See also...
- What are the benefits of being in the Honors College?
- Does the Honors College offer Honors Housing?
- Does the Honors residence hall cost more?
- What are the requirements for an incoming freshman applying to the Pennoni Honors College?
- What are the requirements to maintain membership in the Pennoni Honors College?
- What is priority registration?
- What is the difference between an Honors section of a class and a regularly scheduled departmental section of the same subject?
- Will taking an Honors class hurt my GPA?
- What is an Honors Option?
- How do I graduate with distinction?
- Why should I consider graduating with Distinction?
- What types of Co-Curricular Events does the Honors College offer?
- What are some other Pennoni Honors College Programs and how can I get involved in them?
- What's Up at the Honors Lounge?
- What is the Honors Mentor Program?
- Does it cost anything to be a member of the Pennoni Honors College?
What are the benefits of being in the Honors College?
While all Honors students may enjoy the many benefits offered by the Pennoni Honors College, your experience will vary according to the particular choices you make. By becoming an Honors student at Drexel, you join a thriving community of young scholars whose courses are enriched, whose social and cultural experiences are diverse, and whose academic progress receives the care it deserves. Here are some of the benefits we offer, many of which are detailed in responses to questions below:
The option for first-year residential students to reside in a living-learning community with other Honors students. For the 2006-2007 academic year North Hall, a suite-style residence has been designated as the Honors residence.
Enriched college studies with specially designed courses and challenging curriculum that help prepare students for graduate school and that are only open to Honors students.
Small classes: Small class size enables students to form more fulfilling relationships with faculty and other students because they allow for more interaction and discussion.
Priority registration for courses throughout your undergraduate career and special Honors advisement designed to prepare you for post-graduate studies.
Scholarship opportunities: Participation in the Pennoni Honors College may help you qualify for additional scholarship support. Also, beginning with the 2007-2008 academic year, two scholarship programs will be restricted to incoming first-year Pennoni Honors College students:
Distinguished Service Scholarship: This scholarship recognizes exemplary community service performed at the high school level. Five scholarships will be awarded each year.
Drexel Study Abroad Scholarship: This scholarship helps to support the incorporation of foreign study and travel into the undergraduate experience. Five scholarships will be awarded each year.
A student lounge with free printing and computer use, friendly advisors, and usually a chess game going on. A great place to relax, catch up on homework, grab a snack, or chat with friends.
An active program of co-curricular activities and social events: movie nights, talent shows, semi-formal dances and dinners; group outings to the Opera, the Ballet, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the Wilma and other theaters; to museums and historical sites and world-class conservatories; guided tours through historic Philadelphia; trips to New York and Washington, D.C. — all at no additional cost.
Students who graduate with Distinction from the Pennoni Honors College (described below) will have their Honors designation as a permanent part of their diploma and academic record. This is a lasting mark of achievement and excellence. All graduating Honors students receive a certificate of achievement and Honors cords that are worn as a part of graduation regalia and their names receive special prominence in the Graduation Program.
Does the Honors College offer Honors Housing?
Yes, for the 2006 - 2007 academic year, North Hall, suite-style residence, has been designated the living-learning community for first-year students in the Pennoni Honors College. While somewhat quieter than other residence halls, students here know how to have fun, help tutor one another, and even organize activities — and take classes — where they live.
Does the Honors residence hall cost more?
There is no additional charge for living in Honors housing. The Honors residence is a suite-based residence with costs comparable to other suite-based residences.
What are the requirements for an incoming freshman applying to the Pennoni Honors College?
The Pennoni Honors College considers a variety of factors in evaluating a student's application for admission: high school GPA and class rank, high standardized test scores, the rigorous of your high school curriculum, evidence of academic and extra-curricular achievement, and your personal statement. During the 2005-2006 academic year, the average PHC student had the following academic profile: a GPA of 4.0 and were in the top 7% of their HS class, math and verbal SAT scores of 1370, and engagement in significant other activities.
What are the requirements to maintain membership in the Pennoni Honors College?
Maintain an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher. Successfully complete at least 7 credits of Honors coursework including our one-credit freshman seminar (preferably during fall term), a 3-credit Honors course (including Colloquia, sections of disciplinary courses, or a Great Works Symposium) during your first six terms at Drexel University, and an additional 3-credit Honors course beyond the sixth term. Attend at least two Honors-sponsored events each term and demonstrate conduct befitting an Honors student.
What is priority registration?
As a member of the Honors College you will have the opportunity to register for classes before the majority of the University population.
What is the difference between an Honors section of a class and a regularly scheduled departmental section of the same subject?
William Butler Yeats says that education is not the "filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire." By studying with the most academically talented students, Honors students enjoy a true seminar-based education characterized by lively discussion, challenging questions, and meaningful and ultimately satisfying assignments: Courses that light intellectual fires. Classes are smaller in size than non-Honors courses, and you'll work at a different pace along with your classmates. Most of the courses are discussion based and explore a subject in greater depth than non-Honors courses. Honors courses tend to attract the University's best professors, and both students and faculty tell us that these are the kinds of courses they will never forget.
Will taking an Honors class hurt my GPA?
No. By being appropriately challenged you will also be engaged. Courses that don't bore you are courses in which good students tend to excel. You will find the grading system for Honors courses similar to other undergraduate courses. In addition, having Honors courses as a part of your academic record is impressive to graduate schools and future employers.
Non-Honors courses — that is, every course offerd at Drexel — may be enriched for particular students as an Honors Option. The student and faculty member conducting the class agree on the specific terms of enrichment. Accumulating Honors credits is thus virtually unlimited. Click HERE for more information.
How do I graduate with distinction?
You must successfully complete 32 Honors credits (21 credits for transfer students), maintain an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher, and complete a senior project or thesis judged worthy of honors. The credits for the project/thesis are credited toward the 32 credits required.
Why should I consider graduating with Distinction?
Graduating with Distinction is the highest academic honor at Drexel University. It is a remarkable achievement and impressive to both graduate schools and future employers.
What types of Co-Curricular Events does the Honors College offer?
The Pennoni Honors College offers a wide variety of activities to Honors students throughout the academic year. A few examples: free tickets to attend the opera, theatres, or live orchestral performances, opportunities to dine with scientific, international or cultural leaders, readings by noted authors of both fiction and poetry, panel discussions, forums, and distinguished speakers, visits by writers, directors, and producers of film and videoday trips to Washington, DC and New York City Museums.
What Are Some other Pennoni Honors College Programs and How Can I Get Involved in Them?
The PHC sponsors a number of programs that will challenge you to expand your purview and get involved in learning through creative engagement:
The University Writing program
The Smart Set
The Center for Civic Engagement
Study Abroad
The Great Works Symposium
What's Up at the Honors Lounge?
The Honors Lounge is a large space on the 5th Floor of MacAlister Hall created especially for currently registered Honors Students. Here you'll find comfortable couches, lounge chairs, and conference tables for study groups and meetings, along with computers and a printer with limited free printing provided to each Honors student. An Honors Advisor is on site to meet with you. It is a convenient place for commuting Honors students and those between classes. Catch a chess game or the latest political debate — always in progress, always available.
What is the Honors Mentor Program?
The Honors Mentor Program provides incoming Honors freshmen personal contact with an upper-class Honors student who is knowledgeable about your major, Drexel University, residential living issues, and the City of Philadelphia. The goal of the program is to help with the transition from High School into College, and some mentorships develop into lifelong friendships.
Does it cost anything to be a member of the Pennoni Honors College?
No, there is no additional cost to be a member of the Pennoni Honors College or for Honors housing or activities.