If you are reading this you were probably waitlisted by Penn, or are trying to plan ahead just in case that’s how things work out. Either way, we’re here to help. First, let’s break down how the waitlist has played out with Penn in recent years.
For the Class of 2027, Penn admitted 72% fewer students off of the waitlist than the previous year, which highlights the role of yield rate in waitlist outcomes. What is the yield rate? Well, the Yield Rate is the percentage of accepted students who choose a college. If every student who is accepted picks the school, that would be a 100% yield — but that doesn’t exist in reality for even the most prestigious colleges. A very strong yield rate is anything over 55%. This is why colleges typically accept more than double the number students they can actually fit on campus. They know that many won’t pick them, so they accept more than they need. Penn plays the same game, and this is where the waitlist comes in. If they miscalculate and have more spots open after all the accepted students make their decision, they need a pool to pull from. The waitlist serves as this pool.
Historically, Penn has carried a deep waitlist. For the Class of 2026, Penn offered 3,351 students a spot on the waitlist, and 2,508 chose to join. 147 were eventually admitted, or 5.9%. The following year, they admitted 40 students off of the waitlist out of 2,288 — or a measly 1.7%. This was the lowest waitlist acceptance rate in 5 years.
The waitlist acceptance numbers for the Class of 2028 haven’t been released, which underlines how you can’t really predict what this year will be like. You have no control over how deep the waitlist is nor how many accepted students claim a spot in the first-year class before Penn even glances as the waitlist. All that you can control is what you do now.
In this post, we break down what you need to do now to improve your chances of admission to Penn while also setting yourself up regardless of how Penn works out.
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If you are offered a spot on the Penn waitlist, there are four things that you need to do. Let’s get into them.
Step 1: Accept Spot on Waitlist
First, you need to let Penn know that you want to be put on the waitlist, or else you’re not actually on it. If you do not submit the Wait List Form by the date given in your offer, they will not reconsider your application should a spot open up.
Before joining, though, make sure to note what you’re actually being waitlisted for. If you applied for a dual-degree, accelerated, or specialized program, you may have been waitlisted for a single-degree option, or a limited program. If this isn’t interesting to you, just don’t join the waitlist. But if you are open to a modified Penn experience, be sure to let them know in step 3.
If you aren’t sure if what Penn is offering is something you actually want, take a few days to think about it. The Penn waitlist is not ranked, so you can take some time to consider your options. You simply must respond by the deadline listed in your waitlist offer — no excuses.
Step 2: Confirm with a College
This one can be a bit painful. After joining the Penn waitlist, you need to commit to a college that accepted you, even if you aren’t excited about it. Obviously, you should pick your best fit out of the options you have, but you need to pick a school even if your options aren’t ideal. Postponing college a year to apply again is a bad plan. Transferring, if ultimately necessary, is a much better option, and something you can plan for well in advance (and we can help) if that gives you peace of mind.
Step 3: Update Penn
Penn has historically allowed you to submit “additional information that sheds new light on your candidacy,” and they typically prefer to receive it through the Penn Applicant Portal. Historically, you’ve only been able to submit an update once. So do this carefully. You don’t get a re-do if you forget something.
That means you should read the rest of this post before rushing to update Penn, and you’ll need to write a single-page letter that is less than 500 words. The letter needs to have 3 parts.
Part 1: The opening should be like the start to a letter (Dear Penn Admissions), and you need to follow that with an equally formal introduction. Share your name, current school, status (a waitlisted applicant), and your prospective major. Remember to adjust your prospective major if you’ve been accepted to the waitlist for a specific program or course of study, as listed in your waitlist offer. Finally, you must include a sentence in this first section that clearly states that you will immediately accept a spot if one is offered.
Part 2: Next comes the meat of this update — the update part. Your update should be focused on the things you highlighted in your initial application, amplifying them further and underlining how driven and determined you are. Aim for 3-5 key updates, which could include things like recognitions, awards, advances in on-going projects or initiatives, or new leadership roles. Don’t try to pack things in here. Focusing on a few highlights is much more powerful than giving a litany of small changes that all blur together for the application readers.
Part 3: With the update complete, you just need to close this out strong. Reiterate again that Penn remains your first choice, and that you will attend if accepted. This is not binding, but you need to say it. Sign off as formally as you opened, with something like “Sincerely,”.
Edit, take a few days, edit again, and then submit.
Step 4: Move On
This is probably the hardest part — harder than committing to a college that isn’t your dream school. You have great things going in, and being hung up on Penn doesn’t help you do even greater things. Commit to a college, update Penn, and then move on. Remember to check your email periodically, but don’t hover over it. You are unlikely to hear anything before mid-May, so enjoy senior year. It’s an exciting time in your life, and you should enjoy it.
Being waitlisted by Penn is no fun, but it’s also not the end of the line. It is possible to get off the Penn waitlist, and it’s also possible to chart a successful collegiate path even if you don’t. Either way, we can help.
Getting off of a waitlist requires strategy. Contact us to get yours.