Whether you take one honors course or aim for an Honors Distinction upon graduation, participating in Honors speaks volumes about your abilities and aspirations. Honors designations on your transcript will stand out on university applications and improve your chances of being admitted to the university, college, or program of your choice.

There is usually a world of difference between high school and college honors courses. In many high schools, honors courses are just the normal courses "made harder" with extra readings, extra assignments, and extra hard grading of students. But at college, honors courses are specially "enriched" courses, not normal courses made "harder," and grading standards are the same as in normal college courses.

It is important to think ahead about your overall academic plan and whether or not you anticipate applying for the Honors College Chancellor's Fellows Award for a Fall entering class. The Fellows program is a two-year commitment leading to graduation with an Associate's degree in Honors. Because of the two-year commitment and the coursework the program requires, students must take many of their core college classes as Honors Fellows. Therefore, if you think you may want to apply for the Fellows program beginning Fall and graduating Spring, we highly encourage you to schedule an advising appointment with your campus honors director before choosing your senior-year classes to find out how you can best qualify for The Honors College Fellows Award.

If you meet the eligibility requirements for Honors, you have the ability to succeed in your honors courses. You will also gain confidence in your own abilities by working with motivated and talented peers across the campus. Most honors students describe Honors as a "family" with both peer and faculty mentoring to increase student success.

No, honors courses aren't graded harder (or easier) than other college courses. A student who averages a 3.5 in regular courses will probably have a 3.5 GPA for honors courses, too. In fact, our data indicates that most LSC honors students maintain or improve their GPA's after participating in Honors.

Honors courses are designed to be more enriching and intellectually stimulating than standard courses. Rather than focusing on an increased workload, honors courses emphasize critical thinking, research, and active engagement with complex topics. The smaller class sizes foster greater interaction with faculty and peers, encouraging collaborative learning and deeper exploration of course material. Students in honors courses are challenged to think more independently and develop their academic and professional skills, making the experience more rigorous but also more rewarding.

We often hear students talk about how they feel Honors is like a family and that they value the sense of being part of a supportive community.

We also often hear students who are completing their honors plan with us share that they came in because of the scholarships and travel, but they ended up "loving the research." Because honors research allows students to make connections between their core course content and topics based on their personal or career interests, they share how much they value "having a voice" while deepening creative and critical thinking skills—even if they were not sure how to approach research when they first joined The Honors College!

With the addition of the Global Scholars pathway and Honors International Studies Track, students also cite that learning about other cultures and gaining intercultural competency skills are highlights of our programs.

The Honors College provides comprehensive support to guide you through the transfer process after completing your studies. Through one-on-one mentorship, you will receive personalized assistance in identifying transfer opportunities that align with your academic and career goals. Additionally, The Honors College has established partnerships with prestigious universities—from The University of Texas at Austin and other Texas locations to Rice University to the University of Houston, Johns Hopkins, and more!—allowing for a more seamless transfer to institutions that recognize and value your honors coursework.

Yes! The Honors Colleges offer multiple pathways. We have two-year pathways like our Chancellor's Fellows and Presidential Scholars for incoming students and options for students who will be here for one, two, or a few semesters, such as our Merit Scholars Program. While most students want to continue in Honors once joining because of the community and opportunities, some students participate for only one semester because of a particular special topics class, such as our NASA competition and Honors Model United Nations.

Many students "become honors" with us, because of the benefits of community, mentorship, and training offered.

The Honors College is committed to reviewing applicants based on a holistic evaluation. Depending on the pathway or track you are interested in and whether you are interested in a scholarship, reviews can include high school or college GPA, test scores, recommendations, letters of recommendation, work experience, writing sample, and a personal interview.

To meet our goal to expand access to honors education, students who do not meet the minimum GPA eligibility may be considered for conditional admission with a letter of support from a teacher, professor, advisor, or high school counselor who is familiar with the student's academic abilities. The student's overall academic record and ability to meet standard eligibility after their first semester will be factored into the admission evaluation. Students interested in this option should contact their campus honors director for more information on how to apply.

The Honors College has seen many student success stories from excellent honors students who began with conditional admission.

The number of honors credit hours required varies based on the specific pathway to which you are accepted. While you must fulfill the minimum honors coursework for your chosen pathway, you have the option to take additional honors courses if desired. This allows for a flexible academic experience tailored to your educational goals.