Honors Program

The Honors Program at Keystone benefits students of intellectual promise and high motivation who seek increasing challenge at the undergraduate level. The program is designed to recognize and encourage academic excellence, to stimulate students to work at their own pace, and to facilitate the exchange of ideas and information among students with different interests and in different disciplines.

The Honors Program provides co-curricular activities, service opportunities, and intellectual and social support, adding significant dimensions to the student's academic program. Students are placed in a challenging yet supportive environment where they can develop their critical and creative thinking skills and find ways to use these skills to make a difference in the larger community. 

Participation

Students may participate in one of two ways:

1. The Director of Admissions will invite students to participate in the Honors Program once a formal acceptance to the College is granted. Students who desire to participate must submit a completed application for admissions no later than April 1 of their senior year.

Students must place in the top ten percent of their high school graduating class or have a 3.3-4.0 high school GPA.

Students must achieve a minimum of 1100 combined SAT score or 24 composite ACT score.

2. During the student's first semester at Keystone College, faculty members are asked to submit the names of those students that meet the criteria for the Honors Program but are not yet involved. Upon review, these students may be invited into the honors program, beginning the following semester.

Students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher to be considered for the honors program. 

Courses

Enriched College Writing Course
All incoming Honors students will be enrolled in a special section of English 101 (College Writing I-Academic Writing). Workshops for peer editing and revision complement teacher/student interaction both in and outside the classroom. The Honors section will contain an enriched curriculum and be taught by a senior faculty member.

Honors-Designated Courses
Students will be required to enroll in 21 Honors-designated credits in addition to the enriched English 101 course. (Students pursuing an associate degree will be required to enroll in 9 Honors-designated credits). A contract will be signed by the student and faculty for each Honors-designated course, outlining more in-depth, enriched requirements. Most of the College's courses can be taken for Honors designation.

As seniors, honors students will complete an honors project and presentation in conjunction with their capstone experience.

Honors Activities

Honors Seminars
Several times each semester, guest speakers, cultural events, and other activities will be scheduled for students involved in the Honors Program.

President's Book Club
The Honors Council will assign one book each semester for outside reading culminating in a lunch-time discussion with President Edward G. Boehm, Jr.

Honors Conference
The Northeast Region Honors Council, an organization of honors programs at colleges and universities in the Middle Atlantic and Northeast states, sponsors a conference every spring, which Keystone honors students can attend. A gathering of students and faculty, the conference presents the work of hundreds of honors students.

Scholarships

Honors Program students enrolled on a full-time basis may be eligible for scholarships between one-half tuition plus fees up to full tuition.

Keystone Honors Graduation Highlights

• Students must have a 3.5 cumulative GPA to graduate with Honors designation.
• Students must have a minimum grade of "B" for Honors designation in established Honors courses.
• Honors Program students will be designated as Honors Scholars and will wear a distinguished medal at commencement to note the distinction between an Honors Scholar and an Honors graduate (summa, magna, and cum laude).
• Honors Scholar designation will appear on the diploma.