Admission to Honors

In an intimate learning environment, the College brings together students who are challenged and supported to perform consistently at their highest level, both in and out of the classroom. At the same time, these motivated students mature as independent, dynamic, self-directed individuals and global citizens.

The quality of the Honors Program depends on maintaining small class size, so less than the top 15% of incoming students are invited into the program. Class size for Honors Western Heritage is usually held to a maximum of around 15 students.

The following norms for admissions to the Honors Program are offered only as guidelines.

Incoming First-Year Students:
Highest priority will be given to students who present outstanding high school credentials (e.g. ACT scores, GPA, and class rank) and/or excel in Carthage's competitive scholarship competitions. Additional students will be invited to apply and will be considered for admission to an Honors Section of Heritage.

Transfer and Continuing Students:
Students admitted to the Honors Program as new transfer students or during the first or second year of study at Carthage typically have maintained at least a 3.5 college GPA, have demonstrated excellence in one or more courses, have been recommended for the Honors Program by an instructor or by the Vice President for Enrollment (or a designated representative), and have been interviewed by the Director of Honors. They may also be asked to complete a brief written application.

Once students have been admitted to the Honors Program, they are free to take advantage of the opportunities it has to offer as their schedules and interests allow.

"What I expect in teaching an Honors course is that the students will be more committed to intellectual life, more interested in making connections between various disciplines, more curious and eager to think and to learn. Ultimately I am trying to provide an environment and a model for learning in which active, self-directed learning can flourish."

James Lochtefeld
Associate Professor of Religion

"In my first months at Carthage, the Honors Program was a haven for me to meet people I could connect with deeply on both an intellectual and social level. ... The people I met and the ideas and values I was exposed to within the program were essential in guiding my decisions regarding not only my major, academic interests and career path, but also my personal convictions and philosophies."

Michaela Ross, '07