One month ago, students from Honors College went on their annual trip to Washington D.C. Similar to every other year, it was full of active excursions, comradery, and educational experiences. There were tons of interesting opportunities provided by the directors, including tours of the White House, FBI building, Supreme Court, and the Capitol. However, it’s not just DC! The Honors College does about two trips every semester, to places ranging from New York state to Gettysburg! They are all filled with enriching experiences and opportunities that you wouldn’t otherwise stumble upon.
The fun trips are only one of the many benefits of the Honors College program at Raritan Valley. Founded in 2011, this highly selective institution at RV builds an environment of motivated students who share the same values of hard-work, rigorous challenges, and new opportunities.
I had a chance to sit down with a co-director of the Honors College, Greg DeSanctis to ask him a few questions about the program he so expertly runs. Greg has been involved with the Honors College since its birth in 2011, and his role in the program has evolved along the way.
The program started with 16 students in 2011, and now, 13 years later, the headcount lies somewhere around 140. Total enrollment varies year to year, but typically 70-75 students are admitted annually.
As the program was being created, DeSanctis explained it was hard to foresee what the greatest benefits of the Honors College would be, aside from the increased academic difficulty. That being said, he noted that he and the others creating the program perhaps did not “fully appreciate how much the sense of community and belonging matters outside the classroom” The program has hugely revolved around friendship and comradery, even more so than expected. He also mentions the increased student engagement within the program in recent years has become a strong point for both the Honors College and RV itself, as sometime students coming out of high school think they will be lacking that at a county college.
One of the biggest attractions of the Honors College, however, is the wide range of transfer opportunities it provides. Students from the college transfer to a diverse range of institutions, including Rutgers, Princeton, and Cornell. Greg explains that the Honors College, as well as RVCC in general, clearly prepare their students for the transfer experience, as transfer students “aren’t surviving, they’re thriving” at four-year institutions. Many students in the Honors College use the experience and preparation provided through the program to achieve dreams that otherwise weren’t possible out of high school.
If you currently attend Raritan Valley and are looking for a more intense academic environment- or if you know someone, family, friends who are considering a two-year school, look into the Honors College! Applications for the fall semester are due July, 1. Please reach out to Greg DeSanctis, or the Honors College website for more details and eligibility requirements.
