Entry to the Program will be based on the student’s academic work and evidence of the student’s motivation to pursue challenging course work. Students who are not initially accepted to the Program may reapply at a later date using additional materials.
Entering first-year students are invited to apply to the Honors Program as an extension of their Application for Admission to the College by
submitting the application materials listed below. The Honors Program Admission Committee will also review the high school transcript and the ACT or SAT score that are part of the general application to the College.
There are no application forms per se, except for the teacher recommendation forms available below. Application materials must be complete before students will be considered for the program; see the list of materials below for guidelines. Students accepted into the Program will be notified prior to registration for the subsequent semester.
Students currently at Saint Vincent are invited to apply to the Program by submitting the application materials listed below. The Honors Program
committee will obtain student transcripts for each applicant from the Registrar.
See the list below for guidelines.
Be sure your name is on each item.
1. A cover letter addressed to the Honors program simply stating your
intention to apply and listing the materials included in your application.
2. A short essay (maximum 600 words) that explains why you would like to be
part of the Honors Program. Your essay should focus on your experience with and
interest in being part of a community of students who:
- explore and discuss original works and commentary.
- share a commitment to a vigorous intellectual life by investing a
significant effort in research, writing and other forms of creative expression.
- integrate cultural events and independent scholarly work.
3. An original work which you produced for a course you have taken and which
represents both your knowledge and creativity. You should submit an original or
duplicated copy; in either case, your submission should include the evaluation
and grade you received from the teacher and should indicate the course for which
it was produced. This may consist of a paper you wrote for a class (minimum 800
words), a longer poem or series of poems, a story, a play, video, science
project, multimedia presentation, musical score, or any other type of original
work. This list is not exhaustive but illustrates the variety of work you might
submit. Your submitted work should not be a collaborative project, nor should it
be a mere research report that primarily strings together quoted sources and
does not include substantial portions of original writing by the applicant
4. Two letters of recommendation. Please ask two teachers to:
- Look at the description of the Honors Program.
- Fill out a recommendation form.
- Enclose the completed form in a business envelope.
- Sign the outside of the envelope across the seal.
- Return the sealed envelope to you.
Incoming Freshman: review of applications begins March 1 and will continue until the program is filled. You should submit your complete packet of application materials to:
John Smetanka
Honors Program Director
Saint
Vincent College
300 Fraser Purchase Road
Latrobe, PA 15650
Students Currently Enrolled at SVC: Students currently enrolled at Saint Vincent College are invited to apply to the Honors Program anytime during the year. However, you must submit your application three weeks prior to registration to allow sufficient time for your application to be processed if you wish to enroll in Honors courses the following semester. You can send your packet to Mr. Smetanka via campus mail.
