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Honors Program
WHAT IS THE HONORS PROGRAM?
The Honors Program offers academically motivated students an alternative
General Education curriculum built around the study of the great
works of world culture. Honors students explore central themes in
the sciences and liberal arts through discussion of works ranging
from Homer’s Odyssey to Mozart’s Requiem, from the Analects
of Confucius to Emily Dickinson’s poetry, from the Bible to
the Dialogues of Galileo. These “classics” are supplemented
by selected contemporary works, including films.
Students who complete the Honors Program have no other
General Education requirements. This means, quite
simply, more freedom to choose electives.
All Honors courses are interdisciplinary, discussion-oriented seminars
in which students and teachers engage in collaborative learning.
The seminars are structured around themes — heroism, for example,
or the relationship between the individual and society.
A minimum 3.3 GPA must be maintained while in the Honors Program.
Students who complete the Program graduate “With Honors,”
a designation that appears on the graduation program and the transcript.
LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT
All honors students study a foreign language up through the intermediate
level (or equivalent). Options include French, Spanish, German,
and Biblical Greek.
SUMMER TERM ABROAD
Some learning is done "on location." One of the highlights of the
Honors Program is the Summer Term Abroad: planned for the summer
between the student's sophomore and junior year, this term consists
of a 4-week seminar, taught in Europe, on the theme "beauty." Frequent
field trips take advantage of local art, architecture, and cultural
events.
HONORS SCHOLARSHIP
Students who complete the Honors Program receive a tuition scholarship
of up to $3000, part of which covers the tuition for the Summer
Term Abroad.
HONORS PROJECT
The Honors Project, a student-designed independent research project
completed during the senior year under the guidance of a faculty
member, is the capstone of the Honors Program. The project normally
grows out of issues or ideas encountered in the honors seminars.
In addition to scholarly research papers, recent Honors Projects
have included one-person plays, original musical compositions, and
documentary films.
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO JOIN?
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a minimum 3.5 high school CPI (core GPA)
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four years of high school English, two of history, three of
mathematics (including Algebra II), and a year of biology, chemistry,
and physics (or equivalents); deficiencies can be made up while
in the program
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strong writing skills
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minimum ACT composite score of 24 and/or SAT composite score
of 1140 (80th percentile)
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self-motivation
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intellectual curiosity
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