Admissions Process

Do colleges, specifically the University of Pennsylvania, look at your application even if your letters of recommendation and other official records are not sent in yet? Also, my counselor submitted all of my letters of recommendation and necessary records, however they have not reached UPenn yet. For deadlines, is it when everything is submitted or when everything actually reaches the school?

Colleges will not be reading applications before the due date. Most AO’s are still in the field doing college fairs, etc.

Penn, like many colleges, gives a few days grace period for items not under your control, like LoR’s and test scores. Plus Penn accepts November SAT scores, so many applicants will have materials flowing in past the due date. However, you must get your application in by the due date, and since it’s sent electronically, the sent sate and the received date are identical. But don’t wait until 11:59.

As for if Penn reads incomplete applications between 11/1 and 11/5 as straggling LoR’s come in? Maybe, maybe not. It really does not matter. I’m sure they read applications that are only missing November SAT scores since, presumably, there are earlier scores to look at. One way or another, they will get through ~6100 applications in 6 weeks. I’m sure they have a process in place.

@IrisGraphics My son is at Penn - I looked on the website: http://www.admissions.upenn.edu/apply/freshman-admission/checklist
It seems to say LoRs are due by the due date of the application (whether ED or RD). I would think the application needs to be complete except that the latest standardized test dates are also specified and for ED allow a Nov. test date. Good luck to you!

Thank you for all the help! I submitted everything except my writing supplement for Penn. When I submit it, will it go directly to the university? Or will it take some time? If so, how much time? I was planning on working on it more tonight and possibly even submitting tomorrow.

Your application will NOT be complete without the Penn writing supplement… DO NOT wait until tomorrow to submit it.