Honors Program

Program Benefits

In addition to a richer, more personal experience as an academic and student, the Honors Program provides a number of other benefits while in the program:

• Eligible for a scholarship of up to $1000 per year ($500 per semester)
• Early registration for classes
• Cultural experiences and trips
• More one-on-one faculty instruction
• Identification of Honors Program graduates at commencement

Eligibility

High school students, international students, current DSU students, and transfers from other institutions are welcome to apply to join the program. Admission policies and program requirements vary depending on when you apply to the Program as outlined below. All students must additionally meet the eligibility requirements for admission to the University.

For entering students and current DSU students with less than 30 credit hours of college courses, an ACT composite score of 24 (SAT of 1160) or higher and a high school GPA of 3.5 or higher is required.

Students with 30 credit hours or more must have a college GPA of 3.5 or better and at least 4 semesters remaining in their academic program. These students may submit ACT or SAT scores if they wish.

Curriculum

In addition to a First Year Seminar designed just for Honors Fellows (FYS 103), students in the program take the following general education courses:

• HON 102. The Theory and Practice of Service Learning (2 credit hours)
• HON 290. Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar (3 credit hours)
• ENG 200 or ENG 201. Honors Composition and Literature (3 credit hours)

Other aspects of the program include turning courses into an honors courses through the honors course contract. This gives Honors Fellows more direct one-on-one time with faculty, which is a key component to success beyond the university.

How to Apply

Each Delta State University Honors Program Application will be evaluated as it is completed, and there is no set deadline. You are strongly encouraged to complete your application as soon as possible.

Introductory E-mail

The application process begins with an introductory e-mail from you to honors@hengwenji.net. In this e-mail, please include the following information:

• First and Last Name,
• Your DSU 900# if you have it,
• Home Address,
• Highschool,
• Highschool GPA,
• Colleges attended if appropriate
• College GPA if appropriate,
• ACT and/or SAT scores,
• Major, and
• Other areas of interest (sports, social groups, career aspirations, etc.).

The Complete Package

To complete the Honors Program Application package, you also need to submit several more items. Please include your 900# in all correspondence. The items you need include the following:

• A Resume (awards, work experience, leadership, extracurricular, community, volunteer, and community service activities),
• A short autobiographical essay (350 – 500 words),
• A second essay on a topic from the list below (500 – 700 words), and
• Two letters of recommendation that should be e-mailed from the recommenders directly to honors@hengwenji.net.

You are welcome to submit the resume and autobiographical essay with your initial e-mail if you desire.

Essay Topics

You may also choose from the following topics for the second essay:

• Topic 1: Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
• Topic 2: The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
• Topic 3: Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?
• Topic 4: Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma—anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
• Topic 5: Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
• Topic 6: Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?
• Topic 7: Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

Transfer and Current Students

Transfer students and current students at Delta State may also apply for admission to the honors program. Transfers and current students must have at least four semesters remaining in their degree program at Delta State in order to be admitted.