Honors Academy Frequently Asked Questions

The invitation process for the EHA is very selective, and is based on criteria such as GPA, SAT, and AP courses, among other things. You must also meet the Rutgers requirements for pursuing Honors Courses. 

The invitation process for the Honors College is very selective and is based on several factors regarding your high school performance. To learn more about the Honors College and its admissions criteria, please visit HC-FAQ on the Honors College website. 

Both the Engineering Honors Academy and the Honors College offer exciting opportunities for high achieving students.  

The School of Engineering Honors Academy is designed to challenge, inspire, and sustain a select group of highly self-motivated engineering students who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability, enthusiasm, intellectual curiosity, and a clear potential to make a difference as a leader in whatever field of engineering they pursue.  

During their first year, it is strongly recommended that Engineering Honors Academy students live on the second floor of Barr Hall (an all-engineering residential hall) on Busch campus, in an environment that is home to a collaborative community of academically focused individuals.  

The Honors College is a unique interdisciplinary experience, where students of various disciplines live and work together and tackle global issues. During their first year, Honors College students live on College Avenue in the Honors College building built exclusively for Honors College students. 

All Honors Academy students MUST follow the engineering honors curriculum (math/physics/statics). While exceptions based on extenuating circumstances may be made by the Honors Academy director, no course in the honors curriculum may be taken outside of Rutgers.  

If you are invited to take part in either Honors program, you will receive an email regarding your acceptance into the Engineering Honors Academy or Honors College by mid- to late- January. You will also receive a subsequent email invitation to the Engineering Honors Academy’s admitted student sessions. 

Selection criteria for the Honors College and the Engineering Honors Academy differ depending on how your student profile compares to other student applicants. This means, that when it comes to HC or EHA invitations, you may have compared more favorably with School of Arts and Sciences admitted students than with your School of Engineering peers. 

While merit-based scholarships are awarded to students with high academic achievements, an invitation to either EHA or HC does not guarantee a merit-based scholarship offer.  

Entrance into the Engineering Honors Academy is offered upon admittance to the School of Engineering. There is no other entry into the Engineering Honors Academy, which is a community built of first year students and extending until graduation. 

Please keep in mind that the EHA is not the only honors entity within the School of Engineering. Many SoE engineering disciplines have an associated honor society. If you maintain exceptional grades in comparison to your peers in your major, you will be invited to be inducted into the honor society related to your major. Junior or senior students may also be invited to be inducted into the prestigious Tau Beta Pi – the nation’s second-oldest honor society for engineering students distinguished by outstanding scholarship and character. 

If you receive a grade lower than a “B” in any of your Honors Academy courses, you will receive a warning in your Honors Academy profile. If your grade is below a “B” in a calculus course, you are required to take the next calculus course in the sequence as a non-Honors course – and you must receive an “A” in that course. If you receive a cumulative GPA of less than 3.25 during a given semester, you will be placed on probation the following semester. If you are unable to raise your cumulative GPA above 3.25 during your probation semester, you will be dismissed from the Engineering Honors Academy. 

Students are allowed to commute. However, if they choose to live on campus, they are required to live in the assigned Honors Academy space unless approved by the director.