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Honors Program Application

The Doane Honors Program is a highly selective program with 20 applicants accepted each year. Applications for the Fall 2024 Honors Cohort are now closed. Applications for the Fall 2025 Honors Cohort will open on November 1, 2024 and close February 28, 2025.

Students who are accepted into the program must maintain a 3.5 GPA and complete the Honors Program requirements. Honors students receive $1,000 per semester as well as supplemental study abroad money.

The Honors Program seeks students who are highly committed to its values: integrity, intellectual curiosity, cross-cultural engagement, and service.

The Honors Program Advisory Committee is comprised of Honors Program Director Dr. Andrea Johnson Wysocki, Dr. Les Manns (Business), Peg Hart (Mathematics), Dr. Tim Hill (Policy & Values) and Dr. Kari Gentzler (Sociology).

Application to the Honors Program consists of four parts:

  • Complete a Personal Statement
  • Write one short essay (outlined below)
  • Submit two recommendations (ideally two adults who have seen you in different capacities, and at least one of those recommendations is a teacher.).
  • A number of applicants may be selected for an interview with the Honors Program Faculty Committee
Mailing Address

Upload personal statement. In this personal statement (maximum of 2 pages), pick an Honors value (intellectual curiosity, integrity, interest in cross-cultural experiences or service) and show how you exemplify that value.  The committee is also looking for you to demonstrate in this personal statement how you plan to utilize your liberal arts experience through your chosen Honors value.

Note: Each personal statement should be double spaced with one-inch margins and a Times New Roman 12 point font. Please include your name in the heading.

One file only.
20 MB limit.
Allowed types: txt, rtf, pdf, doc, docx, odt, ppt, pptx, odp, xls, xlsx, ods.

Please write a 650-750 word essay on one of the following topics. Essays will be evaluated on writing ability, creativity, critical thinking skills, accuracy, and quality of content. If applicable, cite your sources according to any academic style.

  1. Describe a current social or political issue that concerns you and argue what steps should be taken to make a positive change. Who should be responsible for making those steps? Why?
  2. Describe a scientific or technological development that has had both positive and negative consequences for society. Has the positive outweighed the negative, or not? What steps should we take as a society to control or regulate the negative consequences, and in doing so, can we still reap any of the benefits?

Note: Each essay should be double spaced with one-inch margins and a Times New Roman 12 point font.  Cite in either APA or ASA form. Please include your name in the heading.

One file only.
20 MB limit.
Allowed types: txt, rtf, pdf, doc, docx, odt, ppt, pptx, odp, xls, xlsx, ods.