Fall 2013Counselors’ Information for Smittcamp Family Honors CollegePresident’s Honors ScholarshipCalifornia State University, Fresno

for applicants enrolling in Fall 2014 as new freshman

HOW DO STUDENTS QUALIFY TO APPLY?

Students may have been nominated by the Principal or Academic Counselor according to GPA, but they also may apply if they meet at least one of the following minimum requirements:

• Minimum GPA of 3.8 in high school courses (weighted or unweighted, through end of junior year)

• Top 10% of graduating high school class

• Minimum combined SAT ~ 1800 or ACT ~ 27

BASIC FACTS• Over 600-700 applicants each year

• 15-18 Reading Teams~no relatives or friends of applicants involved

• No preference towards particular high schools, majors, or family backgrounds

• Average GPA of selected Scholars: over 4.3

• Average SAT verbal + math: over 1300 combined

• AP scores of 4 or 5 on at least one test; passing score on IB HL

• 50 President’s Honors Scholarships awarded each year

4-Year President’s Scholarship for undergraduate study in the Smittcamp Family Honors College includes each semester:

• Tuition (In-State Registration) for all majors

• Cost of a double occupancy,

Community Style dorm room

Not included:

• Student fees, room upgrades, food costs, and books

Use of the Smittcamp Family Honors College Office • Computers and Printer

• Fax

• Copy Machine

• Student Lounge/Kitchenette and Seminar Room

• Staff Assistance

General Education Advising

Priority Registration

Extended Borrowing Privileges at Madden Library

General Education (small classes—25 students) • Lower-Division:

2 Honors GE courses each semester the first two years, for a total of 8 Honors lower division GE courses • Upper-Division:

3 Honors GE courses satisfy all upper-division GE requirements

Honors 101 often fulfilled overseas

Another Special Honors course • Honors Colloquium (Town Hall format with guest speakers):

4 in first two years, 1 in a subsequent semester

Senior Honors Project or Honors 180 Special Project

Minimum GPA:

3.25 in first and second years

3.4 in third and fourth years

Most graduate summa (3.9+) or magna cum laude (3.7+) and over 90% in four years.

Community Service:

30 (20 Honors/10 Anywhere) hours in first year

20 (10 Honors/10 Anywhere) hours in second and third years

RESEARCH ADVANTAGE

As undergraduates at Fresno State, SFHC scholars perform lab

research that is not available to undergraduate students at large

research institutions.

STUDY ABROAD(President’s Scholarship may apply to fees)CSU International ProgramsUniversity Study Abroad ConsortiumFresno State Mini-SemestersAmerican Institute for Roman Culture in RomeDepartmental Programs

GRADUATE STUDYOur President’s Scholars have attended some of the best schools

for medicine, law, business, engineering, and arts & sciences:

• UCSF, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UCSB, UC Davis, UC San Diego, UC Hastings

• Stanford

• Yale

• Cornell

• Princeton

• Columbia

• Carnegie Mellon

• University of Chicago

• Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies

• Indiana University

• New York University

• Loma Linda University

• Boston University

• USC

• of course, Fresno State! (and many more….)

Athletics & President’s Scholars:Katie Lee & Eric Battles named 2011 Bulldogs of the Year

HONORS AT GRADUATION 2013 4 SFHC Undergraduate Dean’s

Medalists

1 SFHC Graduate Dean’s Medalist

B.A. Art, B.S. Biology

M.A. International Relations

NSF Fellowship Winner, 2013

Attending Harvard University for Ph.D. in Public Policy

APPLICATIONS

1) California State University, Fresno

• Complete online application at www.csumentor.edu

Oct. 1 - Nov. 30, 2013

• $55 nonrefundable application fee

2) Fresno State Scholarships Application

• Complete online application at www.fresnostate.edu/studentaffairs/scholarships/scholarshipapplication/

available October 1, 2013 3) Smittcamp Family Honors College

Due 12/12/13 (online @ Scholarships web site)

All online!

Don’t delay!

Students will download the PDF file from the

Fresno State Scholarships

application web siteIt is highly recommended that they have the latest

version of Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the application.

Applicant will ask for the email address of the high school counselor/registrar so that applicant can provide it on the Scholarships web site.

Counselor/registrar will have to upload documents in one PDF to the web site in response to a prompt received by email:

• Counselor Verification form and

• Official high school transcript (& official college)

• 2 Letters of Rec with cover sheets (if school has restrictive policy)

Counselor/registrar will scan and upload these documents together in one PDF.

If the applicant needs to change the person responsible for uploading high school documents, the student can use the reset button to resend a request to a counselor/registrar, who will then upload the Counselor Verification form and official high school transcript in one PDF.

Schools may also submit transcripts by Docufide online to the Scholarships web site.

Students MUST uploaded all of these together:• Completed Application with

Applicant’s signature (and a Parent/Guardian’s signature if Applicant is under 18)

• Three (3) Essays

• Two (2) Letters of Recommendation (at least one from a classroom teacher) and Recommendation Forms (with signatures)

• Copy of AP/IB test score reports

• Unofficial college transcripts for all courses taken

DECEMBER 12TH

The Honors College will notify all applicants of their status at the end of February.

The letter will be sent through US mail.

If applicant has not received a Notification Letter by mid-March, contact the Honors College.

Please encourage your students who receive an offer of the President’s Honors Scholarship to let us know whether they will be accepting it as soon as possible.

They also need to respond to all communications from the Scholarships office via email.

By early April they should know where they wish to go to college because all major deadlines will have passed.

We will be providing Advising Days for registration for Fall classes in early April.

Again, please encourage clear communication with us.

QUESTIONS?

Call the Smittcamp Family Honors College office 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.559.278.8160

E-mail our office at honors@csufresno.edu