Having a legitimate shot at becoming a Penn Quaker out of high school means that you will need near-perfect grades and test scores. Even then, single-digit acceptance rates ensure that even many high school superstars will meet rejection. Fortunately, if UPenn remains your dream school, there is always the option of trying to enter this Philly-based Ivy as a transfer student. The following blog will reveal the UPenn transfer acceptance rate as well other essential pieces of information like the UPenn transfer deadline, the requirements/checklist for applicants, the UPenn transfer decision date and much more.

UPenn Transfer Acceptance Rate

Below we present the most current available UPenn transfer acceptance rate as well as historical data.

In the fall of 2021, there were 3,516 transfer applicants and 161 individuals were accepted. This means that the UPenn transfer acceptance rate is 4.6%. If we break this down by gender, the acceptance rates are as follows:

  • Male transfer applicants: 3.6%
  • Female transfer applicants: 5.7%

When trying to get the complete picture on how difficult it is to transfer into a given school, it is important to also look at historical data. Many schools have wild fluctuations in transfer acceptance rate from year to year. As you can see, the UPenn University transfer acceptance rate has indeed been somewhat variable in recent years, ranging from 4.6% to 8%.

Historical transfer rates are as follows:

Year Acceptance Rate
2020 8%
2019 6%
2018 8%
2017 8%

UPenn Transfer Deadline

The university offers only a fall transfer option. The UPenn transfer deadline for fall applicants is March 15.

UPenn Transfer Requirements

The UPenn transfer requirements are as follows:

Students who have the best chance to gain admission to UPenn have done the following:

  • Completed a full year of college coursework (8+ courses).
  • Earned exceptional grades in their first year at a community college or 4-year university.
  • Have completed the UPenn recommended coursework for their intended college.

UPenn Transfer GPA

There is no minimum GPA required to be considered as a transfer applicant at this institution. However, in our experience, you will need a GPA of 3.75 or above to be a truly competitive applicant to UPenn.

UPenn Transfer Writing Supplement

All transfer applicants must respond to the following three essay prompts:

  1. Please explain your reasons for transferring from your current institution and what you hope to gain by transferring into another institution. (4,150 character max).
  2. How will you explore community at Penn? Consider how Penn will help shape your perspective and identity, and how your identity and perspective will help shape Penn. (1,020 character max).
  3. Considering the specific undergraduate school you have selected, describe how you intend to explore your academic and intellectual interests at the University of Pennsylvania. For students applying to specialized programs, please answer this questions in regard to your single-degree school choice; your interest in the specialized program may be addressed through the program-specific essay. (2,295 character max).

UPenn Transfer Decision Date?

The UPenn transfer decision date is May 15. You will find out whether you have been accepted or rejected by this date.

Final Thoughts – UPenn University Transfer Acceptance Rate

Among the Ivies, UPenn draws the second most transfer applicants behind only Cornell University. Prospective transfer applicants should check out the Penn Transfer Student Organization (PTSO). This group offers advice on which classes to take, how to become involved on campus, and housing options.

All applicants should apply to the school/college which they wish to study in. Subsequent internal transfers into other programs are not allowed. It is important to note that The Wharton School and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences only accept second-year students (current freshman). On the other hand, the College of Arts & Sciences and School of Nursing accept students as beginning sophomores or juniors.

If you are looking for information on how to apply to UPenn as a first year student, you may find the following blogs to be of interest:

Those searching for application info on other institutions may wish to visit our Dataverse pages:

Dave has over a decade of professional experience that includes work as a teacher, high school administrator, college professor, and independent educational consultant. He is a co-author of the books The Enlightened College Applicant (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016) and Colleges Worth Your Money (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).