MSE Bioengineering 

at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia

International students must fulfill the basic eligibility and submit the required documents such as LOR, SOP, transcripts, and many more. The academic requirements of UG and PG for the University of Pennsylvania admissions are given below:

PG Requirements:

• Background Information
• Essay
• GMAT/GRE score
• Resume
• LOR
• Transcripts
• GRE (optional)
• English language proficiency score

UG Requirements

• High school documents
• Transcripts
• LOR
• ACT/SAT scores
• English language proficiency score

The University of Pennsylvania and Harvard University, both are the most reputed institutions in the USA. There is no comparison between them. However, students can decide where to go as both of them are extremely popular and can lead to a successful career. Students with extremely excellent performance can make a place in either of two as their acceptance rates are very low. The Harvard University acceptance rate is 3.41% which is the second the lowest in history and UPenn acceptance rate is 5.4%. Both universities provide a wide range of programs in over 100 specializations and their tuition costs are high. Students can check the below comparison table and decide where they must apply:

For the Class of 2029, UPenn received approximately 9,500 applications through the Early Decision plan, of which almost 1,300 students were admitted by the university. This makes the University of Pennsylvania acceptance rate stand at roughly 13.6%, which is on the more selective side; however, at the same time, a lot higher than the UPenn regular acceptance rate of a mere 3.7%. 

Yes, to fulfill the basic eligibility, international students must hold a 3-year bachelor's degree from a recognised university, along with having a strong academic background. For programs like B.Com, BSc, or BA degrees, and additional requirements like professional achievements, GMAT/GRE scores, quantitative rigor, and more. To improve your overall application, students can also submit essays, an optional statement, test scores, supplemental courses from Coursera, HBS, and analytical skills through work.

UPenn supplement essay expects a specific, well-researched reason to take admission to the university. Students can include their overall experience, which comprises particular classes, clubs, research, programs that excite them, professors, and more. If students are specific for school e.g  Wharton, Engineering, they must mention how and why they fit. Also, include how Penn will align with your academic and career goals.

The University of Pennsylvania provides test options for GRE scores which means students can submit their scores if they are willing to. However, as per the class of 2028, students prefer to submit their scores as it creates a positive impact on their resumes.

Students who scored average marks on the GRE or do not want to submit their scores can compensate it with other volunteer work, extracurricular activities, or other prior experience.

With a 6% acceptance rate, the University of Pennsylvania is quite hard to get into in master's programs. The low percentage shows that the university is stringent during admission and follows tough selection criteria while selecting applicants for master's programs. The university considers certain factors such as the rigor of secondary school, academic GPA, essay, extracurricular activities, and more. Students who want to join a master's programme must perform academically well and take part in extracurricular activities.

Along with fulfilling the basic eligibility, students must submit all the required documents and meet the admission requirements to be admitted to undergraduate or graduate programs. The University of Pennsylvania UG and PG document checklist for international applicants is given below:

Undergraduate document checklist:

• Official high school transcripts
• SAT/ACT score
• English language requirements
• Two teachers recommendations
• Counsellor letter
• Personal essay
• Supplemental Essay
• School profile

Graduate document checklist:

•   University transcripts and degree certificates
•   GRE/GMAT scores (if required)
•   Statement of Purpose (SOP)
•   Resume/CV
•   3 Letters of Recommendation
•   TOEFL/IELTS scores
•   Application fee

According to the official source, UPenn believes in conducting a thorough review of the applications once they are received. The comprehensive review includes various aspects that are beyond academics. Although academics will remain the foremost factors, things like extracurricular activities, community service, and interests outside the classroom are highly crucial.