FAQs about the HP
ADMISSIONS
What are the criteria used for admission into the Honors Program?
You can read about our selection process here. Select the information for either first-year students or transfer students, as applies to you.
Will I have to submit something in addition to the standard Georgia Tech application?
There is an additional application for the Georgia Tech Honors Program, which you can complete via the admissions portal. Responses to essay prompts are required. You can read about the application process here.
How and when will I know if I've been selected for the Honors Program?
First-year and transfer students who have been admitted to Georgia Tech are invited to apply to the Honors Program via their admissions portal.
Information on the deadline for applications are available on the living learning communities application page. Students who apply by the priority deadlines will receive their acceptance notification on specific dates noted on the living learning communities page. Those who apply after the priority deadlines will be notified on a rolling basis, if spaces are available.
What if I apply by a priority deadline and am not accepted? What happens next?
If you apply by one of the priority deadlines and are not accepted in that round, we will continue to consider your application in the next round. All students will continue to be considered until spaces in our residence halls are filled.
I've been offered an invitation to join the Honors Program, but when I went to accept it, it says you're full. What happened?
After each of the application deadlines, we offer invitations to join the Honors Program to a select group of students. Spaces are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you delay accepting your invitation, there is a chance that the Honors Program may fill (i.e., all of the spots in our residence hall are taken). This is especially true if you wait until after the Georgia Tech admissions deposit deadline of May 1.
If you attempt to accept the invitation to join after the HP residence halls are full, you'll be invited to join the waitlist. The waitlist is only for students who have already been issued an invitation to join the Honors Program--it is not for students waiting on an admissions decision.
We may be able to offer spots to those on the waitlist if students who are in the Honors Program have a change of plans over the summer and decide to leave the program (e.g., they choose a different learning community, decide to participate in study abroad instead, receive an admissions offer from another university, etc.). We cannot guarantee IF and WHEN this will happen, as it's based on decisions that current, admitted students make over the summer.
Does the Honors Program accept AP and IB credit and allow students to graduate on time and early if possible?
Georgia Tech may accept AP and IB credit for application to degree requirements, as determined by the University System of Georgia, the Institution, and the student's college and degree program. More information on how AP and IB credit transfer to Georgia Tech is available in the GT Catalog.
AP and IB credit can be applied to your major or minor credit requirements at GT but not to your Honors Program credit requirements. You can select from a variety of Honors Program classes, undergraduate research experiences, study abroad classes, graduate classes, and/or music performance ensemble classes to complete the 15 hours required by the Honors Program, but AP and IB credits cannot be used for the Honors Program.
The majority of our students graduate within four years, and many of our students find they can take on a second major or multiple minors or certificates and are able to graduate on time with the proper planning. Most people are able to complete their HP course requirements as well. Roughly 80% of the student admitted into the Honors Program graduate as members of the Honors Program (i.e., they earn 9 - 14 hours for "Participation in the Honors Program" or 15+ hours for "Completion of the Honors Program").
I'm a transfer student who is new to the Honors Program. Can I count previous coursework towards HP credit?
Transfer students who are admitted to the Honors Program are eligible to transfer up to six (6) TOTAL hours of approved coursework.
Students who have taken honors program or honors college classes at their college or university before coming to Georgia Tech may have up to six (6) credit hours of honors classes may be considered for application to the GT Honors Program. To have your prior honors classes reviewed, please submit a copy of the syllabus and information about the program (e.g., a link to an online program description) to the Honors Program.
Transfer students may submit up to three (3) credit hours of independent undergraduate research for consideration for transfer credit. To be eligible for Honors Program credit, the class must be completed for credit (not pay) andon a letter grade basis. To request authorization, please complete this form.
Transfer students may also submit up to three (3) credit hours of select study abroad classes for consideration for transfer credit. The classes must have been taken in an accredited study abroad program, be small in size, involve active learning, and be on a globally-focused topic. To have your study abroad classes reviewed, please submit a copy of the syllabus and information about the size of the class and the study abroad program (e.g., a link to an online program description) to the Honors Program.
Is an extra fee charged to students in the Honors Program?
Yes, there is a fee of $800 for first-year Honors Program students and a fee of $500 for first-year transfer students who begin in the fall semester. Transfer students who start in the spring are charged a one-time fee of $250 in their entering semester. There is no Honors Program fee after the first year (or first semester, for spring transfer students) of HP participation. The Honors Program fee is charged to students at the beginning of fall semester ($400 for first-years, $250 for transfers) and at the beginning of spring semester ($400 for first-years, $250 for transfers).
ACADEMICS
If the Honors Program emphasizes smaller, inquiry-driven classes based on discovery rather than lecture, won't that be harder than other classes? Will I have more work than other students? Will my GPA suffer?
Georgia Tech prides itself on offering a very rigorous and challenging curriculum to all students, whether in the Honors Program or not. Honors Program classes will not necessarily involve exceptional amounts of work or have more stringent grading standards. They will, however, emphasize a classroom environment that encourages students to be fully engaged as active participants in the learning process.
What are the requirements for completing the Honors Program? What if I can't earn all the credit hours that are required?
HP students must complete a minimum of 15 credits of qualified HP coursework prior to graduation to earn the distinction of “Completion of the Honors Program." Students who do not achieve the status of "Completion of the Honors Program" but, instead, complete 9 to 14 credits of Honors Program coursework during their matriculation at Georgia Tech earn the distinction of "Participation in the Honors Program." You can read more about this here.
Completion of the Honors Program is NOT a degree requirement. Failure to complete the Honors Program does not delay graduation and is not indicated on your final Georgia Tech transcript. Only successful completion is noted on the transcript.
Where can I find information on the Honors Program classes currently being offered?
The Honors Program classes for the current fall or spring semester are available on the HP website. This website also includes a link to the HP Class Guide, with detailed information on every class and a biography of the professors teaching them.
I'm interested in earning Distinction in a Pathway while participating in the Honors Program. How do I achieve this?
There are three optional curriculumPathways that Honors Program students can pursue during their undergraduate studies: Global Engagement, Research, and Service. All three Pathways require six credit hours of coursework, with a minimum grade of a B for the class to count. The six credit hours may also be applied to the 15 credit hours required for completion of the Honors Program--they are not in addition to the 15 hour curriculum requirement.
The Honors Program recognizes students who earn Distinction in a Pathway by including an Honors Program Pathway Distinction insignia on the right-hand side of the Honors Program graduation stole, and notation of the award for one or more Pathways on the framed HP "Certificate of Completion" and on the final Georgia Tech transcript.
