The Honorific Program

The Honorific Program at Onward We Learn is a comprehensive college admissions and transition program established to guide high-achieving high school juniors and seniors in exploring opportunities for college and financial aid outside of the traditional in-state public school options. Honorific’s mission is to ensure our students have the tools and skills necessary to apply and be admitted to selective schools (such as Brown University, Boston University, Northeastern University, College of the Holy Cross, etc.) that will best fit their needs academically, socially, and financially.

Students in the program will have access to specialized support and individualized guidance for two years; while they prepare to apply to college, during the college admissions process, and through their first year of college if they decide to enroll at a private institution.

Program Director and Coach: Ana Almeida, Associate Director of College Admissions

Contact Information: aalmeida@onwardwelearn.org and 401-484-8702

To start the process of having your transcripts considered for the Honorific program, click here.

The Honorific Way

Services

As an Honorific student, you will get:

1. Academic, Co-Curricular, and Extracurricular Support – Colleges and universities want to see that you are challenging yourself academically and that you are engaging in activities outside of school, like sports, clubs, and community service. At Honorific, your admissions coach will help you pick challenging courses to improve your academic rigor and support you in finding academic enrichment opportunities and internships.

2. Pre-College Admissions Preparation – It’s important to start your college application early. At Honorific, students attend workshops during junior year to improve their applicant profile and learn how to advocate for themselves. The Summer Academy at Brown University allows students to start their college applications early, ensuring that by the start of senior year they already have a college list, essay, and most of their forms filled out, which will make it easier to navigate their last year of high school. Having the academy take place at a college campus also gives students the opportunity to get a feel for what it’s like to be a college student.

3. Expert College Advising – Applying to college can be a difficult journey, so it’s important to have an expert helping you navigate the process. At Honorific, students will have access to a coach who is a leading expert in selective college admissions and who will help each student craft their individualized plan to meet their desired goal. Your coach will also serve as a motivator and give you that extra push when you need it.

4. Financial Aid Guidance – College is not free, but you don’t need to get into crippling debt to obtain a bachelor’s degree. At Honorific, students learn about financial aid and how colleges calculate costs. Students and their families receive one-on-one support in filling out financial aid forms and interpreting their financial aid awards. Students also receive assistance applying for scholarships.

5. Enrollment and Transition-to-College Assistance – Transitioning to your new school is exciting, but it can be hard to navigate the unfamiliar environment, especially if you will be living on campus, and if your school is out of state. At Onward We Learn, we have college success coaches stationed at the Rhode Island public institutions to help you transition into the culture of the school. At Honorific, specifically, your admissions coach will become your college success coach during your first year of college if you enroll at a private institution. This way, someone with whom you already have a relationship is helping you find your footing at your new school.

Schedule

Honorific offers year-round programming.

Academic School Year – Students meet as a group or individually with the Associate Director of College Admissions for various workshops and individual support at the Onward Office, virtually through Zoom, and at their high school.

Summer Academy – Rising seniors participate in a three-week intensive summer academy to gain in-depth knowledge of the college application process and apply that knowledge toward their own college journey to maximize their enrollment options and streamline their workload in the fall semester of senior year. Students will work with professional writing specialists, career coaches, and college admission experts to help craft winning applications. Students will also have the chance to visit various college campuses and meet with admission reps.

Ready to Become Honorific?

We are looking for Onward students in their junior year of high school who excel academically and who have ambition to apply and enroll at top colleges and universities around the country in order craft better futures for themselves and their families. If this sounds like you, let’s take the first step.

How to Apply

Honorific recruits high school juniors every year between the months of January and March. New students are welcomed to the program during the last Saturday in March.

STEP ONE

Attend an info session and learn more about the offerings of the program. Joining Honorific means a minimum of a one-year commitment, so it’s natural to have questions about what’s expected of you and what you can expect to gain from the program. While not required, attending an info session ensures you are clear about program expectations and that you complete a great application.

STEP TWO

Complete and submit an application by the stipulated deadline. Everything we do at Honorific is designed to prepare you for college admissions. Our program application and the process mimics what it’s like to apply to college. This way, you start experiencing what you will have to do down the road. Be sure to give some thought to your responses, this will be your first opportunity to put your best foot forward and introduce yourself.

STEP THREE

Submit an updated transcript or report card with the latest junior year grades. We set up our students for success, thus, we’d like to make sure that you are doing well academically.

STEP FOUR

Schedule and attend an interview. This is an opportunity for us to get to know you a little better – put a face to an application, as they say. During the interview we will discuss your aspirations and what you hope to gain from the program.

STEP FIVE

Your Honorific journey begins. If admitted, you will be welcomed into a close-knit community of academically driven and determined students and alumni from various high schools in Rhode Island. You will receive a full year of academic and admissions advice, with an additional year of transitional college support if you enroll at a private four-year college or university.

Eligibility Requirements

We review student applications holistically and consider each applicant’s individual strengths, unique circumstances, and motivation to succeed. However, students admitted into our program typically meet the following criteria:


High school grades	Mostly A’s and B’s and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher (unweighted, out of 4.0)
Rigor of high school curriculum	Taking challenging courses available at your high school, including honors, AP, dual enrollment, and/or early enrollment
Activity involvement	Participating in activities outside of school hours, including sports, clubs, community service, employment/internships, and/or family/home responsibilities (babysitting, housework, etc.)
Personal traits	Ambition, determination, diligence, and commitment