Honors College Application

DEADLINE FOR ALL HONORS COLLEGE APPLICATION MATERIAL IS April 1st

Please note: Application for admission into the Honors College cannot be considered until you are conditionally admitted to Bluefield State University. The Bluefield State University Admissions Office must have your application, which can be found here, and your current academic records or transcripts. International students should have their academic records or transcripts translated using a credentials service.

Application Requirements

Incoming freshmen, that is, high school graduates, must meet the following criteria:

have earned/maintained a minimum grade point average of 3.50 (on the BSU 4.00 scale) upon both application and entry to the program;
complete the application process for both Bluefield State University and the Honors College;
participate in an interview with the Honors College Committee for program admission;
meet the following minimum standardized test placement requirements for (one of) the following SAT, ACT, or Accuplacer tests: S.A.T. 1250; an A.C.T. score of 26 or an Accuplacer score of 276-300.

You may request an Accuplacer testing session by contacting the Counseling and Advising Center at (304) 327-4444.

International students who have attended English-medium high schools that offer O and A Levels (formerly offered by Cambridge University at select high schools in former British colonies) and who have earned a First Division in the O Level and/or a Second Division and above in the A Level are eligible to apply for admission to Bluefield State University’s Honors College after they have been admitted to Bluefield State University. The O and A Levels student whose entire schooling has been in English will not be required to show proof of proficiency in English and will not be required to provide English proficiency test scores.

Eligibility for non-high school graduates

Freshmen students enrolled at Bluefield State University or at another US HEI are eligible to apply for admission to BSU’s Honors College if they have earned a 3.5 GPA during their first Fall semester and also earned 3.5+ in the following Spring semester mid-term exams.

When should applications be received?

Applications for admission to BSU’s Honors College are due by April 1.

Who is eligible and who is not eligible for admission to BSU’s Honors College?

Honors Scholars may major in any four-year degree program, excluding the 2 + 2 programs in the College of Health Sciences.

Regents Bachelors of Arts students and any students who have earned more than 30 hours of college credit are not eligible for admission to BSU’s Honors College.

Grade Requirements for Honors Scholars

Once admitted to BSU’s Honors College, Honors Scholars must

maintain an overall GPA of 3.50 on a 4.0 scale (BSU 4.0 scale) throughout the Honors College program, or else be subject to program probation:
earn a grade of B+ or higher in Honors Core Curriculum Courses and Honors-enhanced courses in order to earn honors equivalency program credit for the course.

Honors Scholars who fail to successfully complete the honors-enhanced requirements for a course will still receive credit for the course, but that credit will not be counted toward the honors requirements. The course may be retaken for honors equivalency credit; however, the Honors Scholar need not retake the same course; he or she may select another course for enhancement in a subsequent semester.

Honors College Core or “Augmented” Curriculum (15 Credit Hours, 2 Hours Honors-Enhanced Courses at the Junior and Senior level, and the Senior Honors Project): The Honors “Augmented” Core Curriculum modifies standard course content, requirements, or performance expectations for the Honors Scholar in order to merit honorific designation.

The specific nature of the augmented curriculum is to be determined by the Honors College Director and Honors College Committee following the guidelines of the National Collegiate Honors Council. This curriculum replaces some of the General Studies Core requirements.

Honors Scholars will be required to have an Honors College “augmented” core curriculum for twelve General Studies credits throughout the first two years of their program. During the first year a writing intensive Honors Seminar (HONR 101 and HONR 102) will be required that satisfy the ENGL 101 and ENGL 102 requirements, representing six credit hours.

Honors Scholars must enroll in Honors 101 and 102 even if they have completed BSU’s dual credit English 101 and 102 courses. However, transfer students who have taken Honors 101 and Honors 102 writing courses are exempt from this requirement. These students may enroll in Honors 201 and Honors 205 upon admission to BSU’s Honors College.]

The Great Books curriculum, HONR 201 and 205, requirement will satisfy the General Studies requirements for Literature and Humanities/Fine arts, representing six credit hours.

Finally, HONR 210, Speech and Debate, will satisfy the General Studies requirements for Speech and Communications.

Name(Required)

First Name Middle Initial Last Name

Starting Semester at Bluefield State(Required)

Type of Student(Required)

Date of Birth(Required)

Phone(Required)

Gender(Required)

Address(Required)

Street Address City State ZIP Code

County(Required)

Email Address(Required)

High School or Secondary School(Required)

School City(Required)

School State/Province(Required)

Year of High School or Secondary School Graduation(Required)

Month of High School or Secondary School Graduation(Required)

Will you be the first person in your family to graduate from college?(Required)

Yes

Is anyone in your immediate family a graduate of Bluefield State, if yes, enter the name and relationship below?(Required)

Yes

Immediate family graduate relationship

Immediate family graduate name

What academic program do you plan to pursue?(Required)

Accomplishments, Awards, and Service

Please list all of your accomplishments and awards you have earned during high school, and the year(s) for which you were recognized.(Required)

Please list all of your community service and volunteer activities during your high school years, and the year(s) you served in that role.(Required)

Submit the Honors College admission essay and two reference letters of recommendation. At least one reference must be the applicant’s teacher, professor, academic advisor, or academic guidance counselor. Letters from friends, family members, and personal acquaintances will not be accepted. Recommendation letters must be submitted in PDF or Word file format.

Submit the Honors College admission essay and letters of recommendation, a requirement to complete the application materials by April 1.

Please note that your application for admission into the Honors College cannot be considered until you are conditionally admitted Bluefield State University. To be considered for conditional admission the Bluefield State University Admissions Office must have your application and your current high school transcript on file that clearly shows your ACT or SAT score. Submit the Honors College admission essay and two reference letters of recommendation. At least one reference must be the applicant’s teacher, professor, academic advisor, or academic guidance counselor. Letters from friends, family members, and personal acquaintances will not be accepted.

Upon submission of this Honors College application form, you will be directed to the Honors College essay and reference letters of recommendation form. which is required to complete the application materials.

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