Academically high-ranking students will be on the Hardin-Simmons University campus this Friday, February 15, 2013, to compete for a limited number of slots available in the HSU Honors Program.

Only 20 students out of dozens of selected honors applicants will be chosen to go into the program. Dr. Tom Copeland, director of the Honors Program, says, “The high school seniors coming next Friday have been chosen to come because they have shown that they can excel academically.”

As students go through a 30-minute interview process, Copeland says, “We are looking for students who can express themselves well, and who show interest in learning about disciplines outside of their own area of study.”

Honors students get a large scholarship, and three students are chosen to receive full tuition scholarships.

Copeland explains that honor students have the opportunity to do a different kind of learning, often learning from each other in lively group discussions.

He explains that the Honors Program was established to provide an enriched, educational environment for undergraduate students of exceptional promise who have a wide variety of interests and seek enhanced learning opportunities. In keeping with the university's Christian mission, the Honors Program strives to promote creative and critical thinking skills to equip individuals for success in today’s world.

The program serves as an integral part of the academic community on the campus and includes courses taught by selected faculty members interested in working with highly motivated students. Students selected to the program are expected to strive for excellence and assume personal accountability for their intellectual growth.

The goal of the Honors Program, says Copeland, is to get students to actively pursue knowledge, discuss ideas, and challenge themselves to grow intellectually and spiritually. As a result, each Honors student accepted to the program will receive $3,000 per year on top of any other academic scholarship money they receive.

Many of the Honors students are already eligible for an institutional scholarship up to $56,000 over a four- year university career. To earn that, students must have a score of at least 29 on the ACT test and a 1970 on the SAT test. Students are also eligible to be chosen to receive various endowed scholarships awarded by the university.

Honors students start arriving with their parents Friday, February 15, at 8 a.m. at the Dyess Welcome Center on the HSU campus.