Pavlis Honors College

For Incoming First-Year Students

Watch Why Pavlis by Colin VanderBeek video
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Why Pavlis by Colin VanderBeek

"For me, it's about success, and how I think Pavlis can be a catalyst for my journey." Accountability. Creativity. Innovation. Learn more about why Colin is joining Pavlis Honors College at Michigan Tech.

Congratulations on your acceptance to Michigan Technological University! We're excited that you're considering applying for early admission to the Pavlis Honors College.

Apply for early admission now. Jump start your pathway.

So you want to get started. To explore your passions. To ensure you're more than a student ID on a degree flowchart. To make sure your college experience is unique to you. That's probably why you're interested in the Honors Program at Michigan Tech. And it's why we created the early admission process. 

When you apply for early admission:

  • We'll enroll you in HON 1150, a one-credit course in the fall designed exclusively for first-year students
  • You will get to live in the Pavlis Living Learning Community, our first-year housing in McNair and Wadsworth Hall
  • We'll invite you to opportunities and events exclusive to honors students

Apply for Early Admission

A woman sits on the framework of a building in progress

“When I joined Pavlis, I was worried that I wouldn’t have time for it and that it would be too stressful. Pavlis actually made my life a lot less stressful because I learned how to manage myself and manage my work. I did things that were really interesting to me and that gave me energy and were creative and exciting and not just schoolwork. My life felt a lot better once I started with Pavlis. ”

Annalisa Wiesner '20
Mechanical engineering

What does early admission include?

HON 1150: A road map for your future

You'll take HON 1150: Creating Your Path. This one-credit class will get you talking to other potential honors students across all majors, and help you map your unique path to success from your first week at Tech to your life beyond graduation.

In HON 1150, you'll:

  • Work with the honors faculty and in-class peer mentors who are upper-level honors students
  • Spend class time prepping for Career Fair, developing your personal Odyssey Plan, and learning Design Thinking and success skills that will last for a lifetime
  • Take time to pause, reflect, and focus on yourself! Your goals. Your plans. Your wants, needs, and self-care.

 

The Pavlis LLC: For a built-in community (and maybe an en-suite bathroom)

Early admission students can opt to live in the Pavlis Living and Learning Community (LLC) on the first floor of Wadsworth Residence Hall. Created in 2019, the LLC gained recognition in its first year for its tight-knit community makes residents feel like a part of something bigger, without intruding on the rest of their college experience.

Learn more about the Pavlis LLC

Honors-only opportunities

Get access to a number of Pavlis-only activities, from meet-and-greets with Career Fair recruiters to family-style meals with Pavlis students, faculty, and staff.

A head start

Upon completion of HON 1150, you are eligible to start any Pathway component, and enroll in the next HON seminar course.

Anderson Lind photo

My favorite thing about the LLC is having a space where people can talk to each other, build each other up, and create a community that's really their own.

Anderson Lind
Management major, RA of the Pavlis LLC

What doesn't early admission include?

GPA requirements

You've decided to attend Michigan Tech—you're smart enough. We want you to push your boundaries, take advantage of the resources only available at college, and take risks. We don't want you to avoid trying something new because you're worried about keeping a perfect GPA.

In your future career, raises and promotions won't be based on your undergrad GPA, but they will probably include some version of the Pavlis Honors Abilities that you'll be developing from day one. 

Choosing between the Tech experience and your Honors experience

Ask most people why they came to Michigan Tech, and they'll say something like "I did a campus tour and I just knew it felt like home. These were my people." We agree! That's why we've structured the early admission and full Honors Pathway Program to complement your time at Tech, not take it over. Early admission students will take one one-credit honors class during their first year, but your other classes will be with the rest of the Tech community. Later, your full honors curriculum won't replace the Tech experiences that brought you to Houghton—it'll enhance them.

Commitment

If you explore the Honors curriculum as a first-year and are not interested in continuing in the full Honors Program, that's okay! Early-admit status doesn't require you to continue with the program for your entire time at Tech. 

Apply for Early Admission

A broomball match at dusk
Early admission is just one small part of your first year at Tech—you'll still have time to meet new people, play broomball, hike waterfalls, join clubs, and more.