Admissions

Since becoming vice provost and admissions dean at the University of Pennsylvania a little over a year ago, Whitney Soule, who spent her elementary years in Wayne, has already started making changes in the application process which is one of the most competitive in the country.

Penn’s new application essay prompt is highlighted for its focus on gratitude, with quotes from Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule and Angela Duckworth of the School of Arts & Sciences.

In a Q&A, Whitney Soule discusses her role as dean of admissions, answers questions about the admissions process, and tackles the biggest challenges facing Admissions at Penn today.

Dean of Admissions Whitney Soule reports a 34% boost in applications for Penn’s first year of test-optional admissions, 2020-21, with sustained increases in numbers and application diversity into 2022.

Admissions Dean Whitney Soule explains the reasoning behind a new short-answer prompt for Penn applicants that emphasizes gratitude for others.

Penn was cited for joining other elite institutions in not releasing its current admit rate, and Penn was further cited for pointing how many of its accepted students had research experience.

Admissions Dean Whitney Soule comments on students engaged in academic research during their time in high school, many earning national and international accolades for research.

Princeton University, Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania have also decided to refrain from releasing detailed admissions statistics. The remaining five Ivy League universities—Harvard, Yale, Columbia, Brown and Dartmouth—have made their traditional admissions announcements. 

Admissions Dean Whitney Soule said drawing attention to the acceptance rate of Ivy League schools like Penn does more harm than good, distressing applicants and their parents. “We’re focusing not on how hard we are to get into but on who these young people are that we chose,” she said.