The Pennsylvania Society's Benjamin Franklin Scholar Award invites Pennsylvania public school juniors to submit an original essay discussing the modern-day relevance of a Benjamin Franklin quot e.
We are pleased to announce that the 2024 quote is:
“Tis a Common Observation here that our Cause is the Cause of all Mankind; and that we are fighting for their Liberty in defending our own. ’Tis a glorious Task assign’d us by Providence; which has I trust given us Spirit and Virtue equal to it, and will at last crown it with Success.”
Franklin, Benjamin. “Letter to Samuel Cooper, May 1, 1777.” The Papers of Benjamin Franklin, http://franklinpapers.org/
Email [email protected] with any questions.
2024 Scholar Award Winners
First Prize $6,000
Emma Noss – Avonworth High School, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County
Second Prize $4,000
Shloka Kari - Downingtown East High School, Exton, Chester County
Third Prize $2,000
Morgyn Thomas - Somerset Area Senior High School, Somerset, Somerset County
Benjamin Franklin: In Search of a Better World
Online Site Support Notebook: Programs for Younger Audiences
www.benfranklin300.org/essayContest.htm Who is your modern day Benjamin Franklin? This was the question answered by thousands of students across the Philadelphia region who participated in the Benjamin Franklin Essay Contest presented by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, the National Constitution Center, and the "News In Education" program of The Philadelphia Inquirer . The winning students were honored in a ceremony at the National Constitution Center on April 11, 2006.
- Other essay topics: "What Would Benjamin Franklin Like and Dislike About the World Today?" (Would he have taken to PCs, the Internet, Blackberrys?) What role might he play in government today?
- Sponsor an invention contest with winners receiving Benjamin Franklin t-shirts, etc., judges from local colleges, high schools.
www.ushistory.org/franklin/fun/index.htm Do simple experiments. The web site "Fun with Franklin" offers experiments with bottle pipes, a lemon battery, letterpress stamps, and a thermometer. Also games related to Franklin.
- Plan a public program for students in the library presented by a librarian or teacher showing how to use primary sources in historical research.
- Teen poetry writing and public readings on themes related to the exhibit.
- Partner with a local children's museum on programs about Benjamin Franklin.
- Plan a young people's chautauqua focusing on personalities, events, music, costume and other aspects of the era, with speakers impersonating public figures, simple craft activities, dancing and acting (this could be a series of programs throughout the exhibition period).
- Include a title for young people in the Benjamin Franklin "One Book, One Community" series.
- Family activity night at the library with stories and songs about Benjamin Franklin and the American Revolution.
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Literary Prize 2023
2023 winner and runner-up.
In 2023, our quote for interpretation was;
“Government must depend for its Efficiency either on Force or Opinion.” From ‘The Colonist’s advocate’, VII. (Feb 1, 1770)
Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. The competition is exclusively for young writers, aged 18-25, with a first prize of £750 , and a second prize of £500 .
We received some excellent entries to our 2023 Prize and we are proud to announce the names of the two young writers that were voted as the winner and runner-up by our team of judges;
Winner – Ciara Griffiths
Ciara is a 21-year-old Philosophy graduate of Royal Holloway University of London. She is currently volunteering for Oxfam and works as a Social Media Ambassador for BucksVision, a local charity supporting visually impaired people living in Buckinghamshire.
Judges comments:
Wendy Moore : “A very stylish piece of fiction with lots of tension and echoes of A Tale of Two Cities.”
Rory Sutherland : “an ingenious link to the French Revolution.”
Runner-up – Angus Brown
Angus is 24 and currently a third year doctoral candidate in History at the University of Cambridge.
Lord Guy Black : “A compelling essay, expertly written.”
Huw David : “Well structured, excellently researched and a thought-provoking conclusion.”
_________________________________________________________
If you would like to read their entries for the 2023 Prize, please click on their names to view their work.
In May 2024, the winner, runner-up and other shortlisted writers were invited to Benjamin Franklin House for a special award ceremony to receive their prizes and meet the judging panel for the 2023 Prize.
We would like to congratulate those on our shortlist as well as everyone who entered this year’s Prize.
2023 Shortlist Announcement
Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. The competition is exclusively for young writers, aged 18-25, with a first prize of £750, and a second prize of £500.
This year, our quote for interpretation was;
‘Government must depend for its Efficiency either on Force or Opinion.’ From ‘The Colonist’s Advocate’, Vol VII. (1 February, 1770) .
We received some excellent entries to our 2023 Prize and today we are proud to announce the names of the five young writers that have made it to our 2023 Shortlist . In alphabetical order, these are;
Angus Brown
Ciara Griffiths
Freya Graham
Georgina Arnold
Sam MacKley
If you would like to read any of the shortlisted entries for the 2022 Prize, please click on the writer names to view their work.
The winner and runner-up of the 2023 Literary Prize will be announced on the Benjamin Franklin House website on February 1st 2024, exactly 254 years since Franklin wrote this year’s quote.
In May 2024, the winner, runner-up and other shortlisted writers will be invited to Benjamin Franklin House for a special award ceremony to receive their prizes and meet the judging panel for the 2023 Prize.
The 2023 Literary Prize Judges are;
- Dr. Márcia Balisciano, Director of Benjamin Franklin House
- Lord Guy Black, Executive Director of the Telegraph Media Group
- Wendy Moore, English journalist, author, and historian
- Dr. Huw David, Development Director at Wolfson College, University of Oxford
- Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy Group and Board Member of Benjamin Franklin House
If you are interested in participating in our 2024 Literary Prize, please look out for announcements on our website. The quote for next year’s competition will be announced at the 2023 award ceremony and posted shortly after.
2023 Competition Announcement
Each year a question or quote exploring Benjamin Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. The competition is open exclusively for young writers, aged 18-25, with a first prize of £750, and a second prize of £500. Winning entries will be published online at www.BenjaminFranklinHouse.org and https://www.telegraph.co.uk/
The Franklin quote for interpretation in 2023 is;
“Government must depend for its Efficiency either on Force or Opinion.” From ‘The Colonist’s advocate’, V II. (Feb 1, 1770)
Please find details of how to enter below:
- Deadline: Friday 15th December at 23:59
- Entries of 1000-1500 words must be sent to [email protected]
- Entrants must be aged 18-25 years and living in the UK
- Each Entrant is asked to provide their name, preferred email, postal address and phone number within the email and the entry attached as a word document. In addition entrants should provide their age and place of study (if applicable; if they are not in education, they should provide a biographical note explaining their current activities)
- Entrants may submit only one entry; fiction or non-fiction
Please contact our Education Manager with any queries.
2022 Winner and Runner-up
In 2022, our quote for interpretation was;
‘The Eyes of other People are the Eyes that ruin us. If all but myself were blind, I should want neither fine Clothes, fine Houses nor Fine Furniture.’ Letter to Benjamin Vaughan, 1784 .
We received some excellent entries to our 2022 Prize and we are proud to announce the names of the two young writers that were voted as the winner and runner-up by our team of judges;
Winner – Daniel Bresland
Daniel is 23 and from County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. He has just begun a PhD in English Literature at Queen’s University Belfast.
Runner-up – George White
George is 25 and from Derbyshire, England. He is a graduate of Nottingham Trent University’s Centre for Broadcast and Journalism. He is currently the Editor of the Nottingham-based arts and culture magazine LeftLion, which has a readership of around 50,000.
If you would like to read their entries for the 2022 Prize, please click on their names to view their work.
In March 2023, the winner, runner-up and other shortlisted writers were invited to Benjamin Franklin House for a special award ceremony to receive their prizes and meet the judging panel for the 2022 Prize.
2022 Shortlist Announcement
We received some excellent entries to our 2022 Prize and today we are proud to announce the names of the five young writers that have made it to our 2022 Shortlist . In alphabetical order, these are;
Daniel Bresland Diane de la Marck George White Lois Bodie Olivia Todd
To coincide with the 317th birthday of Benjamin Franklin, the winner and runner-up of the 2022 Literary Prize will be announced on the Benjamin Franklin House website on January 17th 2023.
In March 2023, the winner, runner-up and other shortlisted writers will be invited to Benjamin Franklin House for a special award ceremony to receive their prizes and meet the judging panel for the 2022 Prize.
The 2022 Literary Prize Judges are;
If you are interested in participating in our 2023 Literary Prize, please look out for announcements on our website. The quote for next year’s competition will be announced at the 2022 award ceremony and posted shortly after.
2022 Competition
The Franklin quote for interpretation in 2022 was ‘The Eyes of other People are the Eyes that ruin us. If all but myself were blind, I should want neither fine Clothes, fine Houses nor Fine Furniture.’ Letter to Benjamin Vaughan, 1784 .
2021 Competition
The quote for 2021 was ‘‘Without Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as publick Liberty, without Freedom of Speech.’ Silence Dogood, No.8, The New-England Courant (1722). We accepted both fiction and non-fiction entries from aspiring writers aged 18 to 25.
Our first-place winner was Selin Cetin, a student in Journalism at the University of Kent. Read Selin’s non-fiction entry here .
Our second-place winner was Gabby Fadullon, a student in English Literature at UCL. Read Gabby’s fiction entry, here .
2019 Competition
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2024 High School Essay Contest Winning Essay
You are here, in this section, disinformation: a threat to every level of diplomacy.
BY IAN ROSENZWEIG
In his intellectual explorations, Benjamin Franklin, the first diplomat of the fledgling United States of America, committed himself to truth. Franklin created “Junto,” a discussion group, “in the sincere Spirit of Enquiry after Truth, without fondness for Dispute, or Desire of Victory” (Canada). Franklin recognized the value of truth over personal benefit or gain. But today, truth is becoming elusive. In public life, biased media publish sensationalized content, and social media platforms allow unverified information – from deep fakes to fabricated “facts” – to gain traction. Artificial intelligence, too, has allowed disinformation and misinformation to infiltrate the public sphere. Beyond depriving global citizens of the United Nations (UN)-declared right to information, which is expressed in Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, these disinformation tactics influence intergovernmental affairs. They allow nations to exploit each other and sow seeds of distrust. Accordingly, the UN is seeking to raise awareness about and combat disinformation. Disinformation is more than a danger to individual relationships between specific nations. It impacts every global conflict and major geopolitical challenge, from pandemics to immigration policy, and is therefore a pervasive diplomatic challenge itself. Diplomats can mitigate the damage that disinformation causes by ensuring truth in their dealings, promoting public trust-building initiatives, engaging in honest, principled efforts, and collaborating to take direct action against those who spread disinformation.
Some international disinformation efforts are targeted toward individual nations, creating public distrust, sowing division, and violating the fundamental expectation that nations be granted sovereignty over their land and people. Election interference provides a prominent example of disinformation efforts. The Russian Federation and its “Internet Research Agency” (IRA) are frequently cited for disinformation tactics used to interfere in other nations’ elections (Gerrits 4). According to a report from the Policy Department for External Relations of the European Parliament, the IRA “purchased around 3,400 advertisements on Facebook and Instagram during the US 2016 election campaign,” reaching millions of American voters (Colomina, Sánchez Margalef, and Youngs 15). The IRA is also presumed to be responsible for disinformation regarding casualties of the Russian war in Ukraine (Silverman and Kao). Other disinformation, although not necessarily of Russian origin, has been flagged in recent European democratic procedures, including the 2016 Brexit referendum and the 2016 referendum in the Netherlands on the EU Association Agreement with Ukraine (Gerrits 6). These matters, although originating in national elections, are relevant to the diplomats of the countries involved and to every global power, including the US. Ideologically, protecting democracy is one of the foremost priorities of the US and its foreign policy. Pragmatically, interference in election initiatives as contentious as Brexit has the potential to reshape international decisions and relationships, thus impacting every nation. And beyond election interference, disinformation campaigns have successfully impacted issues from public health to armed conflict, allowing one nation to dictate other nations’ actions by creating public unrest and pressuring governments (Guterres 2). Through preventing the spread of disinformation, nations preserve democracy and sovereignty and protect uninformed and vulnerable populations worldwide.
In addition to influencing national politics and their global impacts, disinformation also creates tension in international diplomatic relations. In 2017, a series of reports regarding apparent Qatari support for terror, including accusations of praise for Hamas and Iran and a ransom payment to al-Qaeda, led the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and other Arab League countries to sever diplomatic ties with Qatar and implement a blockade on the nation (Windrem and Arkin). Qatar referred to the reports, which Qatar claims were uploaded to Qatari news sites via a hack orchestrated by the UAE, as a “smear campaign,” and US officials reported that the accusations were “false” and “apparently planted” (Windrem and Arkin). NBC News reported that the campaign against Qatar was also an effort to damage relations between Qatar and the US – an effort which seems to have been successful given then-President Donald Trump’s signaled support for the blockade against Qatar (Windrem and Arkin; Wintour). Normal relations between Qatar and the group of Arab League nations did not resume until 2021 (Krasna). This crisis highlights how disinformation damages international relationships. Had the US not investigated the accusations of the “smear campaign,” its relations with Qatar could have deteriorated. Such a shift could have upended diplomatic dynamics in the middle east and incited significant foreign policy changes. Similarly, disinformation regarding crime and immigration in Sweden led to tensions between Sweden and the US in 2017, which could have further negatively impacted the US’s relations in the Nordic and Baltic regions (Fjällhed). Disinformation can cause such “butterfly effects” in international affairs – ramifications beyond initial intentions can arise from disinformation. Without fighting disinformation globally, the Foreign Service invites more, similar crises to arise, some of which may not be resolved without great harm to the US.
Although the fight against disinformation is urgent, it is a formidable challenge that cannot be addressed hastily. The UN has called for greater control and oversight of disinformation. A 2021 resolution passed by the General Assembly tied the fight against disinformation to treaties including the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discriminations (United Nations General Assembly 1). It then, among other clauses, “call[ed] upon States to counter all forms of disinformation through policy measures, including education, capacity-building for prevention and resilience to disinformation, advocacy and awareness-raising” and it requested that the Secretary-General “seek the views of States, United Nations entities and relevant stakeholders” and submit a report (United Nations General Assembly 4). In response, Secretary-General António Guterres released a report in 2022 in which he noted that “Any analysis of disinformation needs to be multifaceted” because disinformation wreaks havoc across initiatives is not confined to isolated issues (Guterres 2). His report raises elections, public health, armed conflict, minority rights, and climate change as examples of fields that disinformation can impact. Secretary-General Guterres further emphasized that efforts to mitigate disinformation must not infringe upon freedom of expression or allow oppressive regimes to further limit their citizens’ rights (2). His recommendations for solutions included platform transparency regulations, public information campaigns, ensuring media independence, and increasing media literacy initiatives, all while considering both state and non-state actors (17-19).
The existing UN action indicates a commitment to truth, and American diplomats are in a unique position to promote international acceptance of the UN's findings given the international influence of the US. Through actively and forcefully adhering to and promoting UN guidelines, ensuring that US diplomats are not engaging in dishonest diplomatic action, and providing American support for UN information campaigns, the United States Foreign Service creates a global environment that recognizes the gravity of the disinformation crisis. Given that disinformation can influence every single initiative to which the Foreign Service is committed, and given the moral leadership that the US has the capacity to express, it is imperative that US policy pursues truth not just internally but throughout its diplomatic dealings. The US must hold its allies to a standard of truth. Without a guarantee of truth, transparency, and international dealings free of disinformation, the US cannot claim its mantle of moral leadership.
While disinformation has become an even more pressing concern since the aforementioned UN resolution and report because of the rise of generative artificial intelligence, neither the UN nor the global community has taken firm action. Efforts have been limited to remediating damage and building institutional trust, not dismantling the systems that propagate disinformation. Individually, however, the US has been more proactive. Surrounding the 2018 midterm elections, US Cyber Command interfered with the disinformation campaigns of Russia’s IRA, sending warnings to its operators, disconnecting servers, and disrupting internet connection (Jensen). Although such perturbation may not disarm the IRA in the long-term or deter Russian disinformation campaigns, sustained and multilateral efforts – coordinated and agreed upon by diplomats – have the potential to subvert the disinformation industry in Russia and elsewhere.
The US is already engaging in international efforts, including a partnership with Bulgaria announced in September 2023, to counter disinformation (United States Department of State). But there is an open opportunity for an international treaty, that incorporates more than two countries, to join the ranks of past landmark UN actions like the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action. Such an agreement would not only affirm the standards for public information campaigns and honest diplomacy outlined by the Secretary-General’s report but commit the international community to tangible and concerted work to combat disinformation. While the US alone disrupted the Russian IRA’s schemes, an alliance of nations would be able to more decisively and universally inhibit the spread of disinformation. The US Foreign Service has the chance to reignite the spirit of the US’s original diplomat, Benjamin Franklin, and prioritize truth before all else. With appropriate leadership, the war-torn and divided international community can unite against disinformation, which can derail any international effort, and cooperate to preserve good faith and truth, without which diplomacy cannot function.
Works Cited
Canada, Mark. “Talking Politics in 2021: Lessons on Humility and Truth-Seeking from Benjamin Franklin.” The Conversation , 8 February 2021, theconversation.com/talking-politics-in-2021-lessons-on-humility-and-truth-seeking-from-benjamin-franklin-153924.
Colomina, Carme; Sánchez Margalef, Héctor; Youngs, Richard. Policy Department for External Relations. The impact of disinformation on democratic processes and human rights in the world . European Parliament. April 2021. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/STUD/2021/653635/EXPO_STU(2021)653635_EN.pdf .
Fjällhed, Alicia. “Managing Disinformation Through Public Diplomacy.” Public Diplomacy and the Politics of Uncertainty , Palgrave Macmillan, 2020, pp. 227–53.
Gerrits, André W.M. "Disinformation in International Relations: How Important Is It?". Security and Human Rights 29.1-4 (2018): 3-23. https://doi.org/10.1163/18750230-02901007 .
Guterres, António. Countering disinformation for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms . Report No. A/77/150. United Nations. 12 August 2022. https://undocs.org/en/A/77/287 .
Jensen, Benjamin. “Waging War against the Troll Farms.” Navy Times , 13 March 2019, www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/03/13/waging-war-against-the-troll-farms/ .
Krasna, Joshua. “Understanding the Wave of Normalization in the Middle East.” Foreign Policy Research Institute , 13 January 2021, www.fpri.org/article/2021/01/understanding-the-wave-of-normalization-in-the-middle-east/ .
Silverman, Craig, and Kao, Jeff. “Infamous Russian Troll Farm Appears to Be Source of Anti-Ukraine Propaganda.” ProPublica , 11 March 2022, www.propublica.org/article/infamous-russian-troll-farm-appears-to-be-source-of-anti-ukraine-propaganda .
United Nations General Assembly. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). New York: United Nations General Assembly, 1948.
United Nations General Assembly. 2021. Resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 24 December 2021 – Countering disinformation for the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedom . A/RES/76/227. https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/76/227 .
“U.S. and Bulgaria to Collaborate on Combatting Disinformation.” United States Department of State , 25 September 2023, https://www.state.gov/u-s-and-bulgaria-to-collaborate-on-combatting-disinformation/ . Press Release.
Windrem, Robert, and Arkin, William M. “Who Planted the Fake News at Center of Qatar Crisis?” NBCNews.Com , NBCUniversal News Group, 18 July 2017, www.nbcnews.com/news/world/who-planted-fake-news-center-qatar-crisis-n784056 .
Wintour, Patrick. “Donald Trump tweets support for blockade imposed on Qatar.” The Guardian , 6 June 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/06/qatar-panic-buying-as-shoppers-stockpile-food-due-to-saudi-blockade .
Works Consulted
Bjola, Corneliu. “The ‘Dark Side’ of Digital Diplomacy: Countering Disinformation and Propaganda.” Elcano Royal Institute , 15 January 2019, www.realinstitutoelcano.org/en/analyses/the-dark-side-of-digital-diplomacy-countering-disinformation-and-propaganda/ .
Foreign Threats to the 2020 US Federal Elections . National Intelligence Council. 10 March 2021. https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/ICA-declass-16MAR21.pdf .
Henrikson, Alan K. “ https://dl.tufts.edu/pdfviewer/g445cq755/5d86p9662 .” Fletcher Forum of World Affairs , vol. 32, no. 3, 2008, pp. 5–6, https://dl.tufts.edu/pdfviewer/g445cq755/5d86p9662 .
Jackson, Dean. Issue Brief: How Disinformation Impacts Politics and Publics . National Endowment for Democracy. 29 May 2018. https://www.ned.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/How-Disinformation-Impacts-Politicsand-Publics.pdf .
Manfredi-Sánchez, Juan Luis, and Huang, Zhao Alexandre. “Disinformation and Diplomacy.” The Palgrave Handbook of Diplomatic Reform and Innovation , Palgrave Macmillan, 2023, pp. 375–96.
Mapping and Analysis of Efforts to Counter Information Pollution in Europe and Central Asia Region . UNDP. November 2022.
Nakashima, Ellen. “U.S. Cyber Command Operation Disrupted Internet Access of Russian troll factory on day of 2018 midterms” Washington Post , 27 February 2019, www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-cyber-command-operation-disrupted-internet-access-of-russian-troll-factory-on-day-of-2018-midterms/2019/02/26/1827fc9e-36d6-11e9-af5b-b51b7ff322e9_story.html .
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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 up on a shelf, but who see them as transformative; changing minds and so changing the world.
Admissions for Incoming Penn Students
Each school implements the BFS vision somewhat differently so that the program enhances the existing home school requirements. Learn more about the program in each school below:
BFS in the College of Arts and Sciences
An immersive first-year experience .
In their first year, students in the College of Arts and Sciences (the “College”) take an intensive year-long course called the Integrated Studies Program (ISP) , which makes up half of the first-year curriculum. The course sets out broad themes in the humanities, sciences, and social sciences, and uses the multiple perspectives that different disciplines provide to examine the underlying questions that make each of them tick.
Selection
All incoming first-years admitted to the College are invited to apply to ISP, with the exception of those already pursuing another specialized intensive program at Penn (Huntsman Program, University Scholars, Vagelos Scholars, etc.) Applications are available after April 1 and are due on the same day as Penn’s enrollment confirmation is due (usually May 1). For more information on Integrated Studies , please contact Dr. Julio Tuma (215-898-4772).
BFS in the School of Engineering and Applied Science
A gateway to penn, rich in liberal arts.
BFS offers students in the School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS) a gateway to all that the Penn has to offer. Students engage in a top-flight engineering education while taking part in the larger world of the university.
BFS-Engineering students train as the next generation of builders and dreamers in an atmosphere rich in excellence in the liberal arts, business, medicine, law, and nursing.
Students enrolled in the School of Engineering are selected as Benjamin Franklin Scholars as incoming first-year students.
BFS in the School of Nursing
A liberal arts option.
Benjamin Franklin Scholars in Nursing (BFS-N) provides a liberal arts-intensive option within the undergraduate nursing major for students who are curious and inclined toward intellectual exploration.
As a scholar within BFS-N, your academic experience is marked by rigorous coursework and extracurricular activities open to you and peers in the College of Arts and Sciences, the Wharton School, and the School of Engineering and Applied Science. In addition to a variety of campus-wide programs as part of BFS, you can enroll in the justly famed BFS seminars – courses taught by expert faculty from across campus in a variety of topics.
A full description of the BFS-N program and its requirements can be found here .
Becoming a BFS-N scholar is by select invitation on matriculation at the discretion of the BFS-N program leadership.
BFS in the Wharton School (Joseph Wharton Scholars)
Emphasis .
The Joseph Wharton Scholars (JWS) program in the Wharton School emphasizes the importance of breadth across the liberal arts and sciences within the framework of a business education.
Students in the program take BFS seminars in Wharton and in the College of Arts and Sciences and engage in a significant senior research project (waived if doing one for a joint or dual-degree program).
A full description of the JWS program and its requirements can be found here .
Students enrolled in the Wharton School who are selected for the Joseph Wharton Scholars Program are simultaneously designated Benjamin Franklin Scholars.
Admitted Incoming BFS Students: What’s Next?
Please complete the Housing Application in your Student Portal. You do not have to reapply for BFS in the Housing Application or do any long form essay within the Housing Application. Simply note that you have already been invited to BFS or are planning on entering as a BFS student, and list ‘Hill College House’ as your first choice of Housing.
Current Penn Students: How to Apply
The majority of students in BFS are invited to apply during the process of being admitted to Penn. 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 .
Have questions about BFS? View our FAQs below:
What do students in the BFS program do that is different from non-BFS students?
All BFS students take at least three (3) BFS seminar CUs during their time at Penn. These are the heart of the BFS program and bring together students and faculty who jointly pursue powerful questions of mutual interest. In addition, the four undergraduate schools – Nursing, Engineering, Wharton, and the College – have their own additional requirements for their BFS students. We also host joint plenary events to which the entire BFS community is invited to hear speakers or just get to know one another better.
I’m interested in applying to Benjamin Franklin Scholars, but I’m set for a joint degree/dual degree program (i.e. Huntsman, Vagelos, M&T, LSM, etc.) Can I do both?
There are many extraordinary and intensive opportunities at Penn, each with their own rigors. Amazing educational experiences here are simply the norm, and it’s true that worthwhile things tend to be demanding, and sometime force us to make choices. For example, students whose home school is the College and who are doing Integrated Studies will be unable simultaneously to complete the requirements for the College’s intensive biological science program, the Vagelos Scholars Program. Students who are pursuing a dual degree with a professional school may be able to simultaneously complete an intensive or dual-degree program (such as Huntsman, LSM, or Nursing and Health Care Management) while also being able to complete the requirements for BFS in their professional school. These students will NOT be eligible for Integrated Studies. Contact your pre-major advisor for more information.
Do I have to be in the Benjamin Franklin Scholars program in order to enroll in a BFS seminar class?
No, any undergraduate at Penn can request a seat in a BFS seminar. Roughly a third of the seats in BFS seminars are reserved for program participants, and the rest are open to BFS students or for general enrollment. Some BFS seminars may have seats reserved for majors in that department (for example, History usually reserves some seats in BFS seminars for their majors). Some BFS seminars may require a permit for all students, whether or not the student is in the BFS program.
Can Benjamin Franklin Scholars influence my financial aid?
No, all aid from Student Financial Services is need based; there are no merit-based scholarships administered by Penn’s Student Financial Services.
I’m interested in Benjamin Franklin Scholars but I plan to go abroad my junior year. Is this a problem?
No. Students can “bank” courses in advance, so if you have completed two BFS seminars by the end of your sophomore year, you can go abroad all of junior year and take your third BFS seminar senior year. If, however, you haven’t taken any BFS seminars by the end of your sophomore year and plan to be abroad all of junior year, it is not realistic to expect to take all your BFS seminars as a senior.
Is BFS a dual degree program? Do I get a separate degree?
No, BFS is not a degree program or a major. The BFS distinction is noted on your transcript.
Are BFS courses introductory or upper level?
Some BFS courses are introductory, appropriate for students interested in a subject in which they have no prior experience; others require some knowledge going in.
Do I have to take a BFS seminar every semester?
You may have semesters in which you take no BFS seminars, and others in which you take more than one.
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COMMENTS
The Pennsylvania Society's Benjamin Franklin Scholar Award invites Pennsylvania public school juniors to submit an original essay discussing the modern-day relevance of a Benjamin Franklin quote.
participated in the Benjamin Franklin Essay Contest presented by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, the National Constitution Center, and the “News In Education” program of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Who is your modern day Benjamin Franklin? This was the question answered by thousands of students across the Philadelphia region who participated in the Benjamin Franklin Essay Contest presented by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, the National Constitution Center, and the "News In Education" program of
2023 Competition Announcement. Each year a question or quote exploring Benjamin Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. The competition is open exclusively for young writers, aged 18-25, with a first prize of £750, and a second prize of £500.
In his intellectual explorations, Benjamin Franklin, the first diplomat of the fledgling United States of America, committed himself to truth. Franklin created “Junto,” a discussion group, “in the sincere Spirit of Enquiry after Truth, without fondness for Dispute, or Desire of Victory” (Canada).
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.
The National Constitution Center, the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary and the News In Education program of The Philadelphia Inquirer are sponsoring a student essay contest to find out your answer.
This was the question answered by thousands of students across the region who participated in the Benjamin Franklin Essay Contest presented by the Benjamin Franklin Tercentenary, the National Constitution Center, and the "News In Education" program of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Papers of Benjamin Franklin Sponsored by The American Philosophical Society and Yale University Digital Edition by The Packard Humanities Institute
On the 13th of April in 1722, the third essay of Silence Dogood (the female alias of Benjamin Franklin) was written and submitted to be published in the New-England Courant.