Take advantage of special programs

If you rank high in your senior class and on ACT or SAT tests, you may apply for the Freshman Honors Program. A chance to participate in research projects with a faculty member is one of the opportunities for honors students. Cross-disciplinary honors seminars are another. If you need a little extra help in your classes, you will find lots of assistance available from instructors, advisors, help rooms, study sessions, and peer tutoring.

The Freshman Honors Program

Purpose  The Freshman Honors Program introduces qualified freshmen to the concept of an Honors education, gives them the opportunity to explore the University Honors Program as a possible means of achieving their academic goals, and acquaints them with the faculty, staff, and activities of the Honors Program.  Students in the Freshman Honors Program may, if interested and qualified, apply for membership in their college Honors Program at the end of their freshman year.

Selection  Invitations to apply to the Freshman Honors Program are extended to entering freshmen (direct from high school) who (1) will graduate in the upper five percent of their high school class, or (2) have ACT composite scores of 30 or above, or (3) are National Merit or National Achievement Finalists.  All students must have a minimum ACT English score of 24. Students who wish to participate in the Program apply by completing the cover application and submitting a four hundred word essay on a selected topic. Selection for membership in the FHP is based upon an evaluation of the essay, ACT/SAT scores, and recommendations of the college Honors committees.

Structure of Fall Semester  All members of the Freshman Honors Program have a core set of courses intended to help build community among these scholars.  The core is comprised of three courses in which students must enroll unless they have already received credit.  Dropping one component essentially means the student will withdraw from the Freshman Honors Program.  The three components follow:

Engl 105H: First Year Composition for Honors Students (16 sections, maximum enrollment of 25) Because the students who are enrolled in the course have a high degree of ability, 105H differs in both content and approach from English 105.  Instructors typically choose more challenging texts for students to read and sometimes choose a focus for the course that allows students to grapple with a particular issue or theme.

Hon 121: Freshman Honors Seminar (36 sections, maximum enrollment of 12) All members of the Freshman Honors Program are required to enroll in a one-credit seminar during fall semester.  The seminar introduces students to the University and the Honors Program through the use of informative sessions describing the ISU system, tours of selected ISU facilities, and discussions on educational issues and individual academic goals.

In order to promote a supportive environment and sense of community for these students, each section is team-taught by two upper-class Honors students. The seminar leaders are directed and coordinated by the Honors Program Staff.

Lib 160, Section 39: Library Instruction The required university library course is included as a component of the Freshman Honors Seminar.  FHP students complete this course through a totally computer-assisted independent study process.

Structure of Spring Semester During the spring semester, students have the opportunity to enroll in the Freshman Honors Mentor Program. This opportunity is intended to give bright freshmen the chance initially to become involved with the concept of research and subsequently to become an active partner in the process, with the goal of having qualified undergraduate students engaged in significant research efforts during their careers at Iowa State. Each year, approximately half of the students enrolled in the Freshman Honors Program participate in the Freshman Mentor Program.

Honors Program Benefits Freshman Honors Program students enjoy the benefits open to Associate members of the College Honors Programs. These include: enrollment in Honors courses and Honors sections of courses, enrollment in Honors seminars, taking a regular course for Honors credit, curriculum planning, computer facilities, Wingspread conferences, inclusion in all Honors Program sponsored events, membership on Honors Student Board and Honors Committees, Honors Housing Options, and use of the Jischke Honors Building.

For more information, please contact: Elizabeth Beck (Honors Program Director, 515-294-4371) at the Jischke Honors Building

See also Freshman Honors Program