UPenn is an elite school, a member of the Ivy League, and regularly one of the top schools in the country. There is great diversity in the university, however, as each college offers wildly different courses, and handles its own admissions.
In this article, we’ll examine admissions videos from three UPenn undergraduate schools: Engineering, Wharton, and Nursing. These videos are great sources of information but are also quite long, and we know how busy high school students are. To take something off your plate, we’ve covered the most salient points here. We’ll link each video as well, in case you want to watch them for yourself. Let’s get started!
Penn Engineering
Engineering is one of the smaller colleges within Penn, accepting around 400 students per class. They offer two degrees to students: a Bachelors in Science Engineering and a Bachelors in Applied Science. Most of their programs offer the BAS, though the BSE is more well known.
Even as an engineering student, you will have to take courses in the humanities, ethics, and social sciences. Penn believes in having well-rounded students, so you won’t be taking only engineering courses. You can double major into the College of Arts and Sciences, or have two majors within engineering. You can take minors in other colleges as well.
There is a big focus on research; any student who wants to participate in research is encouraged to do so. This takes place in labs or working individually with professors. There are also broad support networks for engineering students.
You will need 36 course credits to graduate, or 47 to graduate with a dual degree. The number of credits needed to graduate with dual majors depends on the majors in question, but two engineering majors can be done in 37 course credits. Each course you take is worth one credit, lab classes are worth one and a half. Most students take four or five classes per semester on average.
If you are applying to the engineering school you will need to have calculus experience in high school, and physics is preferred. Generally, math and science experience in high school is prized. If your school does not offer calculus you will not be overtly penalized, but if it is an option for you, you should have taken it.
Applying to a selective admissions program (one of Penn’s special dual enrollment programs, like Management & Technology) does not bias your admission, according to Penn. That said, your application goes to the dual enrollment committee before being sent to Engineering (if that was your second choice), and the reason for rejection from the more selective program may influence their admissions decision.
Penn Wharton
Wharton is larger than Engineering but smaller than Arts and Sciences. There are around 2,500 undergraduates at Wharton at any given time. Each incoming class is around 500-550 students. All students at Wharton earn the same degree, a Bachelors in Science of Economics. Much like Engineering, students don’t just take classes in their specialty but need to take a liberal arts foundation to gain a well-rounded perspective.
37 course credits are required to graduate, 20 in business, 10 in liberal arts and sciences, 2 in leadership, and 5 unrestricted. There are 11 fundamental business classes students have to take for their major, these are:
- Operations, Information, and Decisions 101
- Legal Studies & Business Ethics 101
- Accounting 101 and 102
- Business Economics & Public Policy 250
- Finance 100 and 101
- Statistics 101 and 102
- Marketing 101
- Management 101
You can take these courses at any time, but need to hit all of them before you graduate. Taking them all enables you to determine which concentration you want to explore. Instead of different majors, Wharton offers different concentrations. There are 19 different concentrations offered, and you can do either one or two; you don’t need to have one going in. A concentration requires four courses, two required and two chosen from a list of 10-15. You can also create your own concentration by working with your advisor to pursue a specific interest.
All freshmen take Wharton 101 their first semester. This is a combination lecture course and a group project working with an outside organization on a marketing or other business venture. The idea is to introduce students within the cohort to each other and to introduce them briefly to all of what Wharton offers academically. A cohort is 60 students, all in the same year, who take Wharton 101 together. There are dedicated activities for each cohort, with the idea being to create smaller communities within Wharton.
You can take a minor in another school; a minor requires 6-8 classes, depending on the specific minor. Double majors in the College of Arts and Sciences are also common. Dual degree programs are much more selective and require direct enrollment; applying to the program when you apply to the school.
Applying to one of Penn’s special dual enrollment programs, like Management & Technology, does not bias your admission, according to Penn. That said, your application goes to the dual enrollment committee before being sent to Wharton (if that was your second choice), and the reason for rejection from the more selective program may influence their admissions decision.
Professors are very accessible, and you are encouraged to work with them and attend office hours. The idea is to foster collaboration and mentorship relationships and to get students involved with research. Penn is devoted to getting students involved with research, and professors are often willing to take on student assistants. There are further summer research opportunities that allow for independent research abroad.
Penn Nursing
Nursing is the smallest undergraduate school at Penn, with around 100 students in each incoming class. All students at the school earn the same degree, a Bachelors in Science of Nursing. There is the same liberal arts requirement as all other schools at Penn, as the school wants well-rounded graduates.
Nursing students are allowed to take minors within the school, or those offered from any other school at Penn. They are also allowed to take a second major. The most popular second major for nursing students currently is Nutrition Science.
For the dual degree program in Healthcare Management, you can either apply when you are applying to Penn or after your freshman year. This has a GPA requirement. If applying as a freshman, you must choose either Nursing or Wharton as your second choice school. You can also create your own dual degree with the College of Arts and Sciences, but this will delay your graduation by a year.
There are two unique scholars programs, the Ben Franklin Scholars and Hillman Scholars. The first covers three seminars and a senior project, the second is for students who are interested in nursing research. Note that this is different from medical research, as it is primarily concerned with the field and practice of nursing. The Hillman Scholars program allows you to apply directly to a Ph.D. program at Penn.
There are various specializations within nursing, you must choose one. These specializations are for the various areas of care nurses specialize in. You may also begin earning a Master’s while still enrolled in the college.
Admissions into nursing care about your high school performance the most, this is evaluated in the context of your school. They want to see a few consistent activities with high-level performance. They prefer to see a recommendation from a science teacher, but the teacher’s knowledge of you is the most important part. The essays are of course also very important.
Final Thoughts
While the College of Arts and Sciences is the largest of the four colleges at Penn, it is far from the only when. When you apply to Penn, the school you select matters, though students at all of the colleges have the ability to take classes in another. The school you graduate from matters when seeking jobs, so even if you took a bunch of classes at Wharton, that’s not the same as getting a degree from it. If you want more information about Penn as a whole, check out our fact sheet.
If you want help applying to Penn, or guidance in which of the programs or colleges would suit your needs best, schedule a free consultation to see how we can help you. We have a depth of knowledge about college admissions and are always happy to help students fulfill their educational dreams.
