Overview
The Renée Crown University Honors Program provides a compelling educational experience for accomplished students. Individuals who seek academic challenge and are prepared to invest the extra effort required to meet that challenge will flourish in this demanding and rewarding program.
Syracuse University has had an Honors Program since 1963. In 2002, a gift from the family of Trustee Emerita Renée Crown enabled an ambitious revision of the program to enhance the Honors experience for students from across the University's schools and colleges. The Honors Program engages students through enriched intellectual breadth and depth, written and oral communication, collaborative capacity, global awareness, and civic engagement.
While students pursue their chosen academic course of study in their individual departments, schools, and colleges, they immerse themselves in curricular enrichment and innovative scholarship offered by the Program's seminars, cultural events, and close contact with faculty and other Honors students. Additionally, The Honors Program provides a variety of funding opportunities for students to travel abroad, develop professionally in conferences, research, and internships, and more deeply explore their final Honors Thesis project.
The Program is open to qualified students in all of the University's undergraduate schools and colleges.
What to Expect in the Admissions Cycle
The Honors Program works closely with the Syracuse University Office of Admissions to select first-year students for Fall entry.
If you are selected as an '1870 Scholarship' recipient, you will receive a letter from the Office of Admissions inviting you directly to the program, and you must submit an RSVP form indicating that you elect to be a part of the Honors Program should you choose to attend Syracuse. This form must be submitted by the deadline indicated in your letter in order to reserve your designated space in Honors.
If you are selected by your admitting college as a 'Leadership Scholar' you can apply for entry into the Honors Program. You must do so by the deadline indicated in the invitation letter you receive from the Office of Admissions. Admission is competitive and many excellent and qualified students will be admitted to Honors at the start of their first year. As a Leadership Scholar you are encouraged to apply to Honors, but admission is not guaranteed for anyone who applies.
We welcome incoming students to apply to the Honors Program if they seek a rigorous experience and are dedicated to their academic career. Honors students produce top-level research, professional, and creative works culminating in thesis projects.
When you are notified of admission to Honors, you must separately confirm your matriculation to Syracuse through the admissions office.
See the page for first year applicants for more information regarding specific deadlines each year.
Charting Your Course through Honors
What does it look like to be an Honors student at Syracuse? Our advising and curriculum team structures the program around professional and personal development that applies at every stage of your undergraduate career, and provides specific objectives and milestones for your pathway.
| Early in your Honors Experience | Midway Through | Later in your Honors Experience | |
|---|---|---|---|
Reflect"What am I doing?" |
Articulate the motivations and passions that brought you to this place. | Ask, "How am I changing now that I am here?" | Ask, "How can I continue to build on my experiences as I stretch toward the next phase of my life?" |
PlanPractical Logistics |
Understand all requirements, study abroad, experience an internship, identify mentors. | Establish specific goals within your program/major and place them on a timeline. | Identify organizations and job roles that fit your goals and values. |
ExploreSeek out Options |
Complete the liberal arts core; discuss options with instructors, advisors and senior students; go to departmental and school events, lectures, etc. | Build an extensive support network; collect job postings and resumes of individuals you see as role models; talk to potential employers and programs to learn what qualifications and skills they expect so that you can plan to achieve them. | Take upper level seminars and graduate classes in your areas of interest; read the work of your role models; nuture and grow your support network. |
EngageExecuting the Plan |
Complete civic engagement hours in areas of your interest; join student groups in your interest areas. | Join professional associations; attend career panels and seek career mentors. | Complete degree requirements; take a leadership role in ONE activity. |
ApplyNext Step Strategies |
Locate summer internships; update your resume. | Focus and target your resume; meet with those who will write letters of recommendation. | Apply to next stage of life opportunities such as jobs, professional schools, graduate programs, fellowships; schedule a mock interview. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Because Honors courses are smaller, and are limited to Honors students, they often engage the material in greater depth, and pursue it in greater detail, than other courses. Honors students enjoy the experience of having other Honors students in a small class where the quality of discussion is excellent, and many students report that this connection enhances their learning.