Academic Standing

At the end of every semester, the Academic Standing Committee reviews the academic performance of all Wharton undergraduates and assesses their academic standing. Students whose performance falls below the school’s standard for satisfactory academic progression will be subject to the sanctions below.

Please note: Students enrolled in more than one undergraduate school are subject to the academic standing policies of both schools.

Probation: Students who have a semester GPA below 2.0 will be placed on probation by the Academic Standing Committee. Once on probation, students must take four course units (CUs) in the following semester, must earn at least a 2.0 term GPA with no I, F, W, or GR grades, and may lose the ability to participate in school-based co-curricular activities. Students on probation must meet regularly with an academic advisor in the Undergraduate Division.

Students who have previously been placed on Probation and fall below the school’s standard for satisfactory progress in any subsequent semester will be subject to more serious sanctions than students who are facing academic difficulties for the first time.

Drop Warning: Students may be placed on Drop Warning if they fall significantly below the level of academic performance required to make progress toward graduation, if they have two semesters with a GPA below 2.0, or if they have one semester with a GPA below 1.50. Once students have been placed on Drop Warning, they must take four course units (CUs) in the following semester, must earn at least a 2.0 term GPA with no I, F, W, or GR grades, and may lose the ability to participate in school-based co-curricular activities. This action is intended to provide students with an opportunity to show improvement in their academic course work.

Students who have previously been placed on Drop Warning and fall below the school’s standard for satisfactory progress in any subsequent semester will be subject to more serious sanctions than students who are facing academic difficulties for the first time.

First Drop: Students who continue to earn failing grades or otherwise perform very poorly, showing no significant improvement, will be dropped from the rolls of the University. The First Drop action requires a minimum one-year mandatory leave from the University. During this period, students may not enroll in another institution with the intent of transferring those credits to Penn. At the end of the one-year period, students may apply to the Academic Standing Committee for reinstatement. The committee may require medical or employment documentation to assist in making its decision. If re-admitted, students must maintain good academic standing through graduation or they will be dropped from the university without further warning, with no opportunity for readmission.

Students who feel that extenuating circumstances warrant continued enrollment may submit an appeal to the Academic Standing Committee to rescind its drop decision and permit them to continue their course of study without interruption.

At the discretion of the Academic Standing Committee, students may be placed on Drop Warning or First Drop because of poor academic performance.

Second Drop: A Second Drop action is permanent and irrevocable.