Eligibility

The Penn Summer High School Programs are designed for academically qualified high school students currently in 10th, 11th, or 12th grade. Students in 9th grade may be considered based on their academic record.

Application Deadlines

The online application for Penn Summer High School Programs is available of November 17, 2008. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis through May 1, 2009, or until the programs are full. It is to your advantage to apply well in advance of the application due date. We may continue to accept applications after that date on a program-by-program basis until that program is full.

Admission decisions are generally posted to your online application account within one week of submitting the completed application (including our receipt of docs). You will receive an email notifying you that a decision has been made, which you can check by logging into your account.

How to Apply

Applications may only be submitted through our online application system. Click button to begin:

An application must contain all of the following in order to be considered complete:

1. Completed online application.
2. Official (sealed) copy of all high school transcripts mailed to the address below.
3. One letter of recommendation, preferably from a teacher you have had in a major academic subject, or your high school counselor.
4. Application essay and supplemental questions (see below).
5. Standardized test scores, if available. These may be SAT, ACT, or PSAT. Enter the scores in the online application and mail a copy (not official) to the address below.
   **International students who do not study at an English-language high school must submit TOEFL scores.**
6. Non-refundable application fee of $70.00. Payable online by credit card or by check. (Make checks payable to the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania and mail to the address below.)

Mailing Address:

3440 Market Street, Suite 100
Philadelphia, PA 19104-3335 

Note: The online application is a standard LPS admissions application and may give you the option of submitting additional materials with your application. However, only the items listed above are required for the Penn Summer High School application.

Application Essay and Supplemental Questions

Please answer the following questions and save in a single file in Word or another word processing format. You will be prompted to upload this file in the online application.

Essay

1. Describe a significant person or event in your life and how this has affected your decision to study a specific topic in college or pursue a specific career later in life.
   
   Your essay should be 300-400 words (approximately one (1) page, single-spaced, 12-point font). We value thoughtfulness and quality over quantity.

Supplemental Questions

1. Are you applying to be a resident or a commuter (day) student?
2. If you are applying for the Pre-College program, please list four (4) courses in order of your preference.
   
   An updated list of courses may be found on the Penn website: http://www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/highschool/summer/precollege/courses. Final course selection will be made in conjunction with the program director once an accepted applicant has paid in full and are based on course availability which is subject to change. We will attempt to honor your first choice(s). However, we cannot guarantee enrollment in a specific course due to changes in course offerings or availability of seats. In general, Pre-College students will be enrolled on a first-paid (in full), first enrolled basis.
3. Did you use a "referral agent" to identify the Penn SHSP? Did this agent help you with the  application process?  If yes, please provide the contact information (name, address, phone, email) of that agent.

Questions

If you have questions about the Penn Summer High School Program, please contact Ed Healy, Penn Campus Manager, at hsprogs@sas.upenn.edu or at 516-621-3939.