<p>What are these? I’ve been looking through the forum and I’ve seen that some people last year recieved this when accepted. Does it have something to do with selecting classes? How do you qualify? Silly for me to be asking this question because I have no chance of getting accepted to Penn.</p>
<p>You are selected when you apply to Penn based on your academic performance and potential. People in all four schools can be BFS.</p>
<p>One can self nominate as well.</p>
<p>The application for second semester freshmen and sophomores requires two brief, thoughtful essays, two faculty recommendations, and copies of college and high school transcripts.</p>
<p>Great, thanks guys for the fast responses.</p>
<p>One can also take BenFranklin Seminars 'tho not a scholar. You will need to contact the prof or the program and request permission to enroll. If for some reason you are not established at the time of acceptance please look over the offerings at registration time and go through the process........you will enjoy the seminars offered.</p>
<p>do you receive this notification along with the admissions package? is there any BFS acceptee so far?</p>
<p>I believe on another Penn Thread there are BFS people identifying themselves. You could do an advanced search for Ben Franklin Scholars. Have you looked at the BFS website??<a href="http://www.upenn.edu/curf/bfs/%5B/url%5D">http://www.upenn.edu/curf/bfs/</a></p>
<p>I just got my BFS package today in KY, so anyone waiting on a response should be getting it soon. It has pretty much the same information as the website, so I'd definitely check that out.</p>
<p>i received an email about it a few days ago!</p>
<p>i am bfs. you can ask me questions about whatever on AIM: kevin83002 . It is pimp guys. some people say that penn offers the program to encourage admits to other top schools to come to penn, but it is a great program and i am very glad i accepted the offer. honestly i think the best thing about the program is the advising. my adviser is amazing and she knows exactly what classes to take and how to get you where you want to be at penn.</p>
<p>what exactly is the difference between bfs and university scholar? they sound pretty similar to me..</p>
<p><a href="http://www.upenn.edu/curf/uscholar/%5B/url%5D">http://www.upenn.edu/curf/uscholar/</a>
<a href="http://www.upenn.edu/curf/uscholar/application.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.upenn.edu/curf/uscholar/application.html</a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.upenn.edu/curf/bfs/%5B/url%5D">http://www.upenn.edu/curf/bfs/</a></p>
<p>i read that, but both programs seem to provide independent research opportunities; are they essentially the same kind of program?</p>
<p>From a current University Scholar:</p>
<p>The two programs are very similar; they're eseentially just two different branches of the same thing. Those selected to be BFS upon entering Penn are selected based upon their academic record plus I think there's a required number of AP courses they have to have taken. University Scholars are chosen based on academic record, but most of the time also took part in some form of independent research while in high school. Both programs allow you to register for BFS classes and apply for research funding from CURF. The main difference between the two is the requirements for remaining in the program once at Penn. Benjamin Franklin Scholars are required to take at least 4 BFS classes prior to graduation, while UScholars must have some form of independent research underway by the Spring of their sophomore year (I just submitted my proposal a week or so ago actually).</p>
<p>Other than that, the programs are very similar, they have the same advisors, etc. If you're invited to join either, do so without hesitation, as it's incredibly difficult to get into either if you apply once you're at Penn, and the readily availible funding for undergrads is a huge plus.</p>
<p>"plus I think there's a required number of AP courses they have to have taken"</p>
<p>i only took one...:) of course, there aren't that many available at my school</p>
<p>i didnt took any... and was selected!</p>
<p>did penn only send out 100 packages for bfs? like if you got a package does that mean that you have been selected to be a bfs or does that mean that once you reply they will pick 100 people from that pool?</p>
<p>
[quote]
**plus I think there's a required number of AP courses they have to have taken
[/quote]
**</p>
<p>Not so, untrue.</p>
<p>If you're sent a packet for BFS it means you're in, Uscholars you have to write a further essay and be put in a pool, though I think most if not all from that get accepted, I don't know if 100 is the right number, I think it's done as a very low percentage of acceptances.</p>
<p>Regarding the AP credits thing;
I certainly misspoke earlier when I made it sound like a be all end all requirement, but it is certainly part of the process, at least according to my advisor, who is involved in the selections.</p>
<p>i was under the impression that about 100 incoming freshman are offered spots in the program. I heard later however that their target number is a little higher: about 150. But if you recieved the packet, they are holding a spot for you.</p>