Admission to Schreyer Honors College in Economics
There are three ways a student can gain admission to the Schreyer Honors College to pursue honors study in Economics.
- Admission as First-Year Student
- Paterno Fellows Program
- Applying as Current Student
Admission as a First-Year Student
Students may apply to Schreyer Honors College as a first-year student when they apply for admission to Penn State. This is a competitive process with very limited space. A selection committee will review applications submitted by the deadline, with an option to request an admissions interview with a scholar alumnus/alumna.
Paterno Fellows Program
The Paterno Fellows Program (PFP) is an innovative program offered jointly by the College of the Liberal Arts and the Schreyer Honors College (SHC) that encourages students in that college to challenge themselves academically. The Paterno Fellows experience offers an “education for leadership” in the best tradition of the Liberal Arts. The Economics Department is an active partner with the Paterno Fellows Program.
The piece that stands out with this option is that students are not chosen and do not compete for a position in the honors program; rather, students make a choice to aspire to earn entry into the program based on overall academic success, honors course completion, and additional departmental requirements.
To see the requirements and expectations of all aspiring Paterno Fellows, please consult and review the Future Fellows requirements.
Additional Requirements for Economics Majors via Paterno Fellows Program
Please note that to be eligible to enter the Schreyer Honors College through the Paterno Fellows Program, additional requirements are necessary for those entering through the Economics major:
Complete the following courses with a grade-point average of at least 3.67:
- ECON 102
- ECON 104
- ECON 302
- ECON 304 (or their honors counterparts)
Taking the honors version of these courses is highly encouraged—reach out to your Economics adviser or the Paterno Fellows Program staff if you have any questions.
Applying as a Current Student
Current students are also invited to apply for entry into the Schreyer Honors College. Those transferring to Penn State from another institution are also eligible to apply.
With this application, minimum cumulative GPA requirements for the Schreyer Honors College are in place, while some departments may require additional criteria. If there are additional requirements for Economics majors, this will be noted on the application.
Other components are required for the full application, which may include an updated CV, essay, transcript, and list of activities and accomplishments.