Hi there possible future Honors student! If you’ve come this far, then you must want some more information. So here you go.

What We’re Looking For

Honors is looking for students with strong academic, civic, and professional interests who are committed to developing themselves as scholars and members of the local and global community. In short, we look for students who have what it takes to not only earn a degree with Renée Crown Honors, but to get the most out of the experience.  Being in the Honors program has changed students’ lives for the better (for real).  The Honors staff and faculty have seen our students and alumni achieve, and exceed their goals.  Honors students are motivated, informed, interested, and all around amazing.  Will you be one of them?

What We Offer

Great Courses:  Honors courses are small, interesting, and unlike most classes you’ve taken at SU.  Our instructors and faculty have a passion for their subject matter, and are comfortable leading small groups in learning. Whether it’s a Spanish class, a seminar on zoo management (we have one), or a class that will teach you EVERYTHING  there is to know about how New York City gets its drinking water, you will learn about complex subjects from angles you didn’t know existed.  And you will be able to do all of this in a small-group environment where your professor can focus on YOU. You can check out all our Spring 2014 course listings here.

Exploration: We look for intellectually curious students because  the Honors Program is a great opportunity for students to explore their interests, and strengthen their vision of who they want to become after SU.   You will also complete an in-depth Capstone project in your major during your junior and senior years. You may have heard scary rumors that the Capstone project is the stuff of nightmares, but doing the Capstone has opened up opportunities for students in their careers that they never thought possible.  We are constantly learning of Honors alumni who are winning journalism and film awards for their Capstones years later, earning prestigious scholarships, landing great jobs, and even getting ahead in the work world based on knowledge they gained from their Capstone project.   For more information on that, please stop by our Capstone website and read more. 

Engagement:  Honors students build community by performing service in the community, through our advisory board planned events, small-group social and cultural outings known as “Footnotes Events”, and just by building relationships with students in the program that are from other schools and colleges.  Honors students also have opportunities to connect with visiting scholars, lecturers, and leaders who come to campus.  Yes, that’s Maxwell Dean Steinberg’s Honors class visiting with then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Here’s the fine print:  You can complete Honors no matter what college, school, or major you are enrolled in.  We are a campus-wide program!  You should be a first-year student.  If you are beyond your first year, you need to talk to an Honors advisor before you apply.   You need to have a GPA of 3.4 or above (3.2 or above in Architecture).  Also remember, admission is rolling and space is limited to 130, so we highly recommend you submit by December 15th.

 Still interested?

Good. Here is a link to the admissions page with the application form. Note that there are some essay questions.  This is the part of the application where we look way beyond your GPA, and into what motivates, interests, and inspires you to excel.  So don’t be intimidated! Be honest, and let us get to know you!