Presidential Scholars Program
Broaden your horizons, challenge yourself, and explore a wealth of new learning opportunities.
Who is a Presidential Scholar?
Are you intellectually curious? Looking for ways to take advantage of New York City as your campus? Eager to network with students from other majors?
Then become a Presidential Scholar!
The program will inspire you through liberal arts honors courses, a monthly speaker/event series, and a senior seminar. You’ll also share extracurricular experiences such as NYC walking tours, Broadway shows, community service activities and more.
As a result, you’ll learn to take charge of your own growth—intellectually and culturally.
Additional Benefits
As you begin the first year of your associate’s or bachelor’s degree, you can apply to be a Presidential Scholar and reap a number of benefits:
- Permission to substitute an honors course for a required Liberal Arts course
- Priority registration for honors and non-honors courses
- Leads on internships and jobs from the Presidential Scholars Alumni Network
- Guaranteed access to housing in FIT’s residence halls
- Recognition as a Presidential Scholar on your college transcript
- An annual merit stipend of $1,000, plus the chance to apply for exclusive scholarships
- Interaction with a diverse community of highly motivated student leaders like you
Courses for Presidential Scholars
Honors courses are intimate, rigorous, and diverse. All Presidential Scholars also participate in a first-year course, Composition and Rhetoric, as well as a senior seminar, in which you will research and present a topic of your choice.
Program Highlights
Topics at the monthly dinner series have included underwater photography, the Harlem Opera Theatre, and award-winning documentaries.
The Presidential Scholars Senior Seminar provides you an opportunity to explore topics of your choice in a culminating academic project. You will narrow topics, develop research questions, employ research methods, and produce a thesis/creative project with an accompanying presentation of your findings.
See a Broadway show, take in a ballet, or follow in the steps of Edith Wharton on a walking tour of Greenwich Village.
You will take part in community service each semester. Volunteer at a soup kitchen, work on craft projects with young mothers and their children, garden in Riverside Park, or select your own way of giving back.
Interested in Becoming a Scholar?
Find out how to join the Presidential Scholars program by reading about our eligibility requirements, deadlines, essay submissions, and more.
