Does UPenn Require SAT? Yes, SAT or ACT for Fall 2027

Yes. The University of Pennsylvania requires the SAT or ACT for applicants in the 2026-27 cycle (students entering fall 2027). Penn's admissions office states that applicants "are required to submit scores for the SAT or ACT," and that students who face hardship in meeting the requirement can submit a waiver instead. The rule covers first-year, domestic, international, homeschooled, transfer, and QuestBridge applicants.

This page is the policy. For how a specific score compares, see SAT and ACT scores for UPenn. Policy source: Penn Admissions testing page (checked September 24, 2026).

When Penn Brought Back the SAT Requirement

Penn announced in February 2025 that, beginning with the 2025-26 admissions cycle, it would require standardized testing or a testing waiver for all undergraduate applicants (Penn Admissions blog, February 14, 2025). That means the current 2026-27 cycle is the second required year, not the first. The Class of 2030, which just enrolled, was the first class admitted under the rule.

Penn's latest Common Data Set lists the SAT or ACT as "Require" for fall 2027 admission. So for current seniors there is no ambiguity. Unlike Columbia, which stays test-optional this year, Penn expects a score from you unless the waiver applies.

Who Can Use the Penn Testing Waiver

The waiver is narrower than many students assume. Penn's testing page says it is for applicants who have not taken the SAT or ACT and who experience hardship in meeting the requirement. On the application, you describe the nature of the hardship, and Penn gives examples: lack of test center availability, financial hardship, natural disaster, or civil unrest. Once you submit it, the requirement is automatically waived.

Two rules close the obvious loophole:

• If you have taken the SAT or ACT, you must submit your scores. Penn states this directly on its testing page.
• Scores override the waiver. If Penn receives official or self-reported SAT or ACT scores, those scores supersede the waiver and are used in review.

In other words, the waiver is not a way to hide a score you do not like. It is for students who could not get to a test at all.

What Penn Accepts and How It Superscores

• No preference between the SAT and ACT. If you submit both, Penn pays attention to the higher score.
• No minimum score. Penn says there is no minimum required to apply.
• SAT superscore. Penn combines your highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing score with your highest Math score across test dates, in either format.
• ACT superscore. Penn takes your highest English, Math, and Reading scores across test dates and calculates a composite superscore. That matches the enhanced ACT, where the composite is English, Math, and Reading. ACT Science is not required.
• Score Choice is permitted, but Penn encourages you to send your full testing history for both tests, for context and to avoid errors.

The superscore logic is the reason a second attempt usually has no downside at Penn: a weaker section on one date does not replace a stronger one from another. How SAT superscoring works shows the math with examples.

Self-Reporting and Official Scores

You can self-report SAT and ACT scores in the testing section of the Common App, Coalition Application, or QuestBridge Application, or later through your Penn Portal. Penn recommends self-reporting every test you have taken so it can build an accurate superscore.

There are two exceptions and one follow-up:

• Recruited athletes must send official scores through the testing agency or another University-approved source.
• Admitted students who self-reported must send official scores before enrolling.
• Superscores need receipts. If your self-reported superscore draws on several dates, Penn expects an official report for each contributing test before enrollment.

Penn's codes are SAT 2926 and ACT 3732. If you are ordering official reports, how to send SAT scores and how to send ACT scores cover the steps.

Last SAT and ACT Dates for Penn Early Decision and Regular Decision

Penn's Early Decision deadline is November 1, 2026 (binding, decisions in December), and Regular Decision is January 5, 2027 (decisions in April), per its first-year applicant page. Penn also publishes the last test date it will consider for each round:

Penn warns that scores from tests taken after these dates may not arrive in time to be considered, and asks you to list Penn as a score recipient. Registration for the October 17 ACT has closed, so an Early Decision applicant who still needs a score is looking at the November 7 SAT (regular registration closes October 23, late registration October 27, per College Board). Scores from that date come out November 20. Early Decision at Penn is binding, and what binding really means is worth reading before you commit. More timing detail for other schools is in the last test dates for Early Decision.

What a Competitive Score Looks Like at Penn

Penn's Class of 2030 incoming class profile (accurate as of September 2026) is the first profile from a required-testing year. Penn says testing was required for everyone who did not submit a hardship waiver, and the middle 50% of enrolled students reported 1440 to 1550 on the SAT and 33 to 35 on the ACT.

Compare that with Penn's 2025-26 Common Data Set, which describes the fall 2025 class, the last one admitted test-optional. There, only 52% of enrolled students submitted the SAT and 18% the ACT, and the middle 50% ran 740 to 770 on Reading and Writing, 770 to 800 on Math, and 34 to 35 on the ACT. The required-year range is lower and wider. A likely reason: when everyone must report, the numbers include students who would not have chosen to send theirs, so the band reflects the whole class rather than only the highest scorers.

The practical takeaway: the Class of 2030 range is the better guide for you, since you are applying under the same rule. A score in the 1400s, like a 1450, sits inside Penn's current middle 50%. It is not a guarantee of anything at a school this selective, but it is not a reason to skip applying either.

International and Homeschooled Applicants

The SAT or ACT requirement applies to international and homeschooled applicants too. International students may also need an English proficiency test. You are exempt if English is your native language or if English was your primary language of instruction for at least three years by the time you enroll. Otherwise Penn requires the TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo English Test, sent officially (Penn does not accept self-reported English proficiency scores). Penn does not currently accept the IELTS Indicator or TOEFL MyBest scores, and results must still be valid, within two years of the exam, when you apply.

If you are working toward one of those remaining SAT dates, short daily practice helps. Larry Learns has 25,000+ SAT and ACT questions on the web, iPhone, and Android, and the free plan includes 3 quizzes and 3 AI explanations a day.

Frequently Asked Questions About Penn's SAT Requirement

Does UPenn require the SAT for fall 2027?

Yes. Penn requires the SAT or ACT for the 2026-27 cycle, with a waiver only for applicants who have not tested and face hardship such as no test center access, financial hardship, natural disaster, or civil unrest.

Is UPenn test-optional?

No. Penn ended test-optional admissions starting with the 2025-26 cycle. The current cycle is the second year of the requirement.

Does Penn superscore the SAT and ACT?

Yes. For the SAT, Penn combines your highest Reading and Writing and highest Math across dates. For the ACT, it combines your highest English, Math, and Reading into a composite superscore. ACT Science is not required.

Can I use the Penn testing waiver if I don't like my score?

No. The waiver is only for students who have not taken the SAT or ACT. Penn says applicants who have tested are required to submit their scores, and any scores Penn receives supersede a waiver.

What is the last SAT date for Penn Early Decision?

November 7, 2026. The last ACT for Early Decision is October 17, 2026. For Regular Decision, the last dates are the December 5, 2026 SAT and the December 12, 2026 ACT.

Can I self-report my SAT score to Penn?

Yes, on the Common App, Coalition, or QuestBridge application or through your Penn Portal. Recruited athletes must send official scores, and admitted students must send official reports before enrolling.

Penn needs a number from you this year, so every week before your test date counts. Start a free practice quiz today, or create a free account to track your practice.