The Sophomore-Gate Admissions Petition
Please read this important information before printing and completing the document at the end of the page.
Introduction
Current Penn State undergraduates in selected colleges may seek entry to the Schreyer Honors College (SHC) at the end of their first year (second semester), through the sophomore petition. Note that the established path of entry to the SHC for already-enrolled students is the junior gate, while the sophomore gate is an exceptional petition. The SHC reserves to right to deny any sophomore petition.
Three colleges—Business (Smeal), Communications, and Education—will not consider rising-sophomore applicants for honors. If you are in those colleges, you must wait until your fourth semester to apply, through the rising-junior process. For all other colleges and majors, you should consult first with an honors adviser in your intended major prior to applying because individual departments may have special requirements, or prohibitions.
For all applicants:
- You should have (or expect) a 3.70 GPA by the end of your spring semester, and approximately 30 credits of college work (not counting AP or other pre-college credits), excluding any remedial classes.
- You should be making at least typical progress in your major, and we prefer to see acceleration in one or more areas of study. If you are currently in DUS, you need to be intending to major in an eligible major/college (see above), since that major’s honors adviser will be evaluating your application along with the SHC staff.
- You must have an instructor (professor, instructor, or graduate assistant) submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf, to scholars@psu.edu by May 1.
- You should have (or expect) a 3.70 GPA by the end of your spring semester, and approximately 30 credits of college work (not counting AP or other pre-college credits), excluding any remedial classes.
- You should be making at least typical progress in your major, and we prefer to see acceleration in one or more areas of study. If you are currently in DUS, you need to be intending to major in an eligible major/college (see above), since that major’s honors adviser will be evaluating your application along with the SHC staff.
- You must have an instructor (professor, instructor, or graduate assistant) submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf, to scholars@psu.edu by May 1.
If you are currently in an eligible college at UP, you should consult with the appropriate departmental honors adviser, from the list at http://www.shc.psu.edu/students/advising/advisers/index.cfm, prior to submitting the online application.
If you are currently not at University Park, whether you intend to come to UP after your sophomore year or stay at your campus (or switch to another campus besides UP), you should consult with your campus honors coordinator, from the list at http://www.shc.psu.edu/students/advising/coordinators.cfm, prior to submitting the online application.
If your sophomore petition is not approved, you will be able to apply again in the late spring of your sophomore year; at that point all students are eligible for consideration (regardless of major/college) subject to GPA and other expectations, and the approval of their major department.
