The Bet on Entrepreneurship Program 

The Bet on Entrepreneurship Program provides students in the classes of 2027 and 2028 who identify as First-Generation and/or Limited Income (FGLI) with education around the entrepreneurial ecosystem and facilitated access to professional entrepreneurial spaces. The Program does this by supporting students through an introductory Spring Bootcamp and a subsequent 5-week placement within a local Philadelphia-area startup.

Students who successfully complete the Bet on Entrepreneurship Program will be eligible to apply to the subsequent San Francisco portion of the Bet on Entrepreneurship Program. Programming will give admitted students the opportunity to explore venture capital and the innovative San Francisco Bay-Area community via a facilitated summer immersion placement at a participating venture capital firm.
The Bet on Entrepreneurship Program is not for credit, and is meant to complement the selected students’ course of study and exploratory interest in entrepreneurship, venture investing, and innovation with practical, hands-on professional experience.

*Bet on Entrepreneurship uses Penn First Plus and the University’s FGLI guidelines (https://pennfirstplus.upenn.edu/about-penn-first-plus/).

Eligibility Requirements

- Current first or second year undergraduate student (Class of 2028 and Class of 2027) at the University of Pennsylvania

- A FGLI student per the University of Pennsylvania and Penn First Plus' guidelines.

- Students should ensure they in are possession of a U.S. visa status that authorizes you to work lawfully in the United States (i.e., not just as part of a work-study program)

Application Submission Requirements

Applications must be fully completed and submitted before the deadline of Sunday, November 10th, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time.

If an applicant misses a deadline due to technical or other issues, unforeseen or otherwise, their application will not be considered. Please factor in enough time to ensure there are no obstacles, technical or otherwise, before the deadline. Deadline extensions or opportunities to correct or improve an application will not be permitted.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application at least one (1) business day before the deadline, during normal University of Pennsylvania business hours (9AM - 5PM Eastern) to account for any troubleshooting that might be needed. There is no one 'on call' to assist with troubleshooting application submission issues, technical or otherwise.

Program Calendar Details

Admitted students are required to attend a six-week Spring pre-immersion Bootcamp. This co-curricular program will provide the BoE cohort with hands-on and actionable training to prepare them for their summer immersion experience. The weekly sessions will take place on campus, at Tangen Hall, on select Friday afternoons in the Spring 2025 semester from 3:30 - 6:30 pm (Eastern Time). 

Please note the Bootcamp sessions and key Program dates below. Venture Lab reserves the right to add additional mandatory sessions during the Spring term. Admitted students are expected to attend any required sessions and/or events as indicated by staff that are a part of the Bet on Entrepreneurship Program.  

Bet on Entrepreneurship Program Timeline

• Applicants must be available for the entire length of the program in order to be considered. This includes all bootcamp and meeting dates, and every day of the summer immersion experience in Philadelphia. *Dates may be subject to change. 

• Applicants should not plan to complete university summer classes or independent internships concurrently with the program. 

• Applicants must complete all requirements of the bootcamp and all pre-immersion activities to be eligible to participate in the summer immersion experience and to receive the financial award.

If you have a conflict with any of the program dates listed above, please reach out to discuss.

Bet on Entrepreneurship (BoE) Program - Frequently Asked Questions 

What is the Bet on Entrepreneurship Program?

The Bet on Entrepreneurship Program provides students in the classes of 2027 and 2028 who identify as First-Generation and/or Limited Income (FLGI) education around the entrepreneurial ecosystem and facilitated access to professional entrepreneurial spaces

Who is eligible to apply?

Applications are open to current First-Year (rising sophomores) and Second-Year (rising juniors) students who identify as first-generation, and/or limited-income (FGLI). Bet on Entrepreneurship uses Penn First Plus and the University’s FGLI guidelines (https://pennfirstplus.upenn.edu/about-penn-first-plus/). 

Students should ensure they in are possession of a U.S. visa status that authorizes you to work lawfully in the United States (i.e., not just as part of a work-study program).

When will I know if I've been accepted to the program?

Applicants will be notified of their admission to the BoE program in late January 2025. Admitted students must accept their spots in the application software (Survey Monkey Apply) before Friday, February 7th, 2025.

Is there an award that accompanies acceptance to the BoE program?

Students who are admitted to the program will receive a financial award upon successful completion of specific program milestones. That financial award can be used to offset costs for participating in the summer immersion not covered by the program. Students will be responsible for travel costs and meals (breakfasts, lunches, and dinners). Please note the financial award is considered taxable income by the IRS.

Which expenses associated with participating in BoE are covered by the program? Which expenses are student participants expected to cover?

In addition to the financial award associated with admission to the program, the BoE program will cover housing in Philadelphia only for the duration of the Summer Immersion program. The BoE program will not pay for incidentals including laundry service, damage to the room, damage to the housing facilities and kitchen, missing supplies, and other non-accommodation expenses. Students will be responsible for transportation expenses. BoE participants are responsible for their daily meal and transportation expenses (e.g., to and from summer immersive placement, program-related meetings) during the Summer Immersion Program. Admitted students may use Penn funding resources for travel expenses.  

Can I participate in the Bet on Entrepreneurship Program and take classes during the Summer term?

Students are not permitted to take summer classes during Summer Session I and participate in the program due to the nature of the commitment involved, as well as potential financial aid implications. Students interested in taking classes during Summer Session II should speak with their advisor.

What is the Spring Bootcamp? Am I Required to Attend?

All admitted BoE students are required to attend a six week Spring pre-program Bootcamp, in addition to any added sessions or events mandated by Program staff. This co-curricular program will provide the BoE cohort with hands-on and actionable training to prepare them for their summer immersion experience. The weekly sessions will take place on campus, at Tangen Hall, on select Friday afternoons in the Spring 2025 semester from 3:30 - 6:30 pm Eastern Time (*unless noted otherwise). 

What if I'm unable to participate in a Bootcamp session because of an emergency or previous engagement? Are there excused absences?

Attendance is required at all Bootcamp sessions. Excused absences from BoE Bootcamp sessions will be determined on a case-by-case basis. Since all of the dates have been provided in advance, please include information in your application if you know you will not be able to attend any of the sessions. If a conflict comes up later in the program, please contact the program administrators as soon as possible to determine next steps.

What are the dates for the Summer Immersion program?

The formal dates for the Summer Immersion program are May 28, 2024 to July 26, 2024. Students must arrive in San Francisco by May 28, 2024 and schedule a departure no earlier than July 27, 2024.

How will placement decisions be made and when will they be announced?

During the Spring Bootcamp, BoE participants will have an opportunity to learn more about the specific opportunities at the participating startups, and will be able to rank their interest in the available programs. While everyone will get a pairing, we cannot guarantee that all students will receive their preferred placements. 

I am having technical issues with my application that impacts on my ability to submit it by the deadline, what should I do? 

Applications must be fully completed and submitted before the deadline of Sunday, November 10th, at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. If an applicant misses a deadline due to technical or other issues, unforeseen or otherwise, their application will not be considered. Please factor in enough time to ensure there are no obstacles, technical or otherwise, before the deadline. Deadline extensions or opportunities to correct or improve an application will not be permitted.

Applicants are encouraged to submit their application at least one (1) business day before the deadline, during normal University of Pennsylvania business hours (9AM - 5PM Eastern) to account for any troubleshooting that might be needed. There is no one 'on call' to assist with troubleshooting application submission issues, technical or otherwise.

Who should I reach out to with questions?

• For questions about the student experience, applicants are welcome to contact the members of the previous cohorts. Contact information can be found here. Please note that students are unable to provide guidance as to an applicant's chances of being accepted into the BoE cohort.

• For technical issues with the application please email venturelab@upenn.edu with "Bet on Entrepreneurship - technical question" in the subject line. Please provide a screenshot of any error messages, as well as information on the type of device and browser you are using. Technical questions and issues should be submitted/time stamped before the application deadline.

• All other questions can be directed to venturelab@upenn.edu with "Bet on Entrepreneurship" in the subject line. 

• When emailing venturelab@upenn.edu, please note that this inbox is not monitored outside of business hours and it can take 24-48 hours to receive a response.