F.A.Q. for Transfer Admission to Penn
Q. When can I apply as a transfer student?
A. Applications for transfer students are accepted for entrance in the fall semester. The deadline for all transfer applications is March 15. We begin accepting application materials after January 1.
Q. When will admission decisions be released?
A. Decisions will be released beginning in mid-May and continue on a rolling basis thereafter.
Q. Am I able to apply as an incoming sophomore or junior?
A. We accept transfer applications for students who intend to enroll for their sophomore or junior year at Penn. Unfortunately, Penn does not accept transfer students who intend to begin their senior year at Penn. The University of Pennsylvania requires that you complete at least two years of course work in order to earn a degree from the University.
Q. Do you offer a spring transfer program?
A. No, fall term only.
Q. Is there a minimum/maximum amount of courses that Penn will accept?
A. For students to apply as transfers you must have completed at least 8 academic courses at an accredited institution. In addition, we will only accept up to the equivalent of two academic years for course work.
Q. Which application forms does Penn utilize?
A. Penn accepts both the Common Application and the Universal College Application. These applications can be found either through our website, The Common Application website, or at The Universal College Application website. Please note that you must complete the University of Pennsylvania supplement to these applications. Your application will be deemed incomplete without the original application and the Penn supplement.
Q. What are the application requirements?
A. To apply as a transfer student Penn requires:
- Application forms located at The Common Application website, or at The Universal College Application website along with the University of Pennsylvania Application Supplement.
- The Application includes two required essays and lists of your extra-curricular activities in both high school and college. The Application also includes the College Official's Report demonstrating the student is in good academic and disciplinary standing at their current school.
- The Penn Application Supplement includes the Form 4, the Mid-Term Grade Report for Transfer Students, which indicates current courses being taken during the Spring semester.
- The SAT Reasoning Test. The ACT Test with Writing is also acceptable.
- An official copy of your current college and all previous college transcripts.
- An official copy of your high school transcript.
- Two recommendations from current college professors.
Q. Is standardized testing required for all transfer applicants?
A. Yes, we require the SAT Reasoning Test and or the ACT Test with Writing for all transfer applicants.
Q. How do I know which of my courses are going to transfer from my previous institution?
A. When applying to Penn you are required to apply to one of the four undergraduate schools. Either, the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Engineering and Applied Science, the School of Nursing, or the Wharton School of Business. We have a University policy here at Penn stating that we do not "pre-evaluate" transfer credit prior to acceptance. In order to get some idea of courses that may transfer, please go to the Penn course catalog website and view Penn course descriptions within various academic departments. The link to the course catalog is: www.upenn.edu/registrar/register. Try to match up course descriptions for those courses that you have already taken at your institution(s) with current Penn courses.
Q. Do you accept online/distance-learning classes?
A. No, only courses taught in a traditional classroom setting are acceptable.
Q. To which undergraduate schools can I apply?
A. We accept transfer applications to each of our four undergraduate schools. However, you may only select one school on the application when applying to Penn. Also, there is no internal transferring to other schools at Penn once you matriculate.
Q. Am I guaranteed housing as a transfer student?
A. We do offer housing for transfer students on a first-come, first-serve basis based on the date your acceptance deposit is received by the University.
Q. Am I required to purchase a meal plan?
A. Yes, our first-year transfer students are required to purchase a meal plan. There are many plans available for all different campus budgets.
Q. Is there financial aid available for domestic and international transfer students?
A. If you are applying as an international transfer student we do have some funding available, but it is very limited. Please see the guidelines for international financial aid. If you are applying as a domestic transfer student from North America, financial aid opportunities are available if you have demonstrated need.
Q. Are there specific academic requirements for each of PennŐs four undergraduate schools?
A. Yes, please go to: Transfer Information for Undergraduate Schools.
Q. What emphasis, if any, does Penn place on College and high school transcripts?
A. The selection committee takes into consideration all academic credentials when evaluating applicants to get a sense of your academic background in terms of where you have come from in high school and where you are currently in college. However, all items required in the application are reviewed equally when evaluating applicants for admission.
