<p>Did anyone else get invited to apply for the university scholar program? I just wanted to know if anyone had any info on it (like how many people get in, how many current scholars, etc).</p>
<p>I'm a current UScholar and you should definitely apply. about 25 get in every year, so there are about 120 total (you can apply to get in after freshman year if you didn't get invited). Free lunch on Fridays rocks, you meet ridiculously smart, passionate people, and you get funding for basically anything you want to do over the summer. Plus you get Harriet Joseph as an advisor, who is hands down the best advisor you can get at Penn. You get preferential registration (though this is unofficial-- never talked about, but everyone always gets the classes they want) and it's noted on your transcript. Congrats on getting invited, make sure you write a kickass essay though it doesn't matter too much</p>
<p>so if you didn't get invited, is that pretty much a sign you won't get into the program?</p>
<p>How does this program compare with the Benjamin Franklin Scholar Program and the Joseph Wharton Scholar Program?</p>
<p>if you didn't get invited you can't apply until you've completed either a semester or a year, i forget which.</p>
<p>bfs and jws are honors programs which basically hold academic discussion teas sometimes and gives admittance into ben franklin seminars which are small intense seminars, and are usually great classes. the ones i've taken have been the best classes i've had at penn. anyone can get into the seminars but bfs and jws have preference in getting in. i believe you have to maintain a 3.4 to stay in the program.</p>
<p>university scholars have the same preference in getting into ben franklin seminars, but they have the added bonus of research funding and a community that meets regularly. it's less well known, but that's probably because there are less people in the program. if you're a bfs you can apply to be a university scholar, but university scholars don't need to apply to be bfs because everything in the program is included in it.</p>
<p>wow wow!!! so i got the invite.. should i respond immediately? or should i wait until i finish up that app?</p>
<p>and also... are the essays critical? meaning if i don't write my best.. will they take me out? basically... is the competition high? btw i got the invite!!</p>
<p>reply whenever you're ready to send in the application, and do your best with the application. they usually take most people who are invited, it's just that the admissions office nominates you to become a university scholar and the university scholars board decides who gets in, so it's a way of reinforcing someone's support. if you want to show interest before you're done with the app, email or call dr. joseph and talk to her about it.</p>
<p>How does this compare to the Vagelos Life Science scholar program (the chemistry/biochem one)? Should I apply for this university scholar or Ben Franklin program too even though I didn't get invited?</p>
<p>idk i'm not in vag but i think what you seem to be concerned about is prestige. don't worry about it, penn will kick your ass regardless of what programs you're in. penn is hard, and trying to stack up the gold stars before you even get here is a good way to stress yourself out way too much. just chill out, see how you like the program, and if you want, apply to either bfs or uscholars after a semester or a year. you can't apply now anyways. you get a great advisor with vagelos and you'll have more than enough work to keep you busy.</p>
<p>Haha, thanks. You pretty much outlined a good plan there. And really what I was wondering was whether people could only sign up for one or what the deal was with this stuff. But it's going to be tough if I'm to introduce myself as a "vag".</p>
<p>wait momentum.. so you are you're saying UScholar is not prestigious?</p>
<p>it's presitgious in the sense that it's tough to get in and few people are in it, but not in that no one at penn really cares if you're in an honors program, are doing a dual degree through M&T or Huntsman, have sunshine coming out your rear, etc. The functionality of the program is what is the big draw, regular free lunches plus research funding = yippee (I'm a senior in UScholars fyi).</p>
<p>is the university scholars a tight-knit community? Like is everyone really close friends and hang out together all the time? or is it more just a group of students who come together once a week?</p>
<p>more the latter</p>