Apply to the Honors Program
Important Dates *
- January 15 - Completed Application and Honors Interview priority deadline
- March 15 - Completed Application and Honors Interview final deadline
- April 1 - Decisions sent to applicants
- June 1 - Response to invitations and deposits due to the Admissions Office
Minimum Eligibility Requirements to be Considered for Honors Program Membership:
- Unweighted GPA of 3.7 on 4.0 scale (Evidence of AP and Honors courses preferred)
- Honors interview required (virtual or in-person) completed preferably by January 15, with a final deadline of March 15
Students that don't fulfill the GPA criteria are welcome to appeal and should submit an essay (please see below for topic)
Essay Topic:
Elizabethtown College is strongly committed to peace and justice, and its mission is grounded in international and cross-cultural perspectives, hands-on/experiential learning, and purposeful life work. In 300-500 words, please share an example from your own experience where you put all or some of these elements into action and how it influenced your perspective on the world.
Application Process
- To apply to the Honors Program, request to be considered for Honors Program membership on your general application to Elizabethtown College, by selecting the Honors Program checkbox on the application form. If you have already applied and did not check the Honors box, notify the Admissions Office via phone or email that you wish to be considered. We do not consider applicants who have not been accepted to the College.
- Arrange an Honors interview with an Admissions Counselor prior to March 15. The College prefers that the application and Honors interview be completed prior to January 15, but will also consider applicants that meet the March 15 final deadline.
- The Honors Committee reviews completed applications of qualified students on a rolling basis.
- Applicants will receive a final decision no later than April 1. If you receive an invitation to join the program you must return your deposit to the Admissions Office by May 1. After that date, applicants on the waiting list will be offered the unclaimed membership positions.
Transfer Students
Transfer student applications are welcome. Please notify the admissions office that you wish to be considered for the Honors Program. If you have no prior honors program experience at your previous institution, we ask that you complete an interview with the admissions counselor and require a 3.5 cumulative GPA for college level work. If you do not meet the cumulative 3.5 GPA requirement, you are welcome to submit an essay that the Honors Program Director will consider. Please address the following topic: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did you navigate that situation and move forward?
We also accept students who were members of Honors Programs at their previous institutions and whose cumulative GPA matches or exceeds the Honors Program minimum cut-off for the number of credits earned. The program accepts your honors credits from the transferring institution with a grade of B or higher. We will apply these credits toward your honors requirements at Elizabethtown College.