University of Central Arkansas Announces Incoming Honors Scholars for Fall 2024

The Norbert O. Schedler Honors College has selected 80 incoming first-year students as its newest class of Schedler Honors College Scholars and 40 incoming first-year students for its Schedler Honors Program.

The entering Schedler Honors College and Schedler Honors Program classes of 2024 have an average high school GPA above 4.1 and on average, ranked among the top 6% of their graduating class. The Honors College class includes 111 students from Arkansas and 9 students from out-of-state. Chosen from more than 400 applicants, the students selected represent an exceptional group of students.

All members of the incoming honors class were selected using a holistic admissions process that factors in the applicant’s academic performance, writing ability, and service and leadership potential. The process, which requires written essays, letters of recommendation, and participation in a daylong orientation and interview for Schedler Honors College applicants, has been held up within the national collegiate honors community as one of the most in-depth admissions processes in the nation.

Acceptance into either program comes with access to supplemental scholarship funding for every student, access to a living-learning community in Jefferson W. Farris Honors Hall, and participation in a unique interdisciplinary curriculum. Students in both programs take part in the high-impact practices of service learning, project-based education, collaborative work, and undergraduate research. Honors students also receive exclusive grant funding support for study abroad, undergraduate research, and internships.

Established in 1982 by Norbert O. Schedler under the leadership of then-President Jefferson Farris Jr., the Schedler Honors College at UCA has become one of the most full-featured honors colleges in the nation and is a leader in providing enhanced educational opportunities in a living/learning environment designed to develop students as citizen-scholars. Established in 2018, the Schedler Honors Program, formally known as the University Scholars Program, is a four-year honors program that operates alongside the Norbert O. Schedler Honors College. The program was started under the leadership of Honors College Dean Patricia Smith and UCA President Houston Davis to increase honors opportunities for a growing number of highly motivated students.

The selected students are listed below: