Penn Arts and Sciences High School Programs East Asian History Academy

Two co-directors from Penn's Center for East Asian Studies lead it. Frederick R. Dickinson is a professor of Japanese history and directs the center. He was born in Tokyo and raised in Kanazawa and Kyoto, and he writes and teaches about modern Japan, about empire, politics and nationalism in East Asia and the Pacific, and about world history. David Dettmann has run the center's outreach and professional development programs since 2015, after teaching courses on East Asian civilization at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his own interests lie in Mongolia and China.

Guest lectures come from Penn and Philadelphia-area Asia scholars, and Penn says its academies are supported by graduate and undergraduate teaching assistants. Classes run in small groups, although Penn doesn't publish a class size.

The academy is for current 9th to 11th graders, so graduating seniors can't apply, and Penn says applicants need excellent writing and a high school GPA of at least 3.5. It also looks for strong recommendations and a range of extracurricular interests. You have to submit the application yourself, not a parent, counselor or agent, and Penn takes up to six weeks to decide once everything is in.

International students are welcome but need a tourist or B-2 visa, because the academy is non-credit and Penn can't sponsor a student visa for it. Penn suggests applying by February to leave time for visa processing.

• Two essays

  Each up to 400 words, one on why you want this program and how it fits your goals, and one on two non-academic activities and how they've helped you grow.

• A transcript

  A full academic year of grades, official or unofficial, in English or with an official translation.

• One recommendation

  From an adult who knows your work, written on their organization's letterhead and naming this academy.

• English proof, if it's not your first language

  A third essay on your English background, plus a TOEFL score of 100 (iBT), IELTS 7 or Duolingo 130 unless you've attended an English-medium school for at least two years.

The 2026 academy cost $6,700, and that one fee covered classes, a room in a Penn residence hall, the meal plan, linens, trips and activities, supervision and use of Penn's academic facilities, plus gym access for students 15 and older. Penn says course materials for the academies are typically included, so there's nothing to buy beforehand, although you do need to bring a laptop or tablet you have administrator access to.

Penn asks for a $1,500 deposit to secure a place, which counts toward the $6,700 but can't be refunded or moved to another Penn program. The balance is billed separately, typically at the beginning of May and due by June, and paying late adds a penalty of 1.5% of the overdue amount and puts the place at risk. Under Penn's 2026 terms, withdrawing in writing by 15 May got back tuition and fees except the deposit, and the fee wasn't reduced for a late arrival or an early departure.

On top of the fee come the nonrefundable $100 application fee, travel to and from Philadelphia, airport transfers, meals off campus, laundry supplies, medical costs and spending money. Students with a home address outside the US also pay a mandatory international registration fee, which includes health insurance for the program. Penn offers no financial aid, but a limited number of scholarships cover the program for selected Philadelphia residents at School District of Philadelphia public or charter high schools, although not travel or personal costs. Anyone applying from those schools also has the application fee waived.

You leave with a Certificate of Completion, which Penn sends as a digital copy on request, and you can ask your Penn instructors for a letter of recommendation. The certificate shows you completed the academy, with no grade and no Penn transcript.

Penn's stated aim is that you come away understanding the essentials of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese history and culture, able to spot familiar American fictions about East Asia, and able to speak and write clearly about texts, objects and events.

Residential life is run by ESF Pre-College, Penn's partner for its summer programs, which lists 1:10 staffing. Residence halls are single-gender by building or floor, students keep to curfew and quiet hours, and they walk around campus only in groups of three or more after signing out with the residential director's office. Nobody leaves campus without ESF staff or an adult of at least 18 whom parents have authorized and who can show official ID.

Before arrival, families submit a health form, a medical exam from within 18 months, immunization records and proof of health insurance, and every student needs a cell phone with a US data plan and WhatsApp so staff can reach them at any time. If parents ask in writing, ESF nursing staff can remind students to take their medication, although students take it themselves, and after-hours emergency and urgent care is at the nearby Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Students must be at least 13 to live in the halls, and the full rules are in ESF's program policies.