UPenn Average SAT Score - Looking for Info

Hi everyone. So, I'm starting to think about my SAT prep and one of the schools I'm really interested in is UPenn. If anyone knows, what's the average SAT score of students accepted there? Knowing it would help me set a realistic goal for my prep. Thanks!

Hi there! The University of Pennsylvania is quite a competitive school and understandably so, it has high standards when it comes to SAT scores. Students admitted to UPenn tend to have SAT scores in the 1510-1560 range. This is the middle 50% range, which means 25% of admitted students had scores below this range, and 25% had scores above.

If you're aiming to be competitive in UPenn’s applicant pool, aiming for an SAT score of 1560 or above would make you solidly in the top quartile of admitted students. But remember an excellent SAT score is just one part of the admissions equation. UPenn also takes into account other factors such as your GPA, course rigor, extracurricular activities, and essays, among others.

While aiming for a high SAT score is important, at a school as selective as UPenn no single credential will get you in on its own. So, make sure you also invest time and energy into these other areas.

If you want to know how your application as a whole stacks up at UPenn, I'd check out CollegeVine's free chancing engine, which accounts for all quantifiable elements of your application, including not just test scores but also GPA, course rigor, and extracurriculars to give you personalized odds of acceptance at UPenn and hundreds of other colleges: https://www.collegevine.com/admissions-calculator

This tool will also give you suggestions on how to improve your chances, whether by raising your SAT score slightly or some other step, like earning a leadership position in one of your extracurriculars.

Or, if you want tips on how to strengthen the more intangible aspects of your application, I'd check out this blog post from CollegeVine, which breaks down how to tackle UPenn's school-specific supplemental essays: https://blog.collegevine.com/how-to-write-the-upenn-supplemental-essays/. Especially at highly selective schools like UPenn, the essays are a great opportunity to showcase what you have to offer beyond the numbers.

Finally, it's worth noting that UPenn is officially test-optional, so you actually are not required to submit an SAT (or ACT) score. However, you're smart to still be thinking about target SAT scores, as at top-tier schools, you generally want to showcase your strengths in as many ways as possible, so submitting test scores is still a good idea for most applicants. For detailed guidance on how to navigate test-optional policies, check out this blog post from CollegeVine: https://blog.collegevine.com/does-test-optional-mean-test-optional

Good luck with your SAT prep!