Calvin University’s Honors Scholars program kicked off this fall with 62 first-year students, up from 40 in 2024.
“This is the largest group of first-year honors students we’ve ever had, but it was actually still the most selective process we’ve ever had,” said Ben Gritter, assistant director of Calvin cohorts and honors coordinator. He credited an admissions cycle that started earlier in the year with more than doubling the applicant pool, fielding a total of 348 applications.
The expanded applicant pool allowed the program to expand from two sections to three — each capped at about 20 students — “while really not lowering our standards at all for the caliber of student that we want to see,” explained Gritter.
John Zimmerman, associate director of public relations, spoke on behalf of the provost’s office, adding, “Class sizes won’t increase; we’ll simply add a third section to preserve the small-group seminars that define the program.”
The 2025 Honors Knot — the name for the yearly cohort — is 38 percent out-of-state and 16 percent international, resulting in 10 percent more international students compared to the 2024 Knot. Gritter noted that 18 international students accepted offers, however, 13 faced trouble obtaining visas in time to enroll for the fall semester. “The perspectives they and other globally-experienced students bring have been invaluable to our discussions.”
Amy Wilstermann, the director of the honors and collegiate scholars program, said she was concerned that community bonds might be at risk with the cohort’s recent growth. “Going from 40 to 60 — would that inhibit relationship building? We’ve not seen that, which is good.”
To keep scholars connected, Calvin secured extra rooms on third van Reken and Kalsbeek halls so the cohort could participate in a living-learning environment. Briar Stonehouse, a junior honors scholar studying history, clarified that the knot isn’t “exclusive nerds that get special treatment…they’re very welcoming and inviting to other people.”
A freshman third van Reken student, Elenaor Kau, observed a difference between living on the floor as compared to other floors. Kau says “I’ve noticed on other floors it seems like a place where people live together but don’t have community with each other.” Despite the large growth of the cohort, its quality of students has not diminished.
Looking forward, Calvin is already planning for sustained demand for the Honors Cohort over the next four years with the hopes that more students will get the opportunity to participate in an intentional community. Zimmerman framed the expansion as central to Calvin’s mission “to think deeply, act justly, and live wholeheartedly as Christ’s agents of renewal.” In an era of regional demographic decline, Calvin’s ability to double its Honors applications without diluting selectivity and still providing both community cohesion and academic excellence has been nothing short of remarkable.
