Honors Program

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Become an Honors Scholar

Get the most out of your four years at Etown – become an Honors scholar. The Honors Program is designed to provide enriching and challenging educational and hands-on learning experiences while celebrating the excellence in you. As a member of this select group of talented, motivated, action-oriented students, you will be involved in academic and out-of-class opportunities to help you explore and impact the world around you. Take advantage of a living-learning program focused on experiential, immersive, and interdisciplinary experiences. Join a community of student-scholars for collaboration, support, and friendship. Engage with invested faculty who will help you develop course explorations and projects aimed at furthering your unique interests. Get elected to represent your peers at the Honors Student Council.

Honors Virtual Admissions Information Session Recording from 1/18/23

Benefits of Being an Honors Student

Academic research grants to help support research and scholarly pursuits
Expanded course offerings: course overloads, contracted courses, study abroad
Honors Center: student lounge and study and collaboration spaces accessible for Honors students only
Honors Living Learning Communities (LLC) in choice residence halls
Honors distinctions: graduation ceremony, regalia, and Honors distinctions on your transcript

The Honors Program promotes high standards of scholarship, provides students with co-curricular opportunities for leadership and community engagement, and helps students not only reach their full academic potential, but also helps them foster skills and experiences to make a positive impact on their communities. Accordingly, our Program's motto is: Learn, Serve, and Lead.

Throughout their immersion in the Honors Program, our students will:

Have an enriched experience focused on curricular and co-curricular components that encourage scholarship, service and leadership at the highest level
Collaborate with others, such as faculty scholars, campus leaders, prominent guest speakers, and visiting scholars
Demonstrate initiative and leadership through exploring and crafting unique learning opportunities
Engage in interdisciplinary work and foster a curiosity for looking at things from different perspectives
Experience ample enrichment opportunities and receive additional support, such as supplemental advising, field trips, guest speakers, community living, and assistance for applying to prestigious scholarships and fellowships and post-graduate service opportunities

January 15 Priority Deadline* – Complete Elizabethtown College or Common Application and Interview
March 31 Final Deadline - Complete Elizabethtown College or Common Application and Interview
November, December, January, February and March – Invitations to interview for the Honors Program are mailed
May 1 Declaration of Intent** – Students submit their matriculation deposit and formally accept their place in the Honors Program

*By meeting the priority deadline, students accepted to the Program are more likely to secure a position within the Program.

**Decisions to the Honors Program will be released on a rolling basis and students are encouraged to reserve their spot and deposit early. Once the Program reaches capacity, students who have been invited to participate, but have not deposited, will be placed on a waitlist.

3.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale
Evidence of AP, Honors, and/or IB courses preferred
Submit and complete the Elizabethtown College or Common Application
Honors Interview with Admissions Counselor, by invitation only*

* If you have not been invited to interview and would like to be considered, please call the Admissions Office at 717.361.1400 or email admissions@etown.edu .

Apply to Elizabethtown College via the Common Application or our own application here.
Upon review of your application, you will be sent an invitation to interview provided you meet the eligibility requirements. Interviews must be completed before March 31 and can be scheduled through your student portal.
Submit your optional essay to admissions@etown.edu. Although prospective honors students are not required to submit the 300-500-word essay, it is strongly encouraged. Below is the essay prompt:

Elizabethtown College is strongly committed to peacemaking and social justice, and our mission is rooted in international and cross-cultural perspectives, hands-on/experiential learning, civic engagement, and purposeful life work. Please share an example from your own experience where you put all or some of these elements into action and how it has informed your perspective on the world.

Transfer students are welcome to apply to Honors. If you would like to be considered for admission to the Honors Program, please notify our transfer coordinator, Gretchen Camp, at 717-361-1164 or campg@etown.edu.
We 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 honors credits from the transferring institution with a grade of B or higher. These credits will be applied toward a student’s honors requirements at Elizabethtown College.
Members of Phi Theta Kappa, as well as students who were members of Honors Programs at their previous 4-year institution, are automatically accepted to our Honors Program. Honors credits with a grade of B or higher will be applied to the student’s Honors requirements at Etown.
Transfer students with no prior collegiate Honors experience, should have a 3.5 cumulative GPA for college level work. If students do not meet the GPA requirement, a 300 to 500 word essay must be submitted on the topic:Elizabethtown College is strongly committed to peacemaking and social justice, and our mission is rooted in international and cross-cultural perspectives, hands-on/experiential learning, civic engagement, and purposeful life work. Please share an example from your own experience where you put all or some of these elements into action and how it has informed your perspective on the world. Students may upload their essay through their Student Status Portal
Transfer students with no prior collegiate Honors experience or who do not meet the 3.5 minimum requirement will be invited to interview with an admissions counselor as part of the final selection process to the Honors Program.

Elizabethtown College

717-361-1000

1 Alpha Drive
Elizabethtown, PA 17022

Elizabethtown College does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, genetic information, possession of a general education development certificate as compared to a high school diploma, or any other legally protected status. This commitment applies but is not limited to decisions made with respect to hiring and promotion, the administration of educational programs and policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other College administered programs. Discrimination or harassment of any kind is strictly forbidden.

Honors Program

Become an Honors Scholar

Benefits of Being an Honors Student

Our Mission

Student Learning Outcomes

Important Dates for Applying to the Honors Program

Minimum Eligibility Requirements to be Considered for Honors Program Membership

Application Process

Transfer Students