Discover What Makes Us Scholars
Our Scholars are high-achieving students who are also self-motivated, inquisitive, and passionate about making their communities and the world a better place. They live the Schreyer mission of achieving academic excellence with integrity, building a global perspective, and creating opportunities for leadership and civic engagement.
What sets us apart from many honors programs is our strong emphasis on independent scholarship and faculty mentoring through a required thesis, a focus on global engagement, and support of learning that results in meaningful change.
1,900
Total Scholars
100%
of Scholars participate in research or creative endeavors through the thesis
16%
of Scholars have 2 or more majors
A Path That's All Your Own
Schreyer is for students across all disciplines and our Scholars are often multifaceted. The flexibility built into Schreyer makes it possible to pursue multiple academic interests and personal passions, bringing them together to create a path that's uniquely yours. We are for the engineer-artist, the business-athlete, the health-entrepreneur, the writer-advocate — students who refuse to be defined by a single path.
An Enriched Academic Experience
Schreyer is more demanding than a standard Penn State path; however, the rigor comes less from a heavier volume of work and more from deeper engagement, independent work, and long-term projects such as the honors thesis. Because a student's honors requirements work alongside the requirements of their chosen major(s), the challenge varies by student, major, and course choices.
A Supportive Community
Schreyer is small; only 2% of Penn State students. Therefore, Schreyer Scholars benefit from individualized guidance from Schreyer staff, additional advisers to focus on honors-specific goals, close faculty mentorship, and an academic community that is collaborative rather than competitive.
We Are Penn State — and More
Schreyer Scholars are, first and foremost, Penn State students and have access to everything Penn State offers. Our Scholars are immersed in University life. From White Outs and THON to state-of-the-art research labs and more than 1,000 student organizations, Schreyer Scholars can be found everywhere across the University.
And, Schreyer Honors College carries additional benefits not available to all students at Penn State.
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Financial Support
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A $5,300 scholarship, renewable for four years for first-year entry Scholars
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Up to $5,000 in additional funding (by application over four years) for experiences, such as study abroad, research, and internships
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A dedicated financial aid specialist just for Scholars
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Flexibility
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Priority scheduling before most other Penn State students
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More than 250 small honors courses and endless honors option opportunities
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Ability to start at any undergraduate campus and graduate from one of seven campuses: Abington, Altoona, Behrend, Berks, Brandywine, Harrisburg, and University Park
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Academic Enrichment
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Small, discussion-based honors courses
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Signature study abroad experiences and personalized global planning support
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Expanded Integrated Graduate and Undergraduate (IUG) programs
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Deep exploration of a research or creative topic through the thesis
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One-on-one faculty mentoring
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Individualized career and graduate school support
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Signature events and programming
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Strong Community
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Honors advising focused on bringing together students' interests to achieve academic goals
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Honors housing options at University Park and some campuses
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Close-knit community of peers who share your drive and intellectual curiosity
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A strong alumni network that follows you for life
Scholars Go Further
Schreyer Scholars are incredibly prepared to head into the world after graduation with skills that might otherwise take several years in a workplace to develop — leadership, collaboration, and critical thinking. We set high standards, nurture passions, and challenge students to engage beyond academics. However, our Scholars drive their own results, not just acquiring knowledge, but applying and creating it.
The result? Our Scholar alumni are impacting the world!
18,000+
living Scholar alumni
40%
of Scholars travel abroad at least once during their time in Schreyer
$7.5M
is distributed annually through need- and merit-based scholarships
Ready to Apply?
You already have what it takes. Come see where Schreyer can take you.