Recruiting and admitting Honors students

Honors programs and colleges use many different methods to recruit and admit Honors students. Some institutions employ a standard formula based on test scores and GPA, while others have a more involved process that uses essays, transcripts, letters of recommendation, and interviews. There is no single “right” way to recruit and admit students to Honors, but programs should be intentional about their messaging during this process, what types of students they hope to attract, and the manner in which evaluation of applicants will take place. This session, facilitated by a dean from a public university honors college, a director of a private college honors program, and a director of an honors program at a two-year institution, will explore the benefits of different recruiting and admissions models. Along the way, we will discuss a variety of topics like what are predictors of success in honors? What do we mean by “fit”? How is the admissions process tied to retention and program completion rates? How might current honors students be used during the recruiting process? What are the strengths and weaknesses of having Honors-specific scholarships and residence halls for recruiting? What strategies are effective in building partnerships with the Admissions Office and academic colleges? Participants will also be called on to share their successful (and not so successful) recruiting strategies.