How to Apply to the University of Pennsylvania’s Nursing (BSN) Degree: You Apply Directly to the School of Nursing, Not to Pre-Nursing First, SAT or ACT Required, Chemistry and Biology Preparation Expected, for U.S., International (Including China) and Transfer Applicants

The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bachelor’s in nursing (BSN) is offered by the School of Nursing (Penn Nursing). Penn’s admissions site says that when you apply you apply to one of the four undergraduate schools (or a coordinated dual-degree program), and the school you choose is your home base; the School of Nursing grants the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and the Bachelor of Science in Nutrition Science. In other words, you apply directly to the School of Nursing; the pages we read do not describe a pre-nursing stage followed by a second application. Below we organize the fall 2027 details for U.S. applicants, international applicants, applicants from China and transfer students. The school also has a 15-month accelerated direct-entry master’s (Master of Professional Nursing) for people who already hold a bachelor’s degree; RN-to-BSN did not appear on the pages we read.

1. Degree and program

• Traditional BSN: the program card says full-time, 4 years, fall start, in-person, with financial aid available.
• Curriculum: the nursing school says the program begins in the first year with a mix of science, nursing and liberal arts courses, and students are encouraged to take courses across Penn’s four undergraduate schools. Clinicals begin in the spring of sophomore year, with experiences in primary care, acute care, women’s health and mental health, with patients from newborns to older adults. Penn’s admissions page adds that the school partners with top teaching hospitals and clinical agencies to fulfill its requirement of three years of clinical experience (its wording). A list of partner hospitals is not on the pages we read; ask the nursing admissions office.
• Dual degrees and second major: the Nursing and Healthcare Management coordinated dual degree (NHCM, with the Wharton School; you earn a BSN and a Wharton BS in Economics with a Healthcare Management and Policy concentration); a second major in Nutrition Science; minors; and you may also complete BSN requirements together with those of the College of Arts and Sciences, Engineering or Wharton, which the school says needs a heavy course load and may take more than four years, and the application process varies by school.
• Submatriculation: from junior year you can begin taking courses that count toward both the undergraduate degree and one of 11 master’s programs, or a degree from Penn Law or the Perelman School of Medicine.
• Honors: Benjamin Franklin Scholars–Nursing. The listed expectations are completing 3 BFS seminars, an e-portfolio and a 3.4 GPA at graduation. How to get in and how many places there are: the pages we read do not say; contact the faculty director named on the page.
• NCLEX-RN pass rate, STEM status, pre-health advising: not on the nursing pages we read; check with Penn Nursing.

2. How you get into nursing, and the bar

• Direct application: the nursing school says high school students apply through Penn’s central undergraduate admissions office. Penn’s admissions page says to write about the specific school you choose, and the school-specific essay prompt differs by school.
• What the school wants to see: a commitment to patient care and the future of health care delivery; a desire to explore issues in health care and research; and strong preparation in the sciences, particularly chemistry and biology (another page says exposure to chemistry). The nursing school’s “How to Apply” page says decisions are a holistic review of academic record, demonstrated interest, research experience, work history, exposure to health care, letters of recommendation and more.
• GPA cutoffs, prerequisite grades, TEAS/HESI-type exams, interviews, background checks, physicals and vaccines, insurance: not specified on the undergraduate pages we read. The nursing “How to Apply” page says all Penn Nursing students must meet immunization, CPR, drug screen, background check and other program-specific requirements, without giving undergraduate details; ask the nursing admissions office.
• Moving between schools: Penn’s transfer page says that once you are admitted to a specific school as a transfer applicant you cannot move between schools; how current Penn students move into the School of Nursing is not on the pages we read.

3. High school and course requirements, credit

• High school courses: Penn’s admissions site says it uses a comprehensive review and has no explicit course requirements or minimum test score requirements; it generally likes to see rigorous courses and good preparation for the program you apply to; the nursing school wants a strong chemistry and biology base. A specific math requirement is not on the pages we read.
• Nursing prerequisites: first-year students have no prerequisite list; nursing courses start in the first year. Transfer prerequisites are in section 6. The full plan of study is in the Penn undergraduate catalog, which we did not access; please read it on Penn’s website.
• AP, IB and A-Level credit (Pre-College Credits page), items relevant to nursing: AP Chemistry 5 earns NURS 0061 (0.5 course units, for Nursing students only); AP Statistics 5 earns NURS 2300 (1 course unit, for Nursing students only); AP Biology earns no credit; AP Calculus BC 5 earns a math course (Math 1300 for students entering 2025 onward); AP Psychology 5 waives Psychology 0001; AP Physics 1 and 2 with a 5 carry physics course credit. IB Higher Level: Biology earns no credit, Chemistry 7 or 6 earns credit for Engineering students only, Psychology 7 or 6 waives Psychology 0001. A-Level Biology and Chemistry carry no credit for Nursing students. The page says these policies are under ongoing review and may change; follow the policy of your home school office at matriculation.
• College courses taken during high school: no credit is awarded for college-level coursework taken at other institutions while in high school or the summer after; it is used only as preparation and placement advice.

4. Rounds, deadlines and costs (fall 2027 entry)

• Rounds and deadlines: Early Decision (binding) November 1, 2026, with decisions in December; Regular Decision January 5, 2027, with decisions in April. You can apply with the Common App, Coalition App or QuestBridge.
• Application fee: $75; fee waivers are available.
• Essays: a personal statement; Penn short answers: a thank-you note (150–200 words, first-year applicants only), “How will you explore community at Penn?” (150–200 words), and a school-specific prompt for the school you apply to. Coordinated dual-degree programs have extra essays.
• Recommendations: two — your school counselor (or a school official) and one teacher in a core subject (math, science, history, English or a foreign language); an optional extra letter from a second teacher or a community supporter.
• Transcripts and tests: an official high school transcript and School Report; Penn requires the SAT or ACT, with a hardship waiver submitted within the application. Last test dates accepted: Early Decision October 2026 (ACT) or November 2026 (SAT); Regular Decision December 2026 (ACT) or December 2026 (SAT). You may self-report scores, then must have official scores sent by the testing agency if admitted. Admitted students send a final transcript in June.
• Interview, supplementary materials, nursing-specific application platform (such as NursingCAS): not on the pages we read.

5. The three kinds of applicants

U.S. applicants

• In-state/out-of-state tuition, nursing surcharge, in-state preference: the pages we read do not distinguish in-state from out-of-state tuition and do not mention a nursing surcharge. The nursing school points to the university’s Student Registration and Financial Services site for BSN program costs (we did not access it); check there.
• Aid: Penn says aid is entirely need-based, not merit; it has a no-loan program, and the nursing school’s aid page says Penn meets 100% of the demonstrated need of every undergraduate; families with income under $75,000 (with typical assets) get packages covering billed expenses (tuition, fees, housing, dining), and aided families with income up to $200,000 get at least full tuition. The page says 46% of undergraduates received no-loan aid in 2024–2025 with an average package of $72,155. To apply: FAFSA, CSS Profile and federal tax returns, due November 6 (Early Decision) or February 1 (Regular Decision).
• Nursing-school awards (undergraduate aid page): Amy Gutmann Leadership Scholars (eligible students are notified); the Sands Scholarship loan forgiveness ($32,500 split over the last two years, with a two-year work commitment at Princeton Medical Center); Independence Blue Cross Nurses for Tomorrow ($500–$2,500, by place of residence); the Melissa Sengbusch award ($10,000 over four years with a 3.0 GPA); the Nursing/Wharton Impact Scholars loan program (for NHCM students); the SELF scholarship ($2,000 a year for four years, 2.75 GPA, one-year US work commitment); and Scholars Network (up to $105,000 in loan repayment for a two-to-three-year work commitment).

International applicants

• Can you apply to the BSN: the nursing school’s international page lists the BSN as on-campus and fully eligible for visa sponsorship. It adds that the MSN Nurse Practitioner and Midwifery tracks cannot be sponsored because of hybrid learning.
• Process: Penn’s admissions site says the process is the same for domestic and international applicants, using the same applications; every application is evaluated by the location of the high school regardless of citizenship; citizenship and permanent residency affect financial aid. If your school system has only 3 years, have the school provide complete records for all years; documents not in English need certified translations; transcripts do not need third-party evaluation and grades should not be recalculated. Predicted scores are accepted if finals are not yet available.
• English: TOEFL, IELTS Academic and Duolingo are accepted; not accepted: IELTS Indicator, IELTS One Retake, TOEFL MyBest. Penn gives what “competitive applicants tend to” have: the new TOEFL (1–6 band scale) composite of 5 or above; the old 0–120 scale composite of about 100 or above (taken within two years); IELTS 7 or above; Duolingo 130 or above. Scores must come from exams taken on or after April 1, 2025, sent directly by the testing agency. You are exempt if English is your native language or the primary language of instruction for at least three years (high school, college, or a combination). The nursing school’s international page separately states a minimum TOEFL of 100 (Reading 26, Listening 26, Speaking 25, Writing 25; institution code 2996) and IELTS 7.0 overall and in each section; that page opens with a reference to “graduate” programs and does not say whether this applies to the BSN, so confirm with the admissions office.
• Restrictions in nursing for international students, clinical courses, licensure exam, Social Security number: not on the pages we read; ask Penn Nursing.
• Funding: international students can apply for aid, but must apply at the same time as admission; requests after admission cannot be considered, and the decision applies to all four years. Penn is need-aware for international applicants (non-citizens and non-permanent residents of the US, Canada and Mexico); the page discourages families able to pay from applying for aid, and says some qualified candidates may not be admitted because aid funds are limited. Admitted aid recipients get 100% of demonstrated need. The CSS Profile and tax or earnings statements are required.

Applicants from China

• Whether the Gaokao is used, Huikao materials, China-specific notes: not on the Penn pages we read. The international applicants page mentions national and international external examinations only generally (examples: IB, Cambridge, AICE) without naming the Gaokao. Contact Penn’s undergraduate admissions office and check the international applicants page.
• General requirements: Penn has no separate list for applicants from China; the general international requirements are in the section above (application form, official transcripts with certified translation, SAT or ACT, proof of English, recommendations, essays).

6. Transfer students

• Who can transfer into nursing: Penn’s admissions site says the School of Nursing accepts students with up to two years of credit, but all admitted students enter as second-year students; people who already hold a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to transfer into an undergraduate school. You need at least one full year of transferable coursework (8 semester courses or equivalent), completed by the spring before enrollment; at least half your courses must be completed at Penn; nursing says transfer students generally take about 3 years to finish the BSN.
• Prerequisites: at least eight transferable college courses, including Introduction to Chemistry with Lab, Introduction to Biology with Lab, and Introduction to Anatomy and Physiology 1 with Lab or Human Anatomy with Lab. Recommended: Introduction to Microbiology with Lab, Anatomy and Physiology II with Lab, Introduction to Nutrition, Introduction to Statistics.
• GPA and course grades: a GPA cutoff is not on the pages we read. Transfer credit needs a C or better, a regionally accredited institution, similar content and credit hours, and at least 40 contact hours per term; asynchronous online courses are less likely to be approved and summer courses immediately before enrollment generally do not count. Departments review each course after enrollment through the external credit approval tool; the preliminary evaluation is an estimate.
• Timing and materials: the fall 2027 transfer application opens January 5, 2027 and is due March 15, 2027; fall entry only. Materials: Common App or Coalition App, $75 fee, official transcripts from every school, the SAT or ACT (taken within five years; last dates accepted February 2027 for the ACT or March 2027 for the SAT), one professor’s recommendation (plus an optional second), a mid-term report if entering as a second-year student, a College Report from your institution, and four Penn-specific essays and short answers.
• International transfer applicants: Penn’s transfer pages do not separately describe international transfer requirements; the nursing international page lists the BSN as eligible for visa sponsorship. Confirm with Penn undergraduate admissions.

Checklist

U.S. applicants:

• Apply to the School of Nursing; Early Decision November 1, 2026 or Regular Decision January 5, 2027; $75 fee
• SAT or ACT required; two recommendations; chemistry and biology preparation
• For aid: FAFSA, CSS Profile, tax returns, due November 6 or February 1

International applicants (including China):

• The nursing school says the BSN can be sponsored for a visa; the application is the same as for U.S. applicants
• English: TOEFL, IELTS Academic or Duolingo (taken on or after April 1, 2025), or meet the exemption; confirm whether the nursing page’s TOEFL 100 and IELTS 7.0 apply to the BSN
• Apply for aid together with admission; Penn is need-aware for international applicants
• How the Gaokao is used: not published; ask Penn undergraduate admissions

Transfer students:

• Enter as sophomores; at least 8 transferable courses including chemistry, biology and anatomy and physiology 1 with labs; due March 15, 2027; SAT or ACT required

Sources: University of Pennsylvania, Nursing school: Bachelor of Science in Nursing; Nursing school: Undergraduate Programs; Nursing school: How to Apply; Nursing school: International Applicants; Nursing school: Undergraduate financial aid; Nursing school: Benjamin Franklin Scholars; Penn Admissions: Penn Nursing; First-Year Applicants; Application Requirements; International Applicants; Pre-College Credits; Transferring to Nursing; Transfer Requirements and Deadlines; Transfer Eligibility and Credit; Understanding Your Costs; International Aid. Information is for fall 2027 entry; check Penn’s website for the latest.