Application/Nomination FAQ

Answering Your Frequently Asked Questions

Course Schedule

Weekdays, 9:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m.

Course 1: Monday, June 11 — Friday, June 22
Course 2: Monday, July 9 — Friday, July 20
Course 3: Monday, July 23  — Friday, August 3

Each class has a maximum of 20 students.

Tuition and Financial Assistance

COST OF TUITION: $2,370

Students are admitted solely on merit without regard to ability to pay. BFE commits to being financially accessible. If you have a real desire to be here, then we will work with you and your parents to help you get here.

BFE provides scholarships on the basis of financial need. Full and partial scholarships are awarded based on family income relative to the FPL Index. Review of the family’s last completed tax return, and a personal description of financial position determines the amount of a scholarship award.

The amount of available scholarship dollars each year is determined by donor support. Scholarships will be offered to eligible students on a first-come-first served basis until the scholarship fund is expended. Students seeking scholarships are encouraged to apply during Early Enrollment.

If an accepted student is in need of a scholarship but scholarship funds are exhausted, the student will be placed on the the wait list. Every effort will be made to generate funds that will allow the student to attend. The student may wish to fundraise on their own behalf. BFE has resources to help in that effort. Contact Jonathan Shanin for details.

Scholarships are non-transferable, will not be converted to cash, and have no cash value other than as payment towards Benjamin Franklin Experience tuition.

Advice to Students

Students who include three courses among their choices stand a better chance of receiving a course assignment. Listing multiple choices does not hurt a student’s chance of being assigned to the first-choice course. Listing only one choice does not increase a student’s chance of receiving that course.

The Evaluation Committee is looking for students with drive, passion, and an eagerness to learn. Exuberance for life, ambition, and tenacity are traits that we seek and value.

Advice to Nominators

Students will be challenged and taken out of their comfort zones throughout our experiences. We rely on you to speak to a student’s emotional readiness for the program. Your nomination should convey your belief in the young person you are recommending for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Early Enrollment

Application/Nomination Deadline: March 4, 2018

Evaluation Committee Decision:  March 14, 2018

Financial Aid and Course Assignment Notifications: March 28, 2018

Commitment Date/Deposits Due (if required): April 4, 2018

Final Payment Due (if required): April 18, 2018

IMPORTANT NOTE: Benjamin Franklin Experience accepts eligible applicants on a first-come-first served basis. If all available spots are filled during our Early Enrollment period, our Regular Enrollment period will be closed.

Only 60 Students Accepted This Summer

Benjamin Franklin Experience will accept eligible applicants on a first-come-first served basis. Highly-motivated students with a strong desire to attend the program, and/or those with specific course date preferences are encouraged to apply during the Early Enrollment period.

Eligibility Criteria

Complete applications and nominations will be reviewed by the Benjamin Franklin Experience Evaluation Committee, consisting of members from AidJoy’s Director’s Council*BFE’s Executive Director is not an Evaluation Committee member.

Each section of the application and nomination is assigned a point value by committee members. Points are combined to create a total application score. Applications in the 90% percentile and above will be accepted into the program.

How Courses Are Assigned

Course choices are assigned on first-come-first-served basis. Applicants are asked to indicate their course date preferences in the application (first, second, third.)

As students are accepted to the program, they will be placed in their first choice course. If their first-choice course is full, they will be placed in their second-choice course. If the second-choice course is full, they will be placed in their third-choice. If the student has not indicated more than one choice, or all the choices indicated are full, the student will be moved to the wait list.

Students who include three courses among their choices stand a better chance of receiving a course assignment. Listing multiple choices does not hurt a student’s chance of being assigned to the first-choice course. Listing only one choice does not increase a student’s chance of receiving that course.

Friends or siblings applying together who would like to attend the same course should send an email to Jonathan Shanin detailing the necessity and nature of their request.

Wait List

The wait list is comprised only of accepted* students who:

  • are waiting for a course assignment; and/or
  • are waiting for scholarship dollars to become available if the scholarship fund has been exhausted. In the event that scholarship dollars cannot be secured for students in need of aid, they will be accepted into the 2019 enrollment and moved to the top of the list.

*Students whose applications did not meet eligibility criteria as decided by our Evaluation Committee will not be added the wait list.