“Over the past decade, my most creative, innovative, and focused students have come from the BFS program. I am continually impressed with their ability to integrate disparate perspectives and astutely understand the foundational principles that drive new ideas in the humanities, natural sciences, and social sciences.”
Dr. Justin McDaniel, Edmund J. and Louise W. Kahn Endowed Professor of the Humanities
Benjamin Franklin Scholars are selected based on their interest in, and demonstrated capacity for, a deep engagement in the liberal arts and sciences, both as ends in themselves and as engines of change in the world. We look for spirited, independent people who find their own passions and are predisposed to explore their own ideas, wherever they might lead. We welcome restless minds who are not content just to appreciate great ideas as abstractions on a shelf, but who see them as transformative, changing minds and so changing the world.
To apply, begin by indicating your interest in the Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program on the Matriculation Questionnaire. This questionnaire will be in your portal post-admittance, and you have time to look into each program before responding. An email will be sent directly to you about how to apply to your selected program. There are questions all schools’ students have to answer, and then specific prompts for individual school’s sections of BFS. These sections are the Integrated Studies Program (ISP) in the School of Arts and Sciences, Joseph Wharton Scholars (JWS) in the Wharton Business School, BFS Engineering in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and BFS Nursing in the School of Nursing. In the meantime, come to our Quaker Days table to meet and hear from us. We will also have informational sessions and conversations with students in the program. In early May, the applications will close. In mid-May, you will hear back from us about your admittance into the BFS program.
Please complete the Housing Application in your Student Portal. List ‘Hill College House’ as your first choice of Housing. You do not have to reapply for BFS in the Housing Application or do any long-form essay within the Housing Application.
The majority of students in BFS enter the program as incoming students. 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 15 of their first year, with decisions communicated by July 1.
For Wharton and Nursing: the student application requires a concise personal statement about who the student is, why they are applying, and what background or experiences have prepared or qualify them for the program; two faculty recommendations; and an unofficial copy of your Penn transcript saved as a pdf from Path@Penn.
For the College: prospective students are asked for two faculty recommendations, an unofficial copy of your Penn transcript saved as a pdf from Path@Penn, and the completed application to Integrated Studies. The Integrated Studies Program (ISP) is the first-year curriculum for BFS students in the College. All students wishing to apply to BFS at the end of their first year must complete this program during their sophomore year.
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; rather, with tenure or in tenure-probationary status: Professor, Associate Professor, or Assistant 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.