William Penn University Admission
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William Penn University Application

The Facts

William Penn University is a rather small, private institution located in the town of Oskaloosa, Iowa, and is affiliated with the Society of Friends, better known as the Quakers. The school is home to over 1,400 undergraduate students and approximately 170 graduate and part-time professional students who are able to take courses in one of the 2 undergraduate schools or 1 graduate school, which offer programs in both the liberal arts and sciences as well as preprofessional studies. The school’s academic divisions offer broad majors in the areas of biological science, (home to an innovative program in biotechnology) business, (a popular major with programs as diverse as sports management and accounting) communications and the arts, (home to great programs in journalism as well as public relations) computer and physical science, education, (a popular program with a wonderful major in science education) engineering and environmental design, (home to a unique program in industrial engineering technology) as well as the social sciences. William Penn University offers its students a fairly wide range of majors in both the liberal arts and sciences as well as preprofessional studies, however, some of the most popular with students include majors in the areas of elementary and secondary education, industrial technology, as well as business.

Admission to William Penn university is not competitive among the relatively few students who apply, however, the overall number of students applying has been increasing with each passing admissions cycle. Last year, over 680 students applied for admission to the school and approximately 650 of those students were admitted. Eventually however, only about 450 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming Fall semester. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from 1010 to 1100 and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 20 to 26. Additionally, more than 60% of the admitted students were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of about a 3.65.

William Penn University has a pretty deplorable student to faculty ratio of 32:1, which is far higher than the ratio of many huge state universities. However, many teachers take on multiple classes in order to keep the sizes as small as possible.

The Social Scene

The town of Oskaloosa is hardly a town at all, as it is located in a very rural area; unfortunately, it doesn’t really offer students much in the way of entertainment. However, the large city of Des Moines is only about an hour’s drive away, and as many students own cars, weekend excursions into the city are a popular option. The school is also home to 5 local fraternities and sororities which are quite popular with students, and consequently have a big influence in on campus life. However, students aren’t big partiers, so the fraternities and sororities really serve more as a place for students to hang out and meet new people.

The dating scene isn’t terrifically diverse, but the school is sponsored by the Society of Friends is that says anything...

What’s Good

“Everyone here is extremely inclusive, and they make you feel welcome as soon as you step foot on this campus.”

“My professors are always available for questions outside of class. They really want you to do well.”

“I like that this school isn’t filled with partying day in and day out; it makes it easier to focus on the real reasons you’re at school in the first place.”

What’s Bad

“I wish there was more to do off campus; you get kind of tired of sitting around on campus all day.”

“For a small school, some of the classes are far too large; it can be hard to have a decent discussion.”

“The traffic getting into Des Moines is impossible. I just never go.”

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