What it is
The Honors Program (housed in the Honors College) is a cohort of students who want more discussion, more independence, and a research or creative project before they graduate. It runs alongside any major — it is not a separate degree — and it adds a notation to your transcript and diploma. It is built to fit inside a normal four-year plan; the honors courses substitute for general-education requirements rather than piling on top.
Getting in
Incoming students apply with or shortly after the admission application; continuing students can apply after a term or two at Porter, often with a 3.3–3.5 GPA and a short essay. Selection weighs curiosity, initiative, and readiness for seminar-style work more than test scores, and there are dedicated seats for first-generation and transfer students. If you are not admitted as a first-year, applying as a sophomore with a strong Porter record is a normal path.
The curriculum
A sequence of small, discussion-based interdisciplinary seminars (capped low, reading- and writing-heavy, taught by faculty who opt in), an experiential component (research, a creative project, study abroad, an intensive service or internship experience), and a culminating honors project or thesis mentored by a faculty member in your field. "Honors in the major" is a related, department-run version focused entirely on that thesis.
What you get out of it
Priority registration, small grants for project materials and conference travel, dedicated honors advising, a lounge and study space, and — most valuably — a close working relationship with faculty and a finished body of independent work. That combination is exactly what selective graduate programs, fellowships (the office helps honors students apply), and research-oriented employers respond to. If the seminars ever stop fitting your plan, you can step back to your major with no penalty.
Questions?
See the full staff & office directory for any phone number or email. Because this is a fictional parody site, addresses and phone numbers are illustrative and do not reach a real university.