Westover Honors

A vibrant learning community for academically gifted students.

Why Westover Honors?

Students hone their skills through formal and informal learning experiences and have the option to live together in Westover Hall as part of a community. The program offers unique classes that expand intellectual curiosity and foster independence, culminating in a senior thesis. The rigorous curriculum prepares students for future academic and career pursuits.

Many opportunities are available to you as a Westover Fellow! Here are some of the benefits:

  • Priority scheduling
  • Enhanced advising
  • Co-curricular programming
  • Faculty interactions
  • Activity participation
  • Scholarship support
  • Résumé guidance
  • Graduate preparation
  • Alumni network
Matthew Gillett '22 shakes hands with Dr. Adam Dean

About Honors

The Westover Honors program is a vibrant learning community for academically gifted students. The community promotes interaction among students who value academic excellence.  It prepares students to excel in a world of rapid change and encourages the free exchange of ideas in an environment of trust and mutual respect.

Admissions Criteria

All admitted students to the University of Lynchburg with a cumulative high school GPA of 3.5 or higher and an SAT score of 1250 or higher will automatically be considered for the Westover Honors program. Students with a GPA of over 3.5 will have their transcripts and an academic writing sample reviewed by a committee to determine if they have successfully demonstrated academic achievement in a rigorous curriculum.

Successful candidates for the Westover Honors community will be those who excelled in the most challenging courses offered at the high school level, such as AP, IB or dual-enrollment classes. Offers of admission to the program are made on a rolling basis beginning in September. Space in the community is competitive and limited. We encourage all interested admitted students to accept your offer or complete the application process promptly.

Program Features

The Westover Honors program features four major components:

Retreat

As an incoming Westover Fellow, you will participate in an off-campus retreat before the school semester begins. Over the two-day retreat, you will be introduced to the community, its directors, some of your professors, and your Westover classmates. This fun and informal annual retreat will ease your transition to the program.

Honors Curriculum

You will follow a core of honors courses that replace most of the University’s General Education requirements. These courses include 38 to 39 hours in humanities, mathematics, social sciences, fine arts, and sciences.

Senior Thesis

You will complete a senior honors project, which includes individual writing, research, and presentation. The Senior Honors Thesis allows you to build on the knowledge acquired in your major (or minor) and to explore in depth an issue, question, or creative challenge of special interest to you. Your research project can be presented as a written thesis, a play, a musical recital, or an artistic presentation. You will present your project before your faculty committee and other students.

Jordan Taylor Westover Fellow Scholarship

The Westover Honors community is deeply appreciative to the family of Jordan Taylor ’10 for establishing the Jordan Taylor Westover Fellow Scholarship in Jordan’s memory.

The Jordan Taylor Westover Fellow Scholarship was created to recognize a Westover Fellow who has demonstrated many of the same attributes displayed by Jordan during his time at Lynchburg (2006-2010). Jordan was a gifted student with tremendous academic success as a Westover Fellow. He was intellectually curious, always looking to join in — if not prompt — debates or lively discussions with his fellow Westovers of critical ideas, concepts or ideals important to any serious humanities student.

Throughout his time at Lynchburg, Jordan also showed genuine concern for others, supporting peers and fellow students to help them achieve their academic goals. He served as a Connections leader and was recognized by the program director for his deep concern for each student and his extra efforts to help those struggling with the transition to the community.  As a history, international relations, and economics tutor, he effectively taught content and valuable study skills. As a Westover Fellow, he excelled academically and took advantage of the opportunities offered by the program. Yet, more importantly and relevant to this award,  were the support, encouragement, and care that he extended — often quietly — to his fellow Westovers and other students who crossed his path during his four years at the Lynchburg program.

This annual award aims to recognize a Westover Fellow, who while achieving academic success, has also demonstrated a similar type of humanistic compassion and concern for the well-being and success of others in the Lynchburg community.

Westover Honors Alumni

You can meet Westover Honors alumni on Wall Street, Washington, D.C., and many walks of life. Here are just a few of our alumni who exemplify the experience of Westover Honors.

Life After the University of Lynchburg

Graduates of the University of Lynchburg’s Westover Honors community successfully compete in a wide array of graduate and professional programs nationwide.

Navigation for

Westover Honors