Honors program participation and performance postgraduation.

Four groups of students were surveyed four to six years postgraduation regarding enrollment in graduate studies, research involvement, and occupancy of leadership positions in professional organizations. Group 1 (n = 20) consisted of honors graduates, Group 2 (n = 52) were high GPA non-honors graduates, Group 3 (n = 39) were low GPA graduates, and Group 4 (n = 16) were RN-to-BSN graduates with high GPAs but not in the honors program. Enrollment in graduate studies was the strongest outcome indicator of participation in the honors program. Honors graduates also held leadership roles in professional organizations significantly more than Groups 2 and 3, but were quite comparable to Group 4. Follow-up at 10 years postgraduation and replication of the study in other settings are recommended.