First, graduating from an honors program carries a certain prestige and status that can be valuable in obtaining employment or gaining admission to graduate schools. This substantial accomplishment is why Aquinas Scholars graduates are recognized in a special honors convocation every spring, wear special cords to commencement ceremonies, have their names distinctively marked on the graduation program, and have notations on both their diplomas and academic transcripts.

Second, the honors experience helps Aquinas Scholars get the most out of their education. Honors courses are designed to engage students on a high level, encouraging them to "use 100% of their brains" as much as possible. Honors courses are never sluggish and never boring (one honors faculty member likened his honors students to a Porsche!). Honors courses provide a challenge, which forces Aquinas Scholars to expand their horizons and develop their minds.

Finally, our graduates say that their honors education was and is beneficial because of the friends and contacts they made along the way. Not only do Aquinas Scholars form close friendships with their fellow honors students (through shared honors classes and the program's social activities), but the small class size of honors courses and the intense character of the honors education also lets them develop closer bonds with their honors teachers. Seniors in the Aquinas Scholars who are looking for letters of recommendation for jobs or graduate schools always have a long list of professors whom they know would be willing to assist them in any way possible.

The most important qualifications for success in the Aquinas Scholars Honors Program are intellectual curiosity, openness to new ideas, eagerness and ability to participate actively in class discussions, strong self-motivation, and commitment to both active and collaborative learning.

Admission decisions are made jointly by the faculty director of the program and an admissions committee.

For high school seniors, two factors are considered:

• High school GPA (3.8 or higher)
• Written essay (high-quality work following the written guidelines)

For current St. Thomas students or transfer students, there are two factors:

• College GPA* (3.6 or higher**)
• Written essay (high-quality work following the written guidelines)

* - for transfer students who do not yet have a college GPA available, high school GPA (3.8 or higher) is used instead

** - for current St. Thomas students, the Overall GPA must be 3.6 or higher (Overall GPA is calculated from both institutional St. Thomas courses and from transfer courses combined)

The Aquinas Scholars is a selective program. Written essays are carefully judged by a panel of faculty and by the faculty director for evidence of academic skill in the areas of written expression, critical thinking, and creativity. Not everyone who meets the GPA guidelines is admitted to the program. The quality of the written essay is the final determining factor.

If you enter the program as a current St. Thomas student, you need to take three honors sections and three honors seminars to graduate as an Aquinas Scholar. Seminars are usually taken as overloads or as J-term courses during the junior and senior years. Honors sections, on the other hand, involve general requirements, some of which you will have completed by the end of the current semester. To determine if you have enough opportunities to take honors sections with your remaining general education requirements, complete the checklist here: 2020-21 AQU Honors Section Checklist

Honors section faculty are encouraged to teach the same curriculum as in their non-honors sections, but to cover the basics more quickly so that the class can move on to a more in-depth examination of the subject. This gives students more responsibility for things like choosing discussion topics, and allows students greater freedom and creativity in their work.

Honors courses are not graded on a curve; faculty make sure not to "penalize" students for being in the honors program. Incoming students should not fear a "GPA penalty" for being in the Aquinas Scholars.

For a full list of what is required to remain in good standing with the program, please consult the program policies and the contracts that students sign upon joining the program.

The two main requirements for remaining in good standing in the honors program are:

• Maintain an Overall GPA of 3.60 or above
• Earn at least 5 participation points per semester by attending Aquinas Scholars events

Under extraordinary circumstances, the faculty director may make an adjustment (usually a substitution) in a student's requirements. Ordinarily, however, students who can't fulfill the requirements for honors sections and seminars by the time of graduation simply need to withdraw from the program, easily accomplished by sending an e-mail to the director and completing a withdrawal survey. Students' transcripts will continue to list the honors courses they took, and any honors seminars they were (or are) enrolled in will remain at no additional tuition cost.

Incoming freshman applications are reviewed starting December 1. For applications received between then and the submission deadline, applicants can expect a decision within 4-5 weeks. If it has been more than 4 weeks since you submitted your application, please e-mail the program for assistance.

For incoming freshmen, the honors program currently requires a high school GPA of 3.8 or higher for application. If you do not meet this requirement, we recommend that you wait until after your first semester at St. Thomas to apply to the honors program. Any St. Thomas student with an Overall GPA of 3.6 or higher is eligible to apply. The written essay will still be required as assessed for admission.

The honors program absolutely encourages accepted students to begin taking honors courses right away, and to take as many as possible. We facilitate this by helping students register for an initial cohort of honors classes as an incoming student. During summer orientation, your advisor should guide you to these courses.

A good guideline for the first semester is to take at least one honors section - two if possible. Honors sections are no more difficult than non-honors sections, so there is no need to "ease" into them.