Thinking back at some of the things that really shaped and influenced my experience at QC I would have to say that being a part of the Macaulay Honors College ranks somewhere at the very top of that list. This blog post is more targeted towards prospective college students who are thinking about attending QC or other schools in the CUNY system because it is an undergraduate institution you have to apply to like any other.

Macaulay Honors College (MHC) is a very competitive program and while the participating CUNY schools accept varying numbers of students, Queens College has traditionally accepted only approximately 40 students out of hundreds of applicants. While it is very difficult to get in I encourage all students to apply because the benefits are just so incredible. MHC students receive full tuition for 4 years, a Macbook, and an additional $7500 study grant that could be used for internships, study and volunteer abroad program as well as a variety of other academic purposes. As part of a small select group of students those in the program also get great individualized attention and assistance throughour their undergraduate career. At QC we have two amazing MHC advisors, Dr. Wheeler and Dr. Degotardi, who are always available to help students work through their academic and personal conflicts. Rather than being a number of a nameless face in some huge university, the MHC program rprovides students with a great community of faculty and peers who really look out for each other. Our advisors know who we are and according to our future career goals, they notify us about great scholarship, internship and job opportunities that will help us develop our resumes and CVs. It was through MHC that I was able to win the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship and present at two NCUR conferences so I am particularly thankful to my MHC advisors.

Of course being a Macaulay Honors student you also have to fulfill certain obligations. Those in the program have to complete ENGL 110H and four honors seminars about New York City: (1) Arts in NYC, (2) Peopling in NYC, (3) Science and Technology in NYC, and (4) The Future of NYC. Students take these courses with their MHC peers and will also participate in monthly Common Events with all the MHC students from other CUNY campuses in their year. In addition, to graduate with an MHC diploma, students have to finish 30 hours of community service, participate in at least one internship or study abroad program, and complete an honors thesis. Also, to continue remaining in the program students have to maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA throughout their 4 years of undergraduate study.

While all of these requirements may appear rather daunting I think that they ultimately helped me build up my resume and forced me to do things that I perhaps would never have done without the extra push. Being a part of the MHC program definitely enriched my college experience and I really encourage all students to apply even if you don’t think will you ever make it in or are totally set on going to an ivy school because you never know. As an OCD and insanely nerdy high school student I definitely fell in the latter category but I ended up choosing MHC and after spending 4 years in the program I do not regret my decision at all. I know that wiihout the financial and moral support from MHC I would have never been able to think of pursuing a career in academia, researching and doing what I love because I would be seriously too stressed out about finding a job that actually pays well so I can clear all my college debts.

So as always feel free to contact me for more info about MHC.