 Frequently Asked Questions about Honors Studies at Augustana College How do I get into the honors program? First, you must be invited to apply. If you meet certain academic thresholds (ACT score, high school grade point average, class rank, etc.) you will receive a brochure from the Augustana admissions office. You fill out the application form, submit a writing sample, and schedule an on-campus interview. A committee of honors faculty and administrators selects each year's honors class. How can I prepare for my on-campus interview with an Augustana faculty member? No special preparation is necessary. The interview doesn't assess your intelligence. We just want to get to know you, to tell whether you have the genuine curiosity about ideas that would make Honors an experience that will help you grow. Will I have room for honors courses, even if I double major or go pre-med or satisfy all the requirements for becoming a teacher? Yes, all Augustana students have room in their academic schedules for the honors program. Why? Because all courses except the junior-year independent project satisfy general-education requirements that all Augustana students must complete. Honors courses are a way to satisfy requirements, not an addition to requirements. Will I succeed in honors? If you are invited into our program, you can succeed. We know when we invite you to apply that you are smart. After we read your application and writing sample, we have an even better sense of your ability. Once a faculty member has interviewed you, we know whether you are a generally curious person, a young scholar who likes ideas. If you decide to give Honors your best effort, you will do well. Is honors study too intense and competitive? While the Honors class discussion can be vigorous, we are proud of the general spirit of friendliness and cooperation in our honors programs. You're much more likely to see honors students studying together--often with the professor present to answer questions--than you are to see them arguing or competing for the professor's attention. If regular classes are easier, why should I bother? This is a question of attitude and motivation. If you're looking to get through college with the least effort or don't like pushing beyond your current limits, you probably wouldn't enjoy the program anyway. On the other hand, if you are determined to seize a fine education, to improve yourself even if that involves challenge--then you are an honors student already. We would like to get to know you. Do honors courses really involve the best professors and students? It's true that most Augustana courses are challenging, and all are instructive. Not all of the top students at the college choose to enter honors either. But if you are a truly curious person, if you like close contact with challenging teachers, if you enjoy the company of other students who are smart and interested in ideas--then honors study is for you. We don't try to make our honors courses harder than other courses. We try to make them as good as the best courses taught at Augustana. Will honors hurt my grades? We are sensitive to the fact that you want to maintain a good grade point average, and that you want to receive the honor you deserve on graduation day. Here's our policy: We know that you can find courses where high grades will be easier than in honors courses, but we promise to grade you in a way that won't penalize you for your participation in our program. Can I major in honors? No. Our honors programs lay the groundwork for a good major, along with the general-education courses that provide breadth of study. Here you will explore a particular discipline in depth when you study in your major. Do honors students feel isolated from the rest of Augustana's students? Not at all! You will have a special bond with the other first-year students in your classes. You will meet challenges together, challenge one another, and attend social events with each other. You will have an especially close relationship with your professors. Being an Augustana honors students, you will not be cut off from mainstream students. In your first year, the majority of your classes will be outside the Honors Program. Your majors and most of your other courses will be completed with mainstream Augustana students. You'll also run NCAA races, score touchdowns, sing arias, build Habitat for Humanity houses, read the Gospel in church, act in the dramatic productions, or whatever else you want to pursue--all in the company of Augustana's other students. What are the benefits of honors study? At least these: You will make great friends with people who are a lot like you. You will learn from professors who will work hard to see that every one of you is challenged. Depending on overall GPA and Honors GPA, if you complete all three years of Honors classes, your transcript will include either the notation "Honors Completed" or "Honors Program Completed with Distinction." Admissions committees at graduate and professional schools will be intrigued and impressed by the special breadth of your honors education. How do I choose between Foundations and Logos? You can work that out with your interviewer, or with the Director of Honors Programs, Jon Clauss. However, it boils down to your decision. Click here to read about the differences and similarities between the two programs. |