The majority of students in BFS are invited to apply during the process of being admitted to Penn. There are, however, limited opportunities for on-campus admission. For students accepted to BFS at the end of their first year at Penn, the housing requirement for the program is waived.
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences, Nursing, and Wharton who were not admitted to BFS during the first-year admissions process may apply to the program by May 15th of their first year.
For Wharton and Nursing: the student application requires a brief, thoughtful essay, two faculty recommendations, and an unofficial copy of your Penn transcript saved as a pdf from Penn InTouch.
For the College: prospective students are asked for two faculty recommendations, an unofficial copy of your Penn transcript, and the completed application to Integrated Studies - so, not the application on this platform. Integrated Studies is the first-year curriculum for BFS students in the College. All students wishing to apply to BFS at the end of the first year must complete this program during their sophomore year. Information on the Integrated Studies curriculum can be found here: https://isp.sas.upenn.edu/.
Students are strongly encouraged to take one or two Benjamin Franklin Seminars before applying. Applications to the program are evaluated by your home school's program and admission is based on intellectual interest and ability as demonstrated by the essays, coursework, and faculty recommendations.
For the two letters of recommendation in support of the application: at least one must be from a standing faculty member at Penn (not a lecturer, adjunct professor, emeritus professor, or practice professor). It is the student’s responsibility to get both letters submitted by no later than May 15. Faculty may find further information here about the faculty letter of recommendation.
*Please note: this application is not mobile-friendly and should only be accessed using a computer web browser.*
Benjamin Franklin Scholars (BFS) Current Penn Student Application
The majority of students in BFS are invited to apply during the process of being admitted to Penn. There are, however, limited opportunities for on-campus admission. For students accepted to BFS at the end of their first year at Penn, the housing requirement for the program is waived.
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences, Nursing, and Wharton who were not admitted to BFS during the first-year admissions process may apply to the program by May 15th of their first year.
For Wharton and Nursing: the student application requires a brief, thoughtful essay, two faculty recommendations, and an unofficial copy of your Penn transcript saved as a pdf from Penn InTouch.
For the College: prospective students are asked for two faculty recommendations, an unofficial copy of your Penn transcript, and the completed application to Integrated Studies - so, not the application on this platform. Integrated Studies is the first-year curriculum for BFS students in the College. All students wishing to apply to BFS at the end of the first year must complete this program during their sophomore year. Information on the Integrated Studies curriculum can be found here: https://isp.sas.upenn.edu/.
Students are strongly encouraged to take one or two Benjamin Franklin Seminars before applying. Applications to the program are evaluated by your home school's program and admission is based on intellectual interest and ability as demonstrated by the essays, coursework, and faculty recommendations.
For the two letters of recommendation in support of the application: at least one must be from a standing faculty member at Penn (not a lecturer, adjunct professor, emeritus professor, or practice professor). It is the student’s responsibility to get both letters submitted by no later than May 15. Faculty may find further information here about the faculty letter of recommendation.
*Please note: this application is not mobile-friendly and should only be accessed using a computer web browser.*