experiences with a liberal arts and sciences foundation, in partnership with leading teaching hospitals. Its flexible curriculum has all nursing students take courses in Penn's other schools, including the coordinated dual-degree Nursing and Health Care Management programme at Wharton. After the BSN many students pursue a master's degree at Penn Nursing, with the option to start as early as the senior year.
A-levels, the IB and testing
Rigorous courses, predicted scores and a required SAT or ACT
Penn's international FAQ says it has no explicit course requirements or minimum score requirements because it reviews your whole context, and likes to see rigorous courses and good preparation for the programme you apply to. If final exam scores are not yet available, your school should provide predicted scores. It does not require transcripts to be recalculated by a third-party agency. Penn requires the SAT or ACT for all first-year applicants, with a hardship waiver, no minimum score, and no preference between the tests. This guide states no score.
A decision framework
Three questions before you commit
This is Avandy's own framework, not Penn's.
Is nursing the home base you want?
The school you choose grants your degree, and the essays should focus on it.
Is your chemistry and biology preparation strong?
Penn names them as the preparation Nursing wants.
Can your school provide predicted scores and records?
Predicted scores are accepted where final results are not yet available.
Planning for 2028 entry
Planning for 2028 entry: what carries over and what is awaiting publication
Applying for 2028 entry means applying in 2027, under rules Penn has not yet published for that cycle. Each item below carries one of two labels. Last verified for 2027 entry means Penn published it for the previous cycle and it may change. Awaiting publication for 2028 entry means Penn has not yet published it.
The school-based application, the science preparation, the predicted-scores rule and the SAT or ACT requirement: last verified for 2027 entry
These are the best guide to what to prepare. Penn has not confirmed them for 2028 entry.
Deadlines, test dates and any change to the testing policy for 2028 entry: awaiting publication
Check Penn's pages for the 2028-entry values when they appear.
What to do now
Decide on the school, plan chemistry and biology preparation 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 Penn. No outcome is promised.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
Do I apply to Penn or to Penn Nursing?
Penn says you apply to one of its four undergraduate schools or a coordinated dual-degree programme, so you apply to the School of Nursing.
What does Penn Nursing want in applicants?
A commitment to patient care and the future of healthcare delivery, a desire to explore issues in health care and research, and strong preparation in chemistry and biology.
Are there A-level or IB course or score requirements?
Penn says it has no explicit course requirements or minimum test score requirements.
Do I need the SAT or ACT?
Yes, with a hardship waiver available. There is no minimum score.
Can I use predicted scores?
Yes. If final exam scores are not yet available, your school should provide predicted scores.
Are these the rules for 2028 entry?
No. They are Penn's wording for the 2027 application cycle. Check Penn's pages again when Penn publishes its 2028-entry requirements.
Students and families
Talk to us about Penn Nursing
Tell us about the student's curriculum, their Chemistry and Biology, their commitment to patient care and the SAT or ACT they plan to take, the universities on the list, and the intended year of entry. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to prepare.