In a deja vu-inducing turn of events, the University of Pennsylvania on Thursday announced an increase in the number of students who applied under the school’s binding Early Decision policy. A staggering 9,500 students applied ED to the Class of 2029, setting a new record and surpassing last year’s showing of 8,500 for the Class of 2028 and 8,000 for the Class of 2027. This surge in applications marks a significant shift, as in prior cycles, Penn’s Early Decision application pool never hit 8,000, capping at 7,962 for the Class of 2025.

Penn’s Class of 2029 Early Decision admissions data comes despite a year marred by campus antisemitism and institutional turmoil (and turnover — including the ouster of its president!). How did Penn manage to quell the adverse impacts of bad PR this year, just as some of its Ivy League counterparts experienced abysmal showings that were undoubtedly related to their tarnished reputations? Sometimes, that’s just the luck of the draw!

It’s worth noting that Penn’s test-optional policy has had a significant impact on this year’s applicant pool. While many other elite institutions have returned to mandatory testing policies, Penn’s decision to maintain its test-optional policy means that this year’s pool was filled with “squeakers,” a term we at Ivy Coach use to describe academically underprepared applicants who try to squeeze their way into highly selective schools by withholding test scores.

UPenn Early Decision Acceptance Rates & Admissions Statistics

Penn Withholds Class of 2029 Early Decision Acceptance Rate

Continuing with the decision made last year to withhold the ED acceptance rate, Penn did not disclose the acceptance rate for its Early Decision applicants. However, we at Ivy Coach are eagerly awaiting the release of this figure, which will be available when the Ivy League school releases it to The Common Data Set. We will be sure to share this figure with our readers as soon as it becomes available.

Two years ago, when this data finally arrived for the Class of 2027, it revealed that a record-low 14.85% of ED applicants were given a spot at Penn during that cycle. That figure compared to the 15.63% acceptance rate for Early Decision applicants to the Class of 2026 and a previously record-breaking 14.9% ED acceptance rate for the Class of 2025. Our Ivy Coach crystal ball predicts that the Class of 2029 will break this record, giving Penn a reason to gloat over many other schools that did not fare nearly as well this cycle.

Penn Early Decision Admissions Statistics Over 20+ Years

Below are Penn’s Early Decision admissions statistics over the last two-plus decades:

Admissions Cycle	UPenn Graduating Class	UPenn Early Decision Admission Rate
2024-2025	Class of 2029	Not Yet Released
2023-2024	Class of 2028	Not Yet Released
2022-2023	Class of 2027	14.85%
2021-2022	Class of 2026	15.63%
2020-2021	Class of 2025	14.90%
2019-2020	Class of 2024	19.70%
2018-2019	Class of 2023	18%
2017-2018	Class of 2022	18.50%
2016-2017	Class of 2021	22%
2015-2016	Class of 2020	23.20%
2014-2015	Class of 2019	23.90%
2013-2014	Class of 2018	25.20%
2012-2013	Class of 2017	24.90%
2011-2012	Class of 2016	25.40%
2010-2011	Class of 2015	26.20%
2009-2010	Class of 2014	31.20%
2008-2009	Class of 2013	31.50%
2007-2008	Class of 2012	29.20%
2006-2007	Class of 2011	29%
2005-2006	Class of 2010	28.40%
2004-2005	Class of 2009	34.20%
2003-2004	Class of 2008	33.10%
2002-2003	Class of 2007	38.90%

Breakdown of the Penn Class of 2029 Early Decision Admits

What do we know about this new crop of Quakers? Not much, not much at all. Penn has withheld almost every data point we normally would share. We don’t know who these students are, where they come from, what they plan on studying, or how diverse of a cohort they come together to make. This move comes on the heels of similar turns away from transparency at places like Harvard. 

This past June, however, this data finally did arrive…for the Class of 2028. When Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule sat down with The Daily Pennsylvanian to reveal that the overall acceptance rate in 2028 was a record low 5.4%, we also learned that “the Class of 2028 consists of 2,400 students from 47 states and 95 countries. Legacy students constitute 14% of the Class, and 14.5% are from Pennsylvania.”

Compare this 5.4% rate to the typical ED acceptance rate hovering around 15%, and you might understand why our students at Ivy Coach apply Early Decision. The advantage is unequivocal! Why? Because Penn’s admissions officers want to admit highly enthusiastic students who know where they’re meant to be. Just ask Ivy Coach’s former University Pennsylvania admissions officer, Jayson Weingarten!

Ivy Coach’s Assistance Post-Penn Deferral or Denial

If you were denied or deferred to Penn’s Class of 2029, the time is now to learn about Ivy Coach’s go-forward packages with our Jayson Weingarten, a longtime former UPenn admissions officer — to learn what went wrong, what went right, and how you should pivot for your Regular Decision schools. So, fill out our complimentary consultation form, and we’ll be in touch with an outline of Ivy Coach’s services to optimize your odds of admission.