Why choose the SHC?
An Exceptional Honors Program at a Great University
For more than twenty years Penn State has offered a comprehensive honors program to students of exceptional ability in all majors. The Schreyer Honors College provides the best of a small college liberal arts experience within a major research university, with hundreds of student organizations and activities from which to choose. Each year, the SHC offers over 220 honors courses. The majority of those courses are comprised of twenty-five students or fewer and all are taught by selected members of the faculty. Scholars can satisfy honors credit requirements through independent research, upper-level or graduate courses (depending on their standing), and “honors options” for regular courses. Most honors courses are available on a space-available basis to Penn State students who are not Schreyer Scholars.
Research and the Thesis
All Scholars must complete a major piece of original research or creative work. The thesis is your opportunity to be a scholar--someone who contributes to knowledge. This is an experience most students obtain only if they attend graduate school. Our students have presented their research at national and international conferences and many theses have been published.
Leadership and Civic Engagement
Leadership isn’t just about knowledge--it includes a range of other skills and abilities, and the SHC offers you the chance to develop them. Whether it’s our Leadership Jumpstart course, the Alumni Mentoring Program, our internships at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C., or the many programs and organizations we sponsor, you’ll have the opportunity to work with others and move forward as a leader. Your acquired leadership skills combined with our many exciting service-learning opportunities will enable you to benefit communities close to home and around the world.
A Living-Learning Environment
Education is a life-long process, and much of it takes place outside the classroom. The Atherton and Simmons Living-Learning Community is comprised of students, faculty, and staff who share similar goals. Our residence halls offer a convenient location, enhanced services, and superb facilities that include gracious common areas, convenient and well-equipped study areas, and state-of-the-art computing facilities. Special out-of-classroom programs--most developed by Scholars working with our team of Scholar Assistants--make Atherton and Simmons Halls both intellectually stimulating and fun places to live, learn, and grow.
Scholarships and Financial Aid
All first-year Scholars receive the Academic Excellence Award of $3500 per year, renewable for a total of eight semesters. Many Scholars receive additional merit awards from their academic colleges. In addition, several types of financial aid are available from Penn State, and whether you’re from Pennsylvania or out-of-state, Penn State is far more economical than most private institutions. All Scholars, regardless of when they enter, have access to grants for international travel, thesis research, and summer internship stipends.
Honors Recognition
The Scholars Medal is awarded to graduating Schreyer Scholars. In addition, Scholars’ diplomas have a special honors notation, and honors work is noted on transcripts.
After You Graduate
Our emphasis on research and active learning is ideal preparation for graduate or professional schools. Over eighty percent of Scholars pursue advanced degrees, and our placement rate is 100 percent--even for medical school. Scholars attend the most selective and prestigious institutions in their chosen field, and they receive the merit scholarships that make such study possible.
