The Commonwealth Honors Academy is a three-week academic enrichment experience held every June on Murray State University’s main campus in Murray, KY. Students live and learn with their peers and teachers from the area as they take college-level honors courses, take field trips that enrich classroom experiences, attend speakers and listen to professional artists perform and talk about their work, and participate in social and personal growth seminars.

• Three weeks of academic and enrichment experience at Murray State
• Six hours of tuition-free, transferable university credit
• Receive an in-state full-tuition scholarship with a 3.5 cumulative high school GPA and a minimum 25 ACT Composite score. Students who do not meet this criteria will have the opportunity to receive the Academic Achievement scholarship for First-time Freshmen students. Learn more about scholarships →
• Collaboration with other honor students and outstanding university and secondary faculty in a campus living-learning environment

Absolutely! Students who attend CHA are under no obligation to attend Murray State University. They still will get to participate in every aspect of the Academy, and they can transfer the received college-level credit to the school of their choice.

All students applying for the Commonwealth Honors Academy should have a 3.5 GPA (on a 4 point scale) and a 25 Composite ACT score (or the equivalent PSAT, SAT, or another standardized test score). High school juniors throughout Kentucky as well as the Murray State out-of-state service region are invited to apply.

The Murray State Scholarship Office uses an SAT score of 1200 as an equivalency to an ACT score of 25.

The deadline for applications is March 1 of each year. Please note this is a postmark deadline. If March 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline will be the following Monday.

Please fill out the electronic student application found on the CHA homepage. Questions may be directed to msu.cha@murraystate.edu or by calling the Honors Office at 270.809.3166.

The two programs share many characteristics; indeed, CHA was founded by former GSP administrators and faculty.

• Both programs are for outstanding high school juniors.
• Both programs seek to develop a living-learning community.

However, there are several distinct differences:

* Tuition processing fee waived if student receives free or reduced student lunch, or receives an ACT fee waiver.

The Academy lasts for three weeks including weekends. Evening and weekend activities include extra-curricular and co-curricular activities.

Each student will be assigned to an Interdisciplinary Humanities and Fine Arts (IDHFA) course and to one elective in Business, Science, Education, Health Sciences, Humanities and Fine Arts, Social Science, Communications, or Engineering.

Yes. This is necessary to meet the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) requirements, so that students may be awarded college-level credit for their courses. It is also essential in building the community that is so integral a part of the Commonwealth Honors Academy.

Students will be notified by letter regarding their acceptance by mid April. Any applicant who has not received notification by that date should contact the Honors Office at 270-809-3166.

While there is no charge for the student's meals and lodging, students will often want to order take-out later in the evenings (pizza and Chinese are popular choices). Students may wish to bring some spending money for personal expenses. It is up to the parents and students to determine a reasonable amount of money to bring with them. ATM machines are available in the University student center.

All students, faculty and staff are housed in one residential college for the entire three weeks. CHA has exclusive use of the building. While the faculty are not required to live in the residential college, most of them do reside on a floor separate from the students. Male and female students live on separate floors, and visitation is not permitted. The first floor lobby (and second floor lobby when available) is reserved for coed interactions.

With respect to classes, seminars, and other community events and programs, attendance is taken and any missing student is quickly found. Students are well informed of the expectations regarding attendance and what to do if an emergency arises or if they are sick and cannot attend an event, program, or class. In the opening days of the Academy, students will walk the perimeter of the campus and will know exactly where they are permitted to go and not go. Within the residence hall, a trained resident counselor lives on each wing and is responsible for 14-20 students. Students also have a curfew each day when they must be in the building and then on their respective floors. NOTE: Detailed information regarding safety and security is provided on the “Safety and Security Information Form” that all accepted students and their parents will receive in the initial mailing.

Each application is assigned a file. The application is first screened by the Murray State Honors Program staff to determine if the application is complete and minimum criteria are met. A few days after the application deadline, applications are read and scored by screening committees to determine the rank of applicants. By mid April, rankings will be established and applicants notified of their status. All applicants will then be notified by letter that they are either: accepted, rejected, or placed on an "alternate" list. Accepted students are asked to reply within two weeks to determine if they are going to attend CHA. Alternate students may be notified any time up to and including the first day of the Academy if space becomes available.