Penn Arts and Sciences High School Programs Academic English & University Readiness Academy

Your score needs to fall inside a set band. Penn only takes current 9th to 11th graders who aren't native English speakers, and while its other summer programs set a minimum score, this academy sets a required range for each test, with a ceiling as well as a floor. Penn's usual waiver for students at English-medium schools doesn't apply here, and scores count for two years from the test date. The TOEFL range is on the old 0 to 120 scale, and Penn doesn't say how it maps to the newer 1 to 6 band scores.

Beyond the test score, Penn looks for the same things in every summer applicant: at least a 3.5 GPA, strong writing, strong recommendations and a variety of extracurricular interests. The 2026 application asked for three essays of up to 400 words each, one of them about your English education. It also needed a full year's transcript and a $100 fee, plus one recommendation letter that names this program and is written on the recommender's official letterhead. You have to submit the application yourself. Admission is rolling until the academy fills, a decision can take up to six weeks, and Penn keeps a waitlist once places run out.

Penn plans 30 hours a week of classes and cultural activities, although it hasn't published a syllabus yet, so there's no day-by-day timetable to check. The work mirrors university study: reading academic texts, listening to lectures, joining discussions, doing research and working on group projects, all built around the question "What does innovation mean?" You'll also hear guest lectures and get advising sessions from members of the Penn community about studying at US universities, and go on field trips around Philadelphia and the campus. The two weeks end with a capstone presentation reflecting on your coursework and your time in the city.

Outside class you can use the residence hall, lounges, dining halls, libraries and the gym (from age 15), and residential staff run activities such as trivia or arts and crafts nights, with weekend trips off campus. Penn expects some of your free time to go on assignments, and residential students can't take a job, internship or another program while they're there.

The academy is led by Dr. Kate Kinney, the testing and programs manager at Penn's English Language Programs, where she runs programs for international students and teaches graduate courses. She has worked in higher education for 20 years but started out in schools. She taught English as a foreign language in Mongolia, where she contributed to the country's first national curriculum for the subject, and later taught newly arrived immigrant students in the US. She also co-founded a public high school in New York City that promotes multilingualism. She holds a master's in TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages) from Teachers College, Columbia University and a doctorate in educational leadership from Penn.

Penn says its academies are run by faculty and professionals with help from graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants, but it doesn't publish a class size for this one.

You leave with a Certificate of Completion, the capstone presentation you gave and the option to ask your Penn instructors for a recommendation letter. The academy carries no college credit and no Penn transcript, and the certificate is a digital copy you request from the Penn SAS High School Programs office. Penn also says that taking part doesn't guarantee admission to its undergraduate programs.

The 2026 fee was $6,700 for the two weeks, which covered classes, a residence hall room, the meal plan, linens, gym access for students 15 and over, activities and trips, and supervision. On top of that you pay the $100 application fee, travel, airport transfers, meals off campus, medical costs, laundry supplies and spending money. Students with a home address outside the US also pay a mandatory, non-refundable international registration fee that includes health insurance.

To hold a place you pay a $1,500 deposit, which counts toward the total but is never refunded. Penn says the bill is typically available in early May and due by June, with a 1.5% penalty on anything overdue. Everything except the deposit can be refunded if you withdraw in writing by 15 May, and Penn doesn't reduce the fee if you arrive late or leave early.

Penn offers no financial aid, though you can pay from a 529 college savings plan. It does give a limited number of scholarships covering the program, housing and meals to Philadelphia residents at School District of Philadelphia public or charter high schools, who also skip the application fee. There are none for international students.

Penn hands the residential side to its partner ESF Pre-College, which hires and supervises the residential staff, runs evening and weekend activities and helps look after students' health and safety on campus. Families complete ESF's paperwork online after admission. For after-hours emergencies or urgent care, residential students go to the nearby Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, and Penn's Division of Public Safety offers services including 24/7 walking escorts. Students must be at least 13 to live in the residence halls, and Penn says it will try to meet reasonable requests for physical or academic accommodations when they come with documentation.