Preparing for Excellence: Honors and Nationally Competitive Scholarships
At Alma, we hope you will be motivated to achieve your academic personal best. There are a number of awards, honors and nationally competitive scholarships you should be aware of, so you can most effectively direct your efforts. Most of these programs have specific web pages, entries in the academic catalog or specific personnel in charge of the programs.
Here is a partial list of the possibilities you may wish to investigate:
Dean's List. Students who achieve a 3.5 term CPA while carrying a minimum load of 13 credits (eight of which must be graded A-E) qualify for the Dean's List. The Dean's List is compiled at the end of both the Fall and Winter terms.
Kapp Honors Day. A day of celebration of the liberal arts (in April) when students present the results of scholarship undertaken during their Alma Experience. A special Honors Day Convocation and an Honors Day speaker are also included in the activities. See the webpages under the 'Academics' sidebar.
Honor Societies (General, Profession, or Interest-based). See the Alma College Catalog (or ask in the Provost's Office) for where to get information about specific organizations.
Honors Program at Alma College. The Honors Program at Alma College celebrates our identity as a liberal arts college. Above all, the program aims to create an intellectual community centered on both independent excellence and collaboration. Honors Scholars participate in special seminar opportunities and enroll in courses designed for Honors Scholars. They pursue departmental honors and membership in Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's preeminent honor society. They create independent projects and develop an honors portfolio.
Departmental Honors. To graduate with Departmental Honors, students must demonstrate superior performance on the departmental comprehensive evaluation (where offered), present a thesis of honors caliber and achieve a CPA of at least 3.5 in the major field. Each department has autonomy over the comprehensive evaluation and the thesis.
The Center for Responsible Leadership. The Center for Responsible Leadership provides innovative co-curricular programming and service opportunities for all students in support of Alma College's mission to prepare graduates who think critically, serve generously, lead purposefully and live responsibly as stewards of the world they bequeath to future generations.
Nationally Competitive Scholarships. The Committee on Nationally Competitive Scholarships has been created to identify and nurture exceptional candidates for nationally competitive scholarships, grants, and awards.
Graduation Honors
President's Outstanding Senior Award. The President of Alma College may select seniors who have completed seven full (Fall or Winter) terms and demonstrated scholastic superiority to receive the President's Outstanding Senior Award.
President's Cup. Juniors, sophomores and first-year students who attain the highest academic ranks in their classes based on CPA receive the President's Cup award.
Summa Cum Laude, Magna Cum Laude, Cum Laude. These are graduation honors that are listed on your final transcript and diploma. See the catalog under 'Academic honors' for the CPA required for each level.
Barlow Trophy. Alma's most prestigious award for graduating seniors, the Barlow Trophy is awarded on the basis of scholarship and leadership. Candidates must rank in the top 10 percent of the graduating class, and the recipient is elected by a vote of the College faculty and Student Congress.
