Supplementary Materials

Penn does allow for one additional supplemental recommendation letter beyond the three required. Please be selective when deciding whether you need to request this supplemental recommendation letter, as an additional letter is meant as an opportunity to ensure equity in our process for students who may have unique circumstances that require more context.  

If you decide to submit this letter, please be sure to choose someone who knows you personally and whose perspective would add information not captured elsewhere in your application. This person may be a supervisor at work, mentor, coach, arts or music instructor, spiritual leader, or cultural leader. Letters from family members and close family friends typically do not provide information that is helpful for our evaluation process.  

If you choose to submit an optional additional letter of recommendation, please submit it directly through the Coalition or Common App. 

Students who have completed notable academic research should use the activities section or additional information sections of the application to convey these achievements. 

If, however, there is a brief abstract or explanation of your work that you could not include in other required parts of the application, you may submit this document as a supplementary material through your Penn Applicant Portal. You will be able to access your Penn Applicant Portal after you submit the Coalition or Common App and the Penn Supplement. 

Students with exceptional and recognized talents in visual arts, performing arts, or music, should use the activities section or additional information sections of the application to convey these achievements.  

If, however, there are samples of your work that you could not include in other required parts of the application, you may upload them to an external host site—like a personal website, YouTube, or SoundCloud—and then submit a document with any URLs/links as a supplementary material through your Penn Applicant Portal. You will be able to access your Penn Applicant Portal after you submit the Coalition or Common App and the Penn Supplement. 

Art or Music samples may be examined by faculty members from a relevant department, but there is no guarantee that an expert will be able to evaluate your materials.   

Portfolios will only be reviewed in three instances: 

• If you are applying to the Digital Media Design (DMD) program, we recommend that you submit a portfolio that includes at least one drawing or painting as well as any other work that highlights your talent. The DMD Program encourages you to explore how the computer transforms your artwork and design ideas. Submit pieces that highlight your sense of aesthetic taste, vision, and your eye for composition.  
  • All forms of media are welcomed. Please limit your selection to 5-12 pieces, or a maximum of 5 minutes of video.  
  • A member of the DMD faculty will examine your portfolio materials and provide a summary evaluation for the Admissions Committee.  
• If you are applying to major in Fine Arts or Design, portfolios are not required, but can be submitted as a supplemental application material.  
  • If you decide to submit a portfolio, please include a minimum of ten different works.  
  • Uploading an artist’s statement of at least 300 words is strongly encouraged.  
• Transfer students applying to enroll as second-year students in Architecture are required to submit a portfolio.
  • There is no specific number of submissions that must be included. Third-year transfers are ineligible to apply to the Architecture major. 

Learn more about undergraduate programs available in the arts, design, and architecture.