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Penn dropped three spots to eighth place in the 2013 U.S. News and World Report rankings of the nation’s top colleges and universities. The Wharton School retained its spot as the top undergraduate business school.
According to the Office of Admissions, 14 percent of Penn’s newly admitted Class of 2016 are first-generation college students whose parents have not attained college degrees.
The Admissions Office waitlisted 2,017 students this admissions cycle, continuing a trend of shrinking the waitlist over the past few years. Penn waitlisted 2,400 students last year and more than 3,500 students three years ago.
Dean of Admissions Eric Furda said the Office of Admissions usually sends warning letters to newly admitted students and their high-school counselors after a “pattern of lower grades” or a failing grade.
Penn’s overall acceptance rate of 12.3 percent for the Class of 2016 is the exact same as the initial acceptance rate last year.
INTERACTIVE: Penn Admission Rates Over Time VIDEO: Your Admissions Memories LAST YEAR: Penn admissions drops to 12.3 percent
It’s been almost a year since I, along with other regular decision applicants, got into Penn. Even though March 30, 2011 seems like a while ago, I try to remind myself how fortunate I am to be at Penn.
According to the Office of Admissions, the alumni interview is completely optional and about 6,500 Penn alumni will interview only half of all applicants per year based largely on geographic location and the number of volunteer interviewers.
VIPER — the Vagelos Integrated Program in Energy Research — was announced in the fall and is currently working to finalize its curriculum and admit its first freshman class ever. VIPER will combine courses from the College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Engineering and Applied Science to educate students on alternative energy resources.
On Wednesday night, Ware College House hosted the East Coast premiere of First Generation, a documentary that follows the lives of four first-generation college applicants.
Dean of Admissions Eric Furda said there is “a growing public need for people who are willing to give advice” about colleges, which often comes in the form of college counselors.
Tonight, Ware College House will host the East Coast premiere of First Generation, a documentary that follows four first-generation college applicants as they make their way through the admissions process.
“Penn consistently, and more recently, has been seen as an environment that is supportive and welcoming across the board of LGBT students and allies,” Furda said. While the Common Application does not include a check box for applicants to indicate their sexual orientation, many students may choose to self-identify as LGBT through their essays and other written material.
About thirty-five years later in the digital age, the Common App announced last month that its online system is scheduled for a makeover in 2013 to better handle the projected increases in application volume.
Recently, Wharton’s MBA program opted to send its admissions officers around the world to interview applicants who cannot physically attend an on-campus interview, replacing alumni who previously filled this role.
The Admissions Dean’s Advisory Board — which Dean of Admissions Eric Furda brought together last year to involve undergraduates in the University’s recruitment process — is currently piloting a program for academic likely letter recipients.