IVY DAY AWARDS

IVY DAY AWARDS

The Ivy Day Awards are a cherished Penn tradition dating back to 1873. Presented during the Ivy Day Ceremony, these awards honor outstanding graduating seniors for their leadership and service to the University community.

With one exception, all awards are open exclusively to seniors. The Sol Feinstone Undergraduate Award is open to seniors, juniors and sophomores.

Seniors may apply for multiple awards, and self-nominations are encouraged to ensure the most complete and accurate submissions.

Please read through the detailed description of the awards and the selection process below. When you are ready to submit your nomination, click on the award name to access the submission form.

A linked PDF document at the bottom of this webpage contains the specific nomination form questions, allowing you to prepare responses before accessing the actual submission form.

Awards for Seniors

The Senior Honor Awards

[Click on the award name above to access the nomination form.]

The eight Senior Honor Awards—the Spoon, Hottel Shield, Bowl, Harnwell Flag, Cane, Goddard Loving Cup, Spade, and Brownlee Skimmer Hat—are selected by the graduating class to recognize outstanding contributions to campus life through leadership and involvement.

Nominees must be members in good academic standing of the Class of 2025, defined as:

• Students who enrolled at Penn in Fall 2021,
• Transfer students who enrolled at their previous institution in Fall 2021, or
• Students who enrolled in Fall 2022 but are graduating with the Class of 2025.

University administrators and the senior class board will participate in a selection process to narrow the pool of candidates to 30 finalists.

The senior class will then participate in an online election to determine the final recipients.

The top eight seniors with the highest number of votes will be awarded the Class of 2025 Senior Honor Awards.

Questions can be directed to Rodney Robinson.

The nomination deadline for the Senior Honor Awards is 

5p on Friday, February 28, 2025.

Note: This deadline is earlier than the rest of the ivy day awards.

The James Howard Weiss Memorial Award and Penn Student Agencies Award

[Click on the award name above to access the nomination form.]

The Weiss & PSA Awards honor distinguished academic achievement and exceptional leadership by a member of the senior class.

Nominees must have a minimum GPA of 3.70. Applicants should demonstrate significant leadership in campus activities.

Applicants are asked to submit a brief essay describing the impact of their campus involvement and two letters of recommendation in support of their candidacy.

Once applicants have identified their two recommenders, they should share the ivy day nomination’s website url with them to submit recommendations.

Recommendations for the Weiss & PSA awards must be submitted through this Reference Form.

A committee of administrators will review applications and select the award recipients.

Questions can be directed to Rodney Robinson.

The application and recommendation deadline for the Weiss & PSA Awards is 

5p on Friday, March 21, 2025.

The Student Award of Merit

[Click on the award name above to access the nomination form.]

This award, sponsored by Penn Alumni, is presented to members of the Senior Class on the May graduation roster who have actively contributed to campus life through activities and leadership.

Nominees must be members in good academic standing of the Class of 2025, defined as:

• Students who enrolled at Penn in Fall 2021,
• Transfer students who enrolled at their previous institution in Fall 2021, or
• Students who enrolled in Fall 2022 but are graduating with the Class of 2025.

The selection committee recognizes that University service takes many different forms, including but not limited to academic, co-curricular, athletic, and community service.  Alumni relations and/or advancement experience is not required. 

Applicants are asked to use the brief essay portion of this application to describe the nature of their contributions to the Penn community and provide meaningful examples of the same. 

This award will be given to no fewer than one and no more than five members of the senior class. An alumni committee comprised of past award winners make the final selection from the list of candidates. There is no minimum G.P.A. requirement. 

After you submit your application, please inform your references that they should submit this Google Form as part of the reference check.

Questions can be directed to Aman Goyal.

The application deadline for the Student Award of Merit is

5p on Friday, March 21, 2025.

Award for Seniors, Juniors and Sophomores

The Sol Feinstone Undergraduate Awards

[Click on the award name above to access the nomination form.]

This award may be presented to a senior, junior or sophomore who has contributed to orderly and constructive change within or outside the University community.

Nominations may be for one individual or a group.

Past recipients have included:

• The undergraduate who established the first mental health student group in the nation.
• The creators of a Saturday African-centered enrichment program for local children.
• The organizers of a pre-orientation leadership program for incoming first-year students.
• The founder of the first and the only youth-led LGBT statewide organization in the nation.

Applicants are asked to submit a brief essay describing their or their group’s contribution and its impact as well as two letters of recommendation in support of the nomination.

Applications should highlight a defined, significant contribution rather than a general list of activities or leadership positions.

Once applicants have identified their two recommenders, please inform them that all recommendations must be submitted using the following Reference Form.

A committee of administrators will review applications and select the award recipients.

Questions can be directed to Rodney Robinson.

The application deadline for the Sol Feinstone Undergraduate Award is 

5p on Friday, March 21, 2025.