The Office of Multicultural Student Programs and Services (MSPS) and the Office of the President developed the Honor Students and High Achievers Program in the fall of 1999 to acknowledge the outstanding academic achievements of Notre Dame’s underrepresented student population. The program exposed many students to a variety of academic resources, which further developed their intellectual capabilities, and led many alumni to pursue advanced degrees.
Today the Honor Students and High Achievers Program is co-sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Student Programs and Services, the Office of the President, and the Office of the Provost. Underrepresented students with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher are invited to become members of the program. Throughout the students’ tenure the program encourages them to maintain a competitive scholastic record and to consider attaining an advanced degree.
The Honor Students and High Achievers Program creates a fertile environment which encourages academic curiosity and growth. Students in the program develop critical thinking skills through research and internship opportunities early in their college careers and they are challenged to develop into scholars who are able to make positive and lasting contributions to their respective fields. Additionally through the Undergraduate and Post-Baccalaureate Fellowship Office students in the program receive valuable information on some of the most competitive and prestigious fellowships and scholarships offered to the brightest young minds.
Each semester the three co-sponsoring offices host a reception which includes a keynote address by distinguished speakers who share their own experiences about life in academe. The Assistant Director for Retention and Academic Success at MSPS coordinates the program for all three sponsoring offices.
