Admitted Student Profile
GPA (Unweighted)
3.90–4.00 (unweighted)
SAT Range (Middle 50%)
1510–1580
ERW: 740–780 · Math: 770–800
ACT Range (Middle 50%)
34–36
Acceptance Rate
~5.8%
📌 UPenn is test-optional. Wharton applicants who submit scores tend toward the higher end of these ranges.
The Official Prompt
Thank-You Note
"Write a short thank-you note to someone you have not yet thanked and would like to acknowledge."
Penn's thank-you note is a character test in disguise. The person you choose and the specific reason you thank them reveals your values, relationships, and how you've grown. Avoid the obvious (a parent, a coach who inspired you) and find the person whose specific influence is genuinely underacknowledged.
The #1 Failure Mode
Most Common Mistake
Thanking a parent for 'always being there' or a coach for 'believing in you.' These are heartfelt but reveal nothing specific. The best notes thank someone for a precise thing — a single conversation, a difficult truth, a door left open.
Weak vs. Strong: Score Benchmarks
⚠️ Weak (~54/100)
"Dear Mom, I want to thank you for everything you have done for me. You have always believed in me and pushed me to be my best. Without your sacrifices I would not be the person I am today. Love, your son."
✓ Strong (~90/100)
"Dear Mr. Okafor — You told me in 9th grade that my argument was interesting but underdeveloped, and then you made me rewrite it three times before you'd accept it. I was furious. I now understand that you were the first person who held my thinking to the same standard as my effort. That's not a small thing."