Anyone have knowledge of “typical” Elon Honors applicants? Daughter is interested in the program, but she is test optional and her weighted GPA is in the 4.1 range. Not sure if she would even be competitive. I hate to ask her for yet another essay if she’s not competitive. (Also weird that you apply for honors without knowing if you are even accepted). Might just have her wait and submit a fellows application.Thoughts?
I don’t know and would also like this information. I attended the recent Elon webinar a couple of weeks ago on the honors program and they said admitted students mid-50 gpa is 3.5-4.5 (for the whole class of accepted students, not just honors). But that range is using their own recalculated weighting system which is more generous than the one at my D24 high school. At her school she is 4.0 weighted but based on what they said about Elon weighting - IIRC they weight AP classes with 5 points - her weighted GPA would be higher…more like 4.2ish. I’m hoping that’s good enough for honors. 
ETA - if you search for the class profile (2026) it shows the average GPA of different honors fellows and scholarship recipients. The GPA seems very very high. For example in the class of 2026 it says 29% of the class got a presidential scholarship and their average GPA is 4.62 but their average SAT/ACT is 1283/28. The GPA seems extremely high for those test scores. Their weighting system must be very generous.
Yes I saw honors gpa in the 4.5-4.8 range. I agree, not sure how they could get that high, especially if the test scores are in that range. Maybe a full point for honors, college classes, and AP?
We received a mailing today that recommended students with above a 3.8 uw with decent rigor apply for fellows, so that lines up. But I’m still not clear on honors…
Honors Fellows average GPA is 4.98 per the 2026 class profile. But I have no idea how you get that high.
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I wonder an A is a 4.0 in a CP class, a 5.0 in an Honors class, and a 6.0 in an AP class. Then maybe it makes sense? Because I agree those are really high!
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My son had a 4.5 weighted and was selected to interview for an honors fellow spot. He said the interview went very well but he was ultimately chosen as an alternate.
I’ve heard that elon recalulates on its own scale making numbers seem higher than usually seen.
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I’ll bet you’re right! So…recalculating…using 5 for honors and 6 for AP…puts my D24 at 4.5. Still low but maybe has a shot. Fingers crossed.
My D would be around 4.4 with those numbers. Will tell her it’s a longshot and see if she wants to give it a try.
That’s why they do their own weighting. In our district in NC, you have the potential to get a 5.0 if you get an A in an AP class, if it’s honors you get a 4.5. Every state and district is different.
We are on the same scale , but Elon is showing average honors have averages in the 4.9 range so they may be using a 6 for AP and a 5 for honors.
Wonder if they take into account schools where you can’t take AP classes until Junior or Senior year. The way our school weighs things, the highest it goes is 4.8, but no one gets that because APs are limited. The highest a person has ever gotten is around a 4.4. Boiling every school’s different quirks down to make everything level is no easy task.
We are similar in Oregon, they are only allowed to take AP seminar sophomore year. The rest of APs they can take as jr/sr. We still haven’t decided if she will even apply to honors, she’s fried by all the essays at this point. It’s hard to get motivated when you haven’t even been accepted by the college yet.
My daughter didn’t apply to honors because she was applying Accelerated Pathways and thought she couldn’t be in both. When my daughter asked about that, she got a very convoluted response which she took to mean that you COULD apply to it, but if you got into honors AND Accelerated Pathways you had to choose one or the other. So she didn’t see the point!
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