Admission
Every spring, approximately 100 incoming freshmen are named Benjamin Franklin Scholars. Selection is based on high school records, overall excellence of the Penn application and other signs of serious academic interests. No separate application is required for these students. Students who were not selected on admission to Penn may apply to the program after one semester at Penn and as late as the end of their sophomore year.
The application for second semester freshmen and sophomores requires two brief, thoughtful essays, two faculty recommendations, and copies of college and high school transcripts. Please click the links below for the application forms.
Students are strongly encouraged to take one or two Benjamin Franklin Seminars before applying, especially if they have not taken any other small classes or courses which emphasize writing. Applications to the program are evaluated based on intellectual interest and ability as demonstrated by the essays, coursework, faculty recommendations, and reasons for wanting to join the Benjamin Franklin Scholars Program. For more information, email or call 215-746-6488 Candidates may submit applications at any time; they will be read by the Faculty Admissions Committee three times yearly (October 15, February 1, and June 1). The performance of each Benjamin Franklin Scholar is reviewed each year to ensure the academic quality of the program. Benjamin Franklin Scholars are expected to take challenging courses that extend beyond their major and distributional requirements. Scholars must have taken and passed at least one BFS seminar by the end of the freshman year, two by the end of the sophomore year, three by the end of the junior year, and four by the end of the senior year. Students admitted to the program in their freshman or sophomore years must take at least one BFS seminar per semester until they have reached the benchmarks described above. All courses must be taken for a grade. BENF 099 Independent study does not count as a Benjamin Franklin Seminar. Applicants who plan to spend a semester or year abroad should include their plan for satisfying the seminar requirement. BFS Scholars are expected to maintain superior grades (that is, graduate cum laude with a 3.40 GPA) and to behave in a mature, collegial manner. Students who fail to meet these standards will lose their BFS designation. Please note: BFS is strictly an academic program. Financial aid is not affected by BFS designation.