The Queens College Freshman Honors Program establishes a community of learners committed to their education and interested in gaining all that Queens College has to offer. This community of scholars will enjoy all the advantages that honors education affords – small classes and close working relations with honors faculty. In non-honors classes, students will also join the larger campus community, and so enjoy the advantages that a large, diverse campus can give. Freshman Honors offers the best of Queens College.

Apply to the Freshman Honors Program here.

Application Due Date: December 31st, 2024

Requirements:

• GPA requirement: 90 and above
• Required essay
• SAT Score (Test Optional)

CUNY is Test-Optional

The City University of New York (CUNY) has implemented a Test-Optional policy for the next two years. Applicants for 2025 to 2027 can choose whether to submit SAT or ACT exam scores as part of their application. Please review the information and FAQs on the SAT/ACT Test Optional Policy available here.

If you are interested in the program, please contact the office at 718-997-5502 for an interview in March of your senior year of high school – even if you plan to take a gap year before starting college.

Our interrelated curriculum provides an enriching and challenging liberal arts foundation for our student’s college career. In the Freshman Honors Program, students take two semesters of honors courses in English, Comparative Literature, History, and Philosophy.  

Our carefully designed curriculum is curated to coincide harmoniously and satisfy the Queens College general education requirements. This course collaboration enables students to examine cultural values permeating multiple areas of cultural expression and enables students to trace cultural problem-solving objectives across societies and eras. This two-semester curriculum aims to present knowledge as a contextual matter: ideas are closely bound to the time period in which it emerged but are capable of transcending its time period as later culture employs them.  

Alongside coursework, students will engage with other forms of media to address issues discussed in their lectures. Usually forming the basis of student-led discussions, these activities aim to compare the way ideas and values are expressed in other forms of media while cultivating a richer cultural understanding and establishing relationships introduced in class. For example, this may include examining the art and artifacts from an era and comparing the values expressed to those displayed in class. These activities are inclusive of all areas of media: performances, art, readings, cultural events, etc.

Students enrolled in the Freshman Honors Program receive academic advising from their dedicated honors advisor. The honors advisor will support students on all fronts of the college experience: registering for courses, partaking in graduation audits, discussing opportunities, etc.    

• Priority registration 
• Small class sizes 
• Coordinated, interrelated course work 
• Experiential components that integrate Honors course work 
• Guaranteed seats in Honors classes 
• Individualized academic advising 
• Mentoring relationships with faculty