The GRE is required
The guidelines say GRE scores are not optional, and the FAQ gives suggested levels.
Doctoral · Penn Economics
Penn Economics PhD: a required GRE, a maths bar and an optional writing sample
The Penn Economics PhD pages, published for the 2026-27 admissions cycle (Fall 2027 entry), say GRE scores are required, not optional, and give suggested score levels while noting they do not guarantee admission. They ask for three letters of recommendation and a personal statement that covers research experience, describe two years of college mathematics as the minimal preparation, and say a writing sample is optional and contacting faculty is unnecessary.
Official information · last verified for 2027-28 entry
What Penn asks for in Penn Economics PhD
Taken from the Penn Department of Economics PhD admissions information page, application guidelines, prospective-students page and FAQ and read on 2 November 2026. The page describes 2027-28 entry. For a 2028-29 start, applied for in 2027-28, every requirement below is last verified for the previous cycle and may change; Penn's requirements, dates and funding for 2028-29 are awaiting publication, and none is stated here.
A mathematics bar
Two years of college mathematics is the minimum, with more advanced preparation strongly suggested.
No faculty outreach needed
The committee, not individual faculty, decides; direct transfer into the programme is not allowed.
Official sources
- Penn Economics: Application Guidelineseconomics.sas.upenn.edu
- Penn Economics: Frequently Asked Questionseconomics.sas.upenn.edu
- Penn Economics: Admissions Information to the Ph.D. Programeconomics.sas.upenn.edu
- Penn Economics: Prospective Studentseconomics.sas.upenn.edu
Read on 2 November 2026 on the Penn Department of Economics PhD admissions information page, application guidelines, prospective-students page and FAQ, which describes 2027-28 entry. The application portal, deadlines, funding and the English-test scores were not used and are not stated. No deadline, fee, funding amount or place number is stated.
The decision
Does your record fit what the programme page asks?
This guide concerns only the Penn research degree. The reading below is Avandy's judgment (heuristic), built from what the programme page says.
It fits if
you can take the GRE, have strong mathematics beyond the minimum and can write a statement that describes your research experience.
Think again if
you were hoping to arrange a faculty sponsor first. The FAQ says contacting faculty is not needed.
Check the page
The Graduate School's programme page is the source; deadlines, funding and score thresholds change by cycle and are not stated here.
How the application is read
What the programme page lists
The pages list an online application with a personal statement, unofficial transcripts, three letters of recommendation, GRE scores and, for international applicants, TOEFL or IELTS unless an exception applies, with a writing sample optional. They give a minimum preparation of two years of college mathematics and say a higher level is strongly suggested. This guide states no deadline, fee or funding term.
How the programme runs
Focus and working pattern
The Graduate Group requires at least 16 courses in economics or related fields, of which a maximum of eight may be transferred, and students are expected to begin dissertation work after two years. Entry is in the fall only and for full-time study, and the pages are labelled for the 2026-27 admissions cycle.
Avandy's judgment
Where an application can go wrong
These points are Avandy's heuristic reading of the page. They are not Penn rules and carry no probability.
Assuming the GRE is optional
The guidelines say GRE scores are not optional, they are required.
Meeting only the minimum mathematics
The department strongly suggests an excellent level for the application to be competitive.
Seeking faculty sponsorship first
The FAQ says there is no need to contact faculty during the application process.
Next steps
A sensible order of work
The order is Avandy's suggestion, built from the page's own steps.
Check your record
Compare your coursework and experience with the stated expectations.
Prepare the written work
Draft the statements and writing sample the page asks for, in the formats it lists.
Plan the tests
Check which tests are required, optional or not accepted.
Read the current page
Read the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Planning for 2028-29 entry
Planning for 2028-29 entry: what carries over and what awaits publication
Penn's programme page describes entry in 2027-28. A start in 2028-29 means applying in the 2027-28 cycle, under rules Penn has not yet published. Each item below is either last verified for 2027-28 entry, which means Penn published it for the previous cycle and it may change, or awaiting publication for 2028-29 entry.
The structure of the programme and the application
The expectations, the written work and the test policy are described on Penn's programme page, which carries no entry-year label. Penn has not published the following cycle.
Deadlines, places, funding and fees
This guide states none of them. Penn publishes them per cycle; read the page again for the cycle you apply in.
What to do now
Check your record against the programme page, prepare the written work it lists and plan any required test.
Support
Independent support with the research statement and fit
Avandy provides independent academic and admissions support. It is not affiliated with University of Pennsylvania or any of its departments, and it has no relationship with any member of staff. Support sits within the Avandy Trinity Advisory Model: a Strategic Admissions Consultant and a PhD-level Academic Mentor help the applicant test a research idea against the department's published research areas and plan their own statement. Support here is limited to testing a research idea against the department's published research themes and planning the applicant's own statements; it does not extend to contacting staff on the applicant's behalf. Avandy does not write or submit any part of an application, cannot arrange a supervisor and promises no outcome or funding.
Questions
Questions applicants ask
What does the Penn Economics PhD ask for?
A minimal level of preparation is two years of college mathematics, and the department strongly suggests a higher level to be competitive.
Is a test required?
The Penn Economics pages say GRE scores are required, not optional, and that international applicants submit TOEFL or IELTS unless a listed exception applies; Duolingo is not accepted. The FAQ gives suggested score levels and says meeting them does not guarantee admission. This guide concerns the Graduate Group in Economics PhD, not the MAEDS professional master's.
Does this guide state a deadline?
No. The page carries no entry-year label and this guide states no deadline, fee or funding. Check the programme page for the cycle you apply in.
Does the programme include funding?
This guide did not use Penn's funding sections and states no funding.
Students and families
Talk to us about the Penn Economics PhD
Tell us about your degrees, your research experience, the research question you want to pursue and the supervisors or groups you have in mind. A senior adviser will review the academic profile before recommending how to develop the research statement.