April 21, 8:40 p.m.
Despite significant increases in the numbers of applicants to Penn's Ph.D. programs, the number of acceptances at most schools will remain relatively similar to past years.
Only 10 of Penn's 12 graduate schools offer Ph.D. programs - the School of Law and the School of Dental Medicine do not. And although the School of Social Policy and Practice has a doctoral program, the school admitted twice the number of expected students last year and did not accept any new applicants this year, according to associate dean Ram Cnaan.
Some schools, such as the School of Arts and Sciences, School of Medicine, Graduate School of Education and School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, saw smaller increases in applications, while others, such as Wharton and the Annenberg School for Communication, reported much larger increases.
International applications - most of which came from China, India, Iran, Turkey and the Middle East - increased in all schools except the School of Nursing.
SAS, home to the most Ph.D. students, saw a 6-percent increase in applications, with international applicants increasing 19 percent, according to Penn President Amy Gutmann.
Despite the increase, SAS graduate division associate director of admissions Patricia Rea said the school offered about 10-percent fewer admittances this year, citing the current economy as a reason.
"We never know ahead of time what the acceptance rate will be, so SAS has prudently admitted a slightly smaller number," Gutmann said. "Other graduate schools ... have remained basically steady."
See Tuesday's Daily Pennsylvanian for more information.
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