Undergraduate Research Scholars
Each Spring, the Office of Undergraduate Admissions collaborates with our scholar partners to invite a cohort of incoming students into Undergraduate Research Scholars programs at the same time that they are accepted to Penn. These students come from diverse backgrounds and varying degrees of prior research experience, with interests spanning across all our undergraduate schools’ areas of study, and with a shared curiosity and passion for research and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
If a student isn’t admitted at the time of their admissions decisions, they can also apply directly to designated programs at the end of their first year of study.
Benjamin Franklin Scholars
Benjamin Franklin Scholars are selected based on their deep engagement in the liberal arts and sciences, both as a broad foundation of knowledge and as engines of change in the world.
University Scholars
The University Scholars program promotes long-term, original, and independent undergraduate research while facilitating innovation, conversation, and collaboration among faculty and students across academic disciplines.
The Joseph Wharton Scholars Program
Founded in 1988 as part of the Benjamin Franklin Scholars program, the Joseph Wharton Scholars Program is designed to emphasize the importance of breadth in the liberal arts and sciences within the framework of a business education.
Nursing Undergraduate Honors Program
Students enrolled in the School of Nursing who are selected for the Nursing Undergraduate Honors Program (NUHP) are simultaneously designated Benjamin Franklin Scholars. NUHP develops the next generation of nurse achievers—scholars, leaders, and researchers—by promoting intellectual rigor, academic excellence, and outstanding achievement.
Clark Scholars within Penn Engineering
Clark Scholars Program provides financial support for engineering students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated financial need. By combining engineering, leadership, business skills, and service learning, the Clark Scholars Program aims to foster engineer-leaders dedicated to civic engagement and the public good.
Rachleff Scholars Program within Penn Engineering
The Rachleff Scholars Program offers Penn Engineering undergraduates the opportunity to gain valuable research experience with standing faculty and to join a community of peers who share an interest in research and scholarly inquiry.
Roy and Diana Vagelos Program in Molecular Sciences
Students in the Vagelos Scholars Program in Molecular Life Sciences are interested in the molecular view of life and plan to pursue research careers in science, pure and applied, including medicine. We encourage students and candidates to contact program participants. Current students (peer advisors) in the Vagelos Molecular program who can provide insight and one-on-one interactions can be contacted at vspeers@sas.upenn.edu.
Civic Scholars
Penn Civic Scholars commit to four years of civic service and scholarship with close faculty mentorship, and receive recognition at graduation. Through a sustained and connected approach, Penn Civic Scholars engage in community service or social advocacy work, special pro-seminars, summer internships, selected courses, and capstone research projects aimed at public policy recommendations.