<p>hi ladylazarus,
My S will be starting the Honors Program as a junior next year, double majoring in politcal science and history. He will take four (4) double credit seminars during the course of the next two years, and at the end of his senior year, there will indeed be examiners from outside colleges and universities who descend upon Swarthmore to test him and the roughly 1/3 of his class who decide to pursue the Honors major. He will prepare four Honors preparations for them, based on the double credit seminars he will have taken, and they will examine his written work and test him orally on his “preparations.” The Honors program is competitive to enter, more so in some majors than others. For example, you have to obtain certain grades both within your intended major as well as overall for your first semester and a half. It was this unique Honors program, formally called the External Examination Program, which drew him to Swat. More information on the Honors Program can be found on the Swat website if you go to the section on Academics. If you have more specific questions, I can probably get answers from my S for about the next week before he takes off for his summer employment.</p>