How to Apply to Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania: Apply to the College of Arts and Sciences and Choose Psychology After Entry, With Requirements and Timeline for Chinese High School, Canadian High School and Transfer Students

At the University of Pennsylvania (Penn), psychology sits in the College of Arts and Sciences, where it is offered as a major and a minor. Penn applicants apply to one of four undergraduate schools (or a coordinated dual-degree programme) rather than to a major, so to study psychology you apply to the College and choose your major after you arrive. Here is what you need to know for fall 2027 entry, based on Penn’s official information, for students at high schools in China, students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver), and transfer students.

1. Which school to apply to, and choosing psychology

• Apply to the College of Arts and Sciences: you choose one of Penn’s four undergraduate schools. The College offers more than 55 majors, and more than half of Penn undergraduates earn their degree there.
• School-specific writing: alongside your Common App essay, Penn asks three short-answer questions, one specific to the College; Penn advises explaining both why Penn and why that school.
• Academic structure: a College major is never fewer than 12 courses, and with general education and free electives you need 32 to 36 courses to graduate. Each new student is matched with a Pre-Major Advisor.
• Psychology major requirements: the psychology department’s website returned 403 to our requests, so this guide has not checked prerequisites and course counts; see the department’s major requirements page.

2. Deadlines and materials

• Early Decision (ED): due 1 November 2026, decisions in December. ED is binding: if admitted you must enrol, and you, a parent and your counselor sign an ED agreement.
• Regular Decision (RD): due 5 January 2027, decisions in April.
• Platform: the Common App or Coalition Application (one only); the fee is US$75.
• Recommendations: one from your counselor and one from a teacher in a core subject, plus an optional third.
• Transcripts: official transcripts for all high school years plus the School Report; a mid-year report once first-semester Grade 12 grades are out (by 15 February for deferred ED applicants). Non-English documents need certified translations.
• SAT or ACT (required):
  • no minimum score and no preference between tests; Penn superscores, and ACT Science is not required;
  • you can self-report and send official scores if admitted;
  • last test dates: the October 2026 ACT or November 2026 SAT for ED, and December 2026 for RD;
  • applicants facing hardship can submit a testing waiver, but anyone who has tested must submit scores.

3. Students at high schools in China

• Same process as US applicants: Penn reads applications by the location of your high school, not your citizenship.
• No fixed course list or minimum scores: Penn uses comprehensive review and looks for you to take advantage of rigorous courses available at your school.
• Transcripts: records for every grade level in your school’s structure, including three-year high schools; no third-party evaluation or GPA recalculation.
• External exams: Penn usually decides before many national exam results are released. In A-Level, IB and similar programmes, have your school send predicted results; final results are required before you enrol.
• English: see section 5.

4. Students at Canadian high schools

• Materials and deadlines are the same as above. Penn does not list province-specific course or grade requirements, including for BC, and uses comprehensive review.
• Students taught in English for at least three years are usually exempt from English tests (section 5).
• Financial aid: Canadian citizens and permanent residents complete Penn’s Financial Aid Application for Canadian Citizens with student and parent Canadian tax returns. Penn’s international aid policy applies to students who are not citizens or permanent residents of the US, Canada or Mexico.

5. English requirements

• Exempt if English is your native language, or English has been your primary language of instruction for at least three years (high school, college or both) by the time you enrol.
• Otherwise submit TOEFL, IELTS Academic or Duolingo. Penn says competitive applicants tend to have:
  • new TOEFL (1–6) 5 or above, with consistent sections; old TOEFL (0–120) 100 or above;
  • IELTS 7 or above overall;
  • Duolingo 130 or above.
• For the 2026-2027 cycle, only tests taken on or after 1 April 2025 and sent directly by the testing agency are accepted; no self-reported scores, IELTS Indicator, IELTS One Skill Retake or TOEFL MyBest. Penn’s TOEFL code is 2926.

6. Costs and financial aid

• 2026-2027 cost of attendance (on campus, US$): tuition 65,670, fees 8,308, housing 13,644, food 6,960, books 1,412, transportation 1,080, personal 2,008, total 99,082. Students must live on campus with a meal plan for their first two years.
• International aid:
  • for international applicants (not citizens or permanent residents of the US, Canada or Mexico) admission is need-aware;
  • admitted aid recipients have 100% of demonstrated need met;
  • you must apply for aid when you apply for admission; requests after admission, or in later years, are not considered;
  • aid is need-based only, with no merit awards.
• Aid deadlines: 6 November 2026 for ED, 1 February 2027 for RD.

7. Transfer students

• Timing: the fall 2027 transfer application opens on 5 January 2027 and is due 15 March 2027. Penn admits for fall only.
• Eligibility: one to two years of transferable coursework, with at least one full year (eight semester courses) completed by the spring before enrolling. Bachelor’s degree holders are not eligible.
• College of Arts and Sciences: accepts second- and third-year transfers with up to two years of credit.
• Residency: at least half of all your courses, and half of your major courses, must be taken at Penn.
• Materials: official transcripts from all high schools and colleges, one professor recommendation (plus an optional one), and a College Report confirming good standing; second-year entrants also submit a mid-term report. Transfer applicants also submit the SAT or ACT, or a waiver.
• Credit: a preliminary evaluation is posted after admission but is not guaranteed; departments decide course by course after you enrol, and you need a C or higher. Online (especially asynchronous) courses, summer courses just before enrolling and dual-enrolment courses taken in high school are unlikely to count. Transferred grades do not enter your Penn GPA.

Checklist

Students at high schools in China:

• Apply to the College by 1 November 2026 (ED) or 5 January 2027 (RD)
• SAT or ACT (latest November SAT for ED, December for RD)
• New TOEFL 5 / IELTS 7 / Duolingo 130 or higher, taken after 1 April 2025 and sent by the agency
• For aid, apply with your admission application: 6 November (ED) or 1 February (RD)

Students at Canadian high schools (including BC and Vancouver):

• Same deadlines and testing; three years of English-medium study usually exempts you from English tests
• For aid, use the Canadian citizens’ application with tax returns

Transfer students:

• Apply by 15 March 2027 to the College, entering as a second- or third-year student
• Earn C or better in relevant courses; final credit is set by departments after enrolment

Sources: University of Pennsylvania, First-year applicants; First-year application requirements; Testing; International applicants FAQ; International application guidelines; College of Arts and Sciences; Majors and minors; Transfer requirements and deadlines; Transfer eligibility and credit; Transferring to the College; International financial aid; International aid FAQ; Undergraduate cost of attendance. Information is for fall 2027 entry. Check Penn for the latest details.