Application deadline
Thank you for your interest in the Master of Applied Economics and Data Science (MEDS) program! MEDS is designed for quantitatively-inclined individuals from a variety of backgrounds. We start a new cohort every fall. Your application portfolio, including all transcripts, must be received by the deadline below. MEDS does not have rolling admissions—all completed applications will be reviewed after the deadline. Note that Penn LPS does not offer an admission deferral option; please be sure to apply to the term for which you plan to begin your studies.
| Term of Entry | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Fall 2026 | January 15, 2026 |
Applications for fall 2026 will open in September. Please note that it is your responsibility to make sure we have all of your application materials by the deadline.
We recommend starting your application early and following it closely because some materials, such as test scores, transcript evaluations, and letters of recommendation can take a long time to arrive. Additionally, pay close attention to our emails which will notify you of missing materials and inform you when your application is complete. We do not review applications until all required materials are received, confirmed, and marked complete.
Decision notifications will be sent to applicants on or before March 15, 2026.
Admitted applicants must accept or decline the admission invitation on or before April 15, 2026.
Application material
Applications must contain all of the following:
- Completed online application
- $75 nonrefundable application fee
- Current resume
- Application essays
You should address each of the two questions below, in two single-spaced essays each no longer than 600 words, submitted as a single PDF document. We prefer that you answer the two questions separately, but you can also submit a single narrative (no longer than 1,200 words) that incorporates both. The questions are:- Question 1 (regarding your quantitative background and qualifications as relevant for the MEDS program): Describe explicitly and separately your background and qualifications in (a) economics, (b) statistics/econometrics/data science, (c) mathematics, and (d) programming languages and statistical data analysis packages. Among other things, be sure to refer to the specific courses on your transcript(s), and, if applicable, specific aspects of your professional career.
- Question 2 (regarding your past, present, and future as relevant for the MEDS program): How did your interest in applied economics and data science develop? How have you leveraged your strengths in service of your professional pursuits? What will your unique experiences and perspectives enable you to contribute to the MEDS community? How will you use what you learn in the MEDS program to transform your career and catalyze change in your profession?
- Unofficial transcripts from each post-secondary school you have attended need to be uploaded through the online application system. If you have copies of your transcripts to upload, you may upload those. If you need to order copies, then please be aware that a common problem that delays applications from being completed on time is that some schools list “The University of Pennsylvania,” and not “The College of Liberal and Professional Studies.” If your transcripts get sent to “The University of Pennsylvania,” they will likely go to the undergraduate division, where we cannot access them. Please be very specific when you order your transcripts and ensure that they are sent to “The College of Liberal and Professional Studies,” (address is at the bottom of our website) or lps-admissions@sas.upenn.edu with “MEDS applicant (and your name)” in the subject line.
Note: If you don’t yet have your transcripts and wish to work on other parts of the application while you wait, you can temporarily bypass the transcript section. To do so, upload something in each transcript slot such as a simple Word document that briefly indicates why the transcript isn’t there (such as “official transcripts have been sent to Penn” or “waiting for unofficial transcripts to arrive”). - Two letters of recommendation
Letters should come from individuals with whom you have had a close academic or professional association, and who know of your desire to study applied economics and data science at a more advanced level. In the application, you’ll be prompted to enter your recommenders’ email addresses and “submit recommendation request,” which will prompt our system to email them instructions on how to submit their letter through the online recommendation portal. Letters of recommendation should be on letterhead with an original or electronic signature and must be sent directly from your letter writers. There is no required length, although they are usually about one page long. Please urge your recommenders to submit their letters through the online system promptly. If they have difficulties with the online system, they can submit their letter by emailing lps-admissions@sas.upenn.edu with “MEDS applicant (and your name)” in the subject line. Letters can be received before you submit your application, however, they will not be marked as received until roughly 24-48 hours after you submit your application. - GRE test scores, if applicable
- For applicants who graduated college with an undergraduate degree after the spring semester of 2022, the GRE is required.
- GRE scores must be sent electronically from ETS to the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS), testing school code: 2986.
- To locate a testing site near you or schedule an exam, visit the GRE website. Please note, the College of Liberal and Professional Studies is accepting at-home GRE test scores.
- TOEFL or IELTS test scores, if applicable
A strong command of the English language is necessary for successful study at Penn. Applicants whose native language is not English must submit either an official Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or unofficial or official International English Language Testing System (IELTS).
TOEFL: To locate a testing site near you or schedule an exam, visit the TOEFL website. Please note, the College of Liberal and Professional Studies is accepting at-home TOEFL test scores. We do NOT accept the TOEFL Essentials exam scores. TOEFL scores must be sent electronically from ETS to the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Liberal and Professional Studies (LPS), testing school code: 2986. The minimum TOEFL scores required for admissions consideration are: Internet Test (iBT) = 100; with no subscore below 23, and listening/speaking score of 26+; Computer-Based Test (CBT) = 250: Paper-Based Test (PBT) = 600
IELTS: The minimum score for consideration is a 7.0 composite, with a writing score of 7.0 or higher, and no other subscore below 6.5. You may upload an official or unofficial copy of your IELTS test to the standardized test score section of your application or email it to lps-admissions@sas.upenn.edu. To locate a testing site near you or schedule an exam, visit the IELTS website.
This is a strict requirement for the MEDS application process, to ensure all students who enter the program can be successful in a fast-paced learning environment. In rare occasions, someone might qualify for an exemption, but the following are generally not considered sufficient for an exemption: working in the US for many years, having a degree from a school where instruction was in English, and working or living in an English-speaking country. Exemption requests will ONLY be considered AFTER your application has been submitted and all other application materials have been received; the exemption review will naturally add additional time to your application review process, which may impede your ability to schedule and take the test if your exemption request is declined. For those reasons, even if you feel you have mitigating factors that would qualify for exemption, we strongly recommend that you take the TOEFL or IELTS if English is not your native language, as it will strengthen your application and ensure its timely processing. If you have questions about how this requirement impacts you, please email lps-admissions@sas.upenn.edu.
Please send the official IELTS score report to the University of Pennsylvania College of Liberal and Professional Studies IELTS Results Service E-Delivery account.
- WES for all international transcripts
Applicants who have attended a college or university outside the US are required to have a course-by-course credential evaluation (with grade point average and course levels) performed by an outside evaluation service. Credential evaluations will be reviewed by our administrators, and the determination of degree equivalency to US degrees is at the discretion of the College of Liberal and Professional Studies. The following evaluation service is acceptable:
World Education Services Inc. (WES): WES must complete a course-by-course evaluation of all post-secondary credentials. The course-by-course evaluation should include the comparability level of your education and list each of your courses along with the equivalent US marks and credit. Please select the WES basic course-by-course evaluation (with grade point average and course levels) and request that WES send your evaluation to Penn College of Liberal and Professional Studies Admissions. The school can be found by searching the University of Pennsylvania and then selecting College of Liberal and Professional Studies. The evaluation becomes an official academic record and sole property of the University upon its receipt. For additional information about the WES application and their review process, please visit the WES website. The World Education Service will provide instructions for how to request and submit the required academic documents for review, and the process can take several weeks to complete. Transcript evaluations may take 8 to 12 weeks to complete. We encourage you to begin this process at least 3 months in advance of the published application deadline. Your application will not be reviewed by the Admissions Committee until the required official course-by-course evaluation is received.
Please note that WES charges a fee for the evaluation.
Because all required supporting documents are submitted through the online application system, hard copy material other than official transcripts or letters of recommendation will not be accepted.
Unsolicited material will not be used for review.
All application materials become the property of the University of Pennsylvania and will not be returned, therefore please retain a personal copy of your application.
Evaluation criteria
There are three areas of focus in the application evaluation process. Strong applications demonstrate excellence and contain robust evidence to substantiate performance in all three areas, but particular excellence in one area may compensate for areas of lesser strength, so applications are considered holistically.
- Academic performance
- Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 undergraduate GPA.
- Applicants should have a demonstrated ability for quantitative and analytical coursework based on transcript-visible courses requiring analysis of numerical or symbolic data (e.g., math, economics, econometrics, statistics, biology, genetics, logic, linguistics, engineering); high quantitative scores on the GRE; and (if relevant) practical experience building and demonstrating skills in quantitative analysis (e.g., marketing or financial asset management).
- Applicants should have basic undergraduate knowledge in economics (through intermediate microeconomics and macroeconomics), including some statistics/econometrics; mathematical background that includes at least two semesters of university-level calculus; and basic programming skills.
- Applicants should score above the 50th percentile on each section of the GRE (if required).
- Non-native speakers of English must take the TOEFL and reach the following minimum acceptable scores:
- Internet Test = 100, no subscore below 23, listening/speaking score of 26+
- Computer-Based Test = 250
- Paper-Based Test = 600
- Professional accomplishment or promise
This category is assessed through applicants’ resumes, essays, and letters of recommendation. The committee looks for people who are successful in their profession and are in a position to influence their workplace. For applicants without much professional experience, the committee looks for professional promise, indicators of which include leadership roles in extracurricular and/or volunteer activities, awards, strong letters of recommendation for professors, etc.
- Program fit
This category is related to applicants’ knowledge, dedication, and vision, and is mostly assessed through applicants’ essay Question 2. Relevant considerations include but are not limited to: How much does the applicant already know about applied economics, and can the applicant intelligently discuss various aspects of the field? How and why does the applicant see MEDS as a necessary step in professional development? Has the applicant already been applying economics? Does the applicant have a strong vision for how/where they want to apply economics in the future? Is the vision achievable?
