Summer 2023 applications are now closed.
Penn Summer Abroad programs are available to undergraduate students at Penn or another accredited US institution. To take part in a Penn Summer Abroad program, all students, including Penn and visiting students, must complete an online application and maintain a strong academic standing.
For specific online application information, deadlines, and details about prerequisites and other qualifying criteria, please refer to the specific location you are interested in:
To access the Penn Summer Abroad application, please click on the “Apply Now” button on any one of our program sites. You must then select “School of Arts and Sciences, College of Liberal and Professional Studies.” You can then select “Penn Summer Abroad - Penn Students” or “Penn Summer Abroad - Non-Penn Students.”
Application requirements
Please note that all application materials become the property of the University of Pennsylvania and will not be returned. Remember to retain a personal copy of your application.
- Application essays: There are three essay questions that ask you to address your interest in the Penn Summer Abroad program regarding your goals and aspirations, experiences traveling abroad, any relevant coursework as well as the academic and personal growth you hope to experience. The application will also provide you with the necessary details on how to submit your answers.
- What are your academic and personal reasons for wanting to study abroad in this program?
- Do you have any experience living or traveling abroad? If so, please explain.
- What do you hope to gain or achieve by participating in this program?
- Letter of recommendation: You will be asked to submit a letter in support of your application that should come from a faculty member or a graduate TA who has recently taught you. To submit an online recommendation, please follow the instructions on the application.
- Application to more than one program: If you wish to be considered for more than one Penn Summer Abroad program, you need to submit a separate, completed application for each program.
- Applications completed by the Early Admissions Deadline will receive a decision in February.
- Decisions for applications completed after the Early Admissions Deadline will be processed on a rolling basis and will be posted to the online application account approximately three weeks following the submission date of the completed application.
- Decision letters are sent to the email address entered on the application. If you are accepted into a Penn Summer Abroad program, you have two weeks from the date of your decision letter to accept admission to your program. To do so, please log in to your application on the Penn Summer Abroad website and click the “accept” button. Once you have accepted your admission to the program, you are required to submit a $500 non-refundable deposit to Penn Summer Abroad, and you are then subject to all withdrawal policies, which can be found in the Penn Summer Abroad Student Handbook. Your commitment is not complete until your deposit is received. For more information on post-decision processes, please see the Admitted Student Resources page.
To qualify to study abroad, you need to be in good academic standing. In addition, your disciplinary status may affect your eligibility to study abroad. You may not be eligible if you currently stand charged or are charged prior to the beginning your study abroad semester with a violation of a University regulation under Penn’s Code of Student Conduct or Code of Academic Integrity or if there is a pending, current or outstanding disciplinary matter (academic integrity or conduct). When the charge results in a warning or reprimand, you may be eligible to study abroad, pending a review of the situation. When the charge results in probation, suspension-not-imposed, or any sanction as serious as or more serious than probation, you are not eligible to study abroad during the period of the sanction.
If you have received a sanction of probation or a suspension-not-imposed, you may be eligible to study abroad during a future semester, after the expiration date of the sanction. However, you must provide confirmation from the Office of Student Conduct that the terms and conditions of your sanction have been met before receiving approval to study abroad. If there are new charges during the period of the sanction, your approval to study abroad may be rescinded.
While you are studying abroad, you are required to observe the laws of the host country and all academic and disciplinary regulations in effect at the host institution. Further, while abroad, you remain concurrently enrolled as a degree candidate at Penn and, consequently, continue to be subject to Penn’s Code of Student Conduct and Code of Academic Integrity.
Non-Penn students participating in a Penn Summer Abroad program are considered Penn students in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies during the period of the program. You are advised to become familiar with Penn policies as they do apply to you. Penn policies can be found in the Pennbook on the Office of the Provost’s website.
After committing to your Penn Summer Abroad program, you receive a phone call from Penn Summer Abroad to obtain your Social Security number and date of birth, which are used to set up your Penn student account. You also receive a letter from the Office of the University Registrar within 10-15 days with instructions and the setup code for your PennKey. A PennKey is your username required to access protected electronic resources at Penn including your student account, library resources, Penn email account and the online learning management system Canvas. You need to set up your PennKey to fully participate in the summer abroad program. Learn more about the process on the PennKey website.
Once you have a PennKey, you enter your contact information, particularly an e-mail address, on the Penn Directory website so that you receive all necessary communications. You may view your student account by logging in to the Path@Penn website.
