Carefully review this step-by-step guide to the Truman process for potential applicants!
Truman Scholarship
NEW! Attend the September 25, 2024, 2:00 pm Truman Foundation Open house
VIEW Truman information session recordings (requires PennKey login):
- Truman Scholarship Application Slide Deck
- RECORDING: (In-Person) Introduction to the Truman Scholarship & Scholar Panel (April 29, 2024)
- RECORDING: Truman Scholarship Panel: Applying for the Truman Scholarship (October 18, 2023)
- RECORDING: Truman Scholarship: Q & A with Penn Truman Scholars (September 22, 2023)
- RECORDING: Introduction to the Truman Scholarship (September 15, 2023)
- RECORDING: Applying for the Truman Scholarship by Penn Truman Scholars (April 20, 2023)
The Truman Scholarship awards merit-based $30,000 scholarships to college juniors who are US citizens/nationals and who plan to pursue careers in government or in public service (broadly defined), and who wish to attend graduate or professional school to help prepare for their careers. Scholars may attend graduate or professional school in the United States or internationally. Applicants should be “change agents,” with a demonstrated passion for improving the ways that government agencies, nonprofit organizations, or educational institutions serve the public. Applicants should be active participants in two or more of the following types of activities:
- Student government and/or campus-based extracurricular activities
- Community service-related activities that are not organized by a school or a fraternity/sorority
- Government internships, commissions or boards, advocacy or interest groups, nonpartisan political activities, military/ROTC
- Partisan political activities and campaigns
The Truman Scholarship accepts nominations from institutions – students may not apply independently. To apply to be one of Penn’s nominees, you must complete the application steps by Penn’s Internal Application Deadline of December 3, 2024, at 4:00 pm US Eastern Time. Please refer to the above, linkedstep-by-step guide for further information.
Truman applicants must submit BOTH their Truman application on the Truman website AND complete the entire CURF Truman Scholarship Nomination Request (registration opens mid to late September) form where you will upload your UNOFFICIAL transcript from Penn. If you are a TRANSFER student, you must also upload your UNOFFICIAL transcript from previous undergraduate institution by the December 3, 4:00 pm Eastern US Time deadline.
Letters of Recommendation
The Truman Scholarship requires three recommendations. Applicants must register their referees using CURF's Truman Scholarship Nomination Request (registrations begin mid to late September). Referees then upload their recommendations to the CURF system, and CURF ultimately submits those recommendations to the Truman Foundation on behalf of endorsed applicants.
The Truman application requires that each referee emphasize one of the following aspects of the applicant’s candidacy; Leadership, Public Service, and Academic (one recommendation/referee per category so that all three are covered). Applicants must inform CURF of the category for which each referee is writing.
Contact Information
Michaile Rainey
michaile@upenn.edu
Center for Undergraduate Research and Fellowships
3539 Locust Walk, 3rd Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Details:
Location
USA, United Kingdom, International (Not UK), Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, Middle East
Type
Graduate Study
Eligibility
Junior