Honors

Admission and Requirements

Admission Process

Incoming First Year Students

As a first-year undergraduate applicant to Western, only high-performing students will be considered for admission to the Honors Program. Please refer to the admission requirements below. Your application will be thoroughly reviewed by the WCSU Admissions Office for acceptance to both WCSU and to the Kathwari Honors Program.

If you were not notified of your acceptance into the program by February 15th or you wish to send us a direct application, we do have a separate online application that we review directly. Admission to the Kathwari Honors Program is highly competitive. If admitted, you will receive an invitation to join the Kathwari Honors Program via the email you provided and will be asked to respond to us to confirm your acceptance.

We encourage students to apply as soon as possible as spots are limited and some of the benefits of the program are time sensitive, i.e. Honors Housing is first come, first serve and applying students must have a completed application.

*If you were accepted to the Kathwari Honors Program as an incoming first-year student but chose to attend another school and are now transferring to WestConn, you will not automatically be admitted to the Honors Program. You must reapply.*

Current WCSU or Transfer Students

Current WCSU students can apply directly to the program during their first, sophomore or junior year. The Kathwari Honors Program Director will review applications and notify students of their status after final grades for that semester have been posted.

Transfer students in their first, sophomore or junior year may apply directly to the program upon successfully transferring to WCSU. Your Kathwari Honors Program application will be reviewed once you have been admitted to the University by WCSU Admissions.

Please note that scholarships are not offered directly through the Honors Program. Only incoming students may be eligible for scholarships – this is done in collaboration with the WCSU Admission Office. For more information: https://www.wcsu.edu/admissions/merit-scholarships/

 

Admission Requirements

Incoming First Year Students

All WCSU applicants are reviewed by WCSU Admissions. Students not admitted to the Kathwari Honors Program by these criteria may apply directly to the program for admission.

WITH SAT/ACT

  • SAT/ACT combined score of or above 1200; 25 on the ACT
  • High school grade point average, 3.5 out of 4.0 or above

TEST OPTIONAL

  • High school grade point average, 3.5 out of 4.0 or above
  • 8 honors & 3 AP/college courses completed in high school

Current WCSU or Transfer Students

  • Application submitted online directly to the Kathwari Honors Program Director. The essay component is a crucial component of the application.
  • A cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher
  • Involvement on campus, community service and co-/extra-curricular activities
  • References
  • Available space in the Kathwari Honors Program

Honors Program Requirements

All Kathwari Honors students are expected to participate fully in the program: academically, socially, and culturally.

Full Program

First-Year & First-Semester Sophomores

  • 3.2 minimum cumulative GPA maintained.
  • SIX Honors Courses:
    • HON 100 The Nature of Inquiry
    • 4 HON courses, one in each of the four honors modes of inquiry
    • HON 400 Honors Capstone
  • FOUR Honors Activities, which can be volunteer work, internship, nursing clinicals, student teaching, fieldwork, performances, study abroad, campus employment, WCSU athletics, student club leadership position, presentation at a conference, a teaching practicum or a research practicum.

Associate Program

Second-Semester Sophomores & Juniors

  • 3.2 minimum cumulative GPA maintained
  • THREE Honors Courses:
    • 2 HON courses
    • HON 400 Honors Capstone
  • TWO Honors Activities, which can be volunteer work, internship, nursing clinicals, student teaching, fieldwork, performances, study abroad, campus employment, WCSU athletics, student club leadership position, presentation at a conference, a teaching practicum or a research practicum.