Last weekend marked the beginning of the honors weekends as Houghton hosted 33 potential students and their families, a significant increase from last year.
This success is a result of changes not only to the honors program, but the approach to the weekend was slightly different as well. One of the most substantial changes, according to Director of Honors Programs, Benjamin Lipscomb, is the addition of the Honors in London program. Honors in London will be reintroduced as an option for current prospective students after a four year absence from the honors curriculum offerings. Elizabeth Rutledge, Assistant Director for Admission Events and Office Operations, thinks it will also attract more potential students.“We believe that the return of Honors in London will help attract additional students to Honors at Houghton,” said Rutledge. “We are excited to see how many students choose to join the Houghton community.”
Another contributing factor to the success of the weekend, according to Lipscomb, was the date of the event. While the decision to schedule the event so early in the semester and during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend was partly due to scheduling restraints, it was a strategic decision as well.
In previous years the event had fallen on the Friday after Martin Luther King Jr. day, and only 11 or 12 students were able to attend. Lipscomb thinks this hurt their outcome, stating, “If you’re a family visiting colleges, you might well have used that three-day weekend for that purpose. You’d be less likely, then, to sign up for an honors weekend right afterward.” Lipscomb also credits admissions counselors for encouraging students to come to the first event, rather than waiting. According to Lipscomb, this works to Houghton’s advantage, “All the data suggest that the earlier we complete our process and get students a decision about honors, the likelier they are to commit to Houghton.”
However, sophomore Ian Patrick said that when he interviewed for the honors program the date of the event was not a factor for him, “I don’t think it would have mattered so much, for me anyways, because I was more interested in the subject matter.” Patrick said one of the main reasons he chose Houghton, as opposed to other colleges, was due to his acceptance into the honors program.
The last change made to the event was the decision to invite alumni to come and help interview. This helps Houghton tighten connections with its alumni, as well as introducing prospective students to honors program veterans. The alumni interviewers provide a unique perspective, Lipscomb said, “as the alums could reflect on how an interviewee would have fit into their honors cohort.” The success of this weekend is a promising start to the search for next year’s honors class.