A seven-month-long investigation conducted by a second-year student, Andrew Kinney, found “widespread confusion and frustration” over the Pinnacle Scholars Program from current undergraduates. This finding, which was reported alongside other discoveries about the Pinnacle Scholars Program, was revealed last week in a video published by SITTV.
The Pinnacle Scholars Program, which most students simply call Pinnacle, is Stevens’ equivalent of an honors college, a prestigious extension of the undergraduate experience that provides additional opportunities for high-achieving students. The Pinnacle program awards certain students with an annual $5,000 stipend for educational opportunities, invitations to cultural events (e.g. plays and musicals), special honors seminars, mentoring, and the option to participate in the Accelerated Master’s Program, according to the Pinnacle Scholars Program section on Stevens’ website.
Before Pinnacle was established, Stevens had a different honors program known as the Scholars Program. Invitations for the Scholars Program were given to “talented” students at the time of their acceptance to Stevens, according to a 2012 handout on the program. However, if a student wasn’t admitted into the program at the time of their admission into Stevens, they could apply to join after their first semester, provided that they hold a 3.8 GPA.
Unlike similar honors programs at peer institutions and unlike the Stevens Scholars program, “the Pinnacle Program only considers incoming freshmen and does not have a separate application process,” Kinney said.
To be eligible for Pinnacle, an incoming student must have a stellar high-school transcript and potentially be an impactful student at Stevens once on campus, according to the Stevens’ public requirements for the program.
Jaqueline Williams, Dean of Undergraduate Admissions, told SITTV that the Admissions Office reviews each incoming student’s application “in its entirety, including high school transcript, test scores, essay, recommendation letters and activities and interests.” Based on the review by Admissions, a student will be offered an invitation to Pinnacle.
Admission into the Pinnacle program, which is based on subjective review and not objective eligibility, concerns students. In an editorial published by The Stute in January of this year, Editor-in-Chief Maryia Spirydonava expressed frustration over the “very vague and almost nonexistent” requirements for Pinnacle.
“From the point of view of the non-Pinnacle students, it can be frustrating since the requirements for the program are very vague,” Spirydonava wrote. She acknowledged that the program is “amazing” for the participating students, but contended that Pinnacle “can be improved by the mere act of making the requirements more specific.”
Audrey Dsouza, a third-year student, published an op-ed about Pinnacle in The Stute two years ago and wrote, “What distinguishes those twenty, thirty kids from the rest of us? What does it mean to be a leader? I don’t know.”
Some students, some of which are Pinnacle students, told SITTV that they are uncertain about how students are considered suitable for the Pinnacle program.
“I was one of the first Pinnacle program students,” said Katherine Van Orden. “I was just as surprised that I got in as anybody probably was. It’s a mystery.”
Nneka Udeagbala, a third-year student, told SITTV, “With other schools, it seems like if you passed a certain threshold, you would be part of an honors college, but it doesn’t seem like it’s the same for the Pinnacle Scholars Program. The details for who gets in and why are kinda iffy.”
As part of the investigation, Kinney conducted a survey and found that 85% of the 159 respondents indicated that they want a way to enter the program once they arrive at Stevens.
Based on his findings, Kinney reported that “there is widespread confusion and frustration over the Pinnacle Program.” He admitted that “the benefits are wonderful for members of the program” but that these benefits “come at a cost to the rest of the student body, many of whom perform just as well as Pinnacles academically and are equally involved on campus.”
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