Penn Abroad limits King’s College London program to Wharton, English applicants

Penn Abroad has paused study abroad applications to King’s College London for most College of Arts and Sciences students, citing increased challenges with KCL’s admissions and course-registration processes.

The update — posted last week on Penn Abroad’s Passport website — stated that applications to KCL are suspended for all students except those in the Department of English and Wharton School exchange programs. The notice said that the decision “reflects student feedback” and a change to KCL’s application process that has limited how many Penn students can be admitted. 

In a written statement to The Daily Pennsylvanian, Penn Abroad Executive Director Kristyn Palmiotto wrote that KCL’s evolving admissions procedures have created recurring difficulties for students outside of the English department, even when the students had strong applications. 

“As a result, we have experienced several semesters of numerous qualified Penn students being either denied admittance to KCL based on the KCL admissions process or experiencing significant challenges enrolling in KCL coursework needed to maintain academic progress at Penn,” Palmiotto stated. 

She added that many of these issues surfaced late in the abroad application process, often leaving students with little time to pursue alternatives.

As a result, Penn Abroad decided to temporarily halt sending additional College students to KCL.

Palmiotto wrote that pause is intended to direct students toward programs that will “best support them through the process and experience,” with more dependable course-enrollment pathways and admissions.

According to Palmiotto, English majors and minors remain eligible for the KCL exchange because the department maintains a “partnership” with the London-based university that includes a clearly defined admissions process and an established academic framework for those students.