The Honors Program admits freshmen who will be starting at Illinois State in the fall. The program admits current and transfer students for both the fall and spring semesters.
Incoming freshmen are invited to apply for admission to the Honors Program based on ACT/SAT scores and high school academic performance. The application process requires a personal statement designed to give the Honors Admissions Committee a sense of how motivated the applicant is to pursue academic work. Generally, incoming freshmen are expected to have a minimum ACT score of 27. However, a limited number of students with ACT scores of 26 and exceptionally strong applications, including class rank and GPA, are admitted. Acceptance into the program is not automatic, rather it is based on information submitted in the Honors Program Freshman Application (pdf). To be considered for an Honors First-Year Scholarship, the application deadline is March 1. For Honors Program admission only, the application deadline is April 15.
Current Illinois State students who meet the Honors Program requirements are invited to apply to the Program at any point during their time at the University. Admission for current students is based on GPA and a personal statement. Acceptance into the program is not automatic, rather it is based on information submitted in the Honors Program Current Students Application (pdf). Generally, current students are expected to have an Illinois State cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher. Application deadlines are July 1 for fall admission and December 15 for spring admission.
Incoming transfer students who meet Honors Program requirements are invited to apply to the Program after they have been admitted to the University. Admission for transfer students is based on GPA and a personal statement. Acceptance into the program is not automatic, rather it is based on information submitted in the Honors Program Transfer Student Application (pdf). Transfer students are generally expected to have a 3.5 GPA from their transfer institution. Application deadlines are December 15 for spring admission and July 1 for fall admission.
The Honors Program will recognize up to 12 hours of transferred Honors credit from institutions that are formally affiliated with the National Collegiate Honors Council. A list of member institutions. Transferred Honors credit may be applied towards the fulfillment of Illinois State Honors designations provided that the credit appropriately satisfies the designation requirements. Transferred Honors credit may not be used to meet the Honors participation requirement.
