The Thayer Honors Program seeks to develop West Point’s highest-performing cadets academically and professionally through interdisciplinary collaboration. Cadets accepted into the program work to publish research, apply critical thinking to solve complex global issues, and serve as ambassadors for West Point in military and professional situations. The Thayer Honors Program invites plebes to apply based on mid-term and first semester grades. Selection is based on academic QPA, teacher recommendations, and physical program scores. Induction into the program opens academic opportunities such as advanced class sections, research project connections, and scheduling preferences to attend Academic Individual Advanced Development (AIAD) programs during the summer.
Photo: CDT Lindsay 17 volunteering at the Foundation for Economic Development and Educational Promotion International School in Cape Coast Ghana
By gathering the highest-performing cadets from across academic disciplines, the Thayer Honors Program fosters collaboration and innovation. Design Day, an event hosted by the Thayer Honors Program, encourages creative application of cadets’ expertise to generate real-world solutions while teaching design and problem-solving principles. The cadets work together in groups with mixed years, majors, and experience levels to make a viable solution to the given problem. The Thayer Honors Program works with the scholarship preparation courses in order to prepare cadets to be competitive for prestigious scholarships such as the Rhodes, Marshall, and Truman scholarships. The Thayer Honors Program also develops members through a mentorship program linking cows and plebes together for a two-year mentorship cycle, after which the mentee goes on to become a mentor. This year, the Thayer Honors Program is hosting its first annual Honors Banquet, featuring speakers on the topic of Leading through Interdisciplinary Collaboration.