McCracken County High School (MCHS) juniors Max Thompson, Addison Mills, Lauren Ervin, and Maggie Harned have been selected to attend the Commonwealth Honors Academy at Murray State University.
The Commonwealth Honors Academy is a three-week-long program for academic, personal, and social development and is open to outstanding high school students during the summer after their junior year. Accepted students receive six hours of tuition-free university credit during the program, six additional tuition-free credit hours during their senior year of high school, and a guaranteed housing scholarship to Murray State University for $2,000 per year for four years.
The academy is open both to students in Kentucky and to students in other states, and accepts only 120 participants each year. To be considered for a slot, applicants must have a 3.5 GPA and a composite ACT score of 25.
Each year, the academy incorporates an overarching theme into the courses and activities offered that is meant to foster learning outside of the classroom by unifying academic, co-curricular, and extra-curricular experiences. Attendees will participate in an interdisciplinary humanities and fine arts course and a separate elective course in an area of interest to them, both of which will incorporate elements of the year’s theme. Students also participate in small-group seminar sessions that allow them to contemplate a wide variety of topics.
