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Frequently Asked Questions

Do Honors students get more financial aid?

• Admittance into the University Honors Program does not guarantee a scholarship and applying for Honors does not qualify you for more financial aid in terms of University tuition, but it does open up possibilities for future scholarships and funding for undergraduate research. Honors students are encouraged to apply for scholarships and grants during their time at LMU in order to allow them to pursue their intellectual interests. For example, the Honors Program offers a Summer Research Fellowship and Ambassadorial Awards, which students can apply for while enrolled in the program. The National and International Scholarship Office is a good resource for students to inquire about these types of opportunities during their stay at LMU as well as about postgraduate options. 

I have been accepted to LMU with HONORS AT ENTRANCE. Does that mean I’m in the Honors Program?

• Congratulations for being accepted to LMU with Honors at Entrance; however, this does not necessarily mean that you are in the University Honors Program. Having Honors at Entrance indicates that you were exceptional at your high school, and LMU recognizes that.  

  
  

  If you were accepted with HONORS AT ENTRANCE during the Fall Early Action period, then you are guaranteed a space in the University Honors Program, provided you file the Early Action Honors Acceptance form by February 1, 2013.

   

  Otherwise, if you were accepted with HONORS AT ENTRANCE during the Regular Decision period, then you must apply for the Honors Program using the online application.

When do I apply? How do I apply?

• If you applied Early Action and were accepted then with HONORS AT ENTRANCE, you only need to fill out the Early Action Honors Acceptance form by February 1, 2013 to reserve your seat. This is a non-binding agreement and will be available online December 1.

   

  If you are a Regular Decision applicant, you may apply to the University Honors Program any time after January 14. The University Honors Program will admit students beginning March 1. If you apply after that date, your application will be considered on April 1. 

   

  Any applications submitted after May 1 will be reviewed as they are received.

How will I know if I have been accepted or rejected from the Honors Program?

• Depending on which deadline date you submitted for, you will be notified March 25 or April 15.  If your application has not yet been accepted in that round of deliberations, you will be informed of the decision, and it will be reconsidered in the next round.  This process continues until all spaces are filled.

What is the Honors Compact?

• The Honors Compact is the agreement made between the University Honors Program and any incoming Honors student. It officially marks one’s entrance into the program. The Honors Compact states that you understand the requirements of the program and that you will strive to become your fullest academic selves in alignment with LMU’s Mission. 

What are the requirements of the University Honors Program that are outlined in the Honors Compact?

• The requirements to remain in the program are three-fold:
  • A cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher while completing the Honors Core.
  • Judicial clearance from LMU Student Affairs.
  • Attendance at a majority of University Honors Program events.

If I am currently a student at LMU, can I enter the Honors Program?

• Only those who are either current LMU Freshman or entering their Sophomore year at LMU can apply for the Honors Program. If you want to apply after you’ve already become an LMU student, you will be notified if there are vacancies in the program each semester. The application and selection process is different from incoming LMU first year students, and you will need to be recommended by a member of the LMU faculty. 

I was in the honors program at another university and am interested in transferring to LMU. Can I still apply to the LMU Honors Program?

• If you are a Freshman transferring to LMU for the spring semester or an incoming Sophomore, you may apply for the Honors Program upon consultation with the director. Please see the above answer for more details. 

Do Honors students live in a separate residence hall?

• Honors students do not live in a separate residence hall, but there are designated Honors floors in certain residential buildings for students according to their year. For example, Freshman Honors students are housed together in a Living Learning Community on the top floor in Del Rey South, a Freshman residence hall. Sophomore Honors students have the second floor in Rains, a suite-style residence hall. Juniors and Seniors, who may live together, have apartments in Leavey 6. 

Can I be in Honors and not do Honors housing?

• Yes. Every year students may opt in or out of Honors housing, but you are strongly encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity, especially for your Freshman year. Because you mostly take the same classes as other Honors students your first year, it is helpful to have a supportive community there, working on the same projects, papers, etc. Living in Honors housing maintains that community.

Do students routinely complete both the Honors Program and a standard major in 4 years? Will participation in the Honors Program complicate my progress towards graduation?

• All Honors students must complete a standard major, and almost all students in the Honors Program graduate in 4 years. It is very rare when they do not complete their Honors Core requirements along with the major(s) and minor(s) requirements within that time. The University Honors Program staff and faculty frequently work with students in order to make sure that they will fulfill all requirements within the designated time. In the end, it depends on how well you manage your time and the amount of classes you choose.

Will my participation in the Honors Program hurt my GPA?

• The Honors Program should help your GPA. Courses are challenging, but they are doable. Most Honors students achieve the minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA easily. 

Do Honors classes have to be taken in addition to the regular University Core classes?

• No, Honors classes are part of a separate Honors Core that relate exclusively to Honors students.

What should I expect from a typical Honors course? What makes them so different?

• Honors courses are typically smaller than the average University course. This gives students the opportunity to have a more personal academic experience. Honors classes are usually discussion-based, and although they are interdisciplinary, professors give you opportunities to submit projects and papers on topics you are interested in. Also, professors in Honors get the chance to teach their specialties, subjects they may not have had a chance to teach before. No two Honors courses are alike. Each one is unique.

Are Honors classes more difficult than University Core classes? Is there more work?

• Honors classes are not more difficult than University Core classes. They are just different. In fact, Honors professors usually refrain from assigning busy work. Most of the work is heavy reading, writing response papers, taking midterm and final exams, contributing to an online forum, or working on one major project for the year. The work in each course depends on the professor and the subject. Honors classes are designed to have you think critically in different ways. For example, although you may be an English major, you learn how to think like a scientist, an economist, a historian, etc. 

What are the advantages of the Honors Program?

• The University Honors Program is one of the most diverse programs at LMU, offering a variety of interdisciplinary courses designed to make you think and work in ways you never have before. Professors are handpicked, classes are smaller, and students are encouraged to strive to their full intellectual and creative potentials. While any student at LMU gets a first rate education, students in the Honors Program receive a unique experience and perspective as part of a community of scholars striving to solve the problems of the 21st century. Other Honors benefits are unique: co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, priority registration, Honors housing and advising, and special opportunities like research fellowships. 

What does Honors offer outside the classroom?

• The Honors Program is an active embodiment of LMU’s mission. Our approach is aimed to develop the whole person into their best selves with a genuine concern for others and global issues. The Honors Program assists students with internship placements, research positions, jobs, grants, scholarships, travel and publication opportunities, help with graduate school applications, priority registration, and Honors housing. It is a guaranteed community as soon as you enter LMU and provides the chance to meet great people outside of your discipline—all in all, a truly unique LMU experience very few students at the University receive. 

What is the senior thesis?

• The thesis is the pinnacle of student research. Every Honors student is required to fulfill a senior thesis or capstone project in order to graduate with University Honors. There are two ways to achieve the thesis requirement: through your major or minor, or through the Honors Program. Your Honors thesis project can be anything that pertains to your area of study, as deemed appropriate by your thesis advisor, whom you select. This includes a critical essay, script, film, poetry portfolio, lab report, etc. Proposals must be submitted to the Honors Program for approval. 

Do Honors students have time for other activities?

• There is ample time to be involved. In fact, Honors students are found to be some of the most involved students on campus and off, whether it’s through a sorority or fraternity, service organization, sports, Campus Ministry, ASLMU, the Loyolan, KXLU, clubs, etc. It all depends on how well you manage your time and what programs and organizations you want to be involved with.

Do Honors students study abroad?

• Many students in the Honors Program are able to study abroad. The University Honors Program encourages its students to travel and be true global citizens. In the past, students have studied in the United Kingdom, Germany, Mexico, Australia, China, and many other countries. All you have to do is go to the LMU Study Abroad Office for more information and apply for the program you are interested in.

My intended major department has its own Honors society. Is it related to the University Honors Program?

• Although many departments like Business, Biology, English, Engineering, etc. have Honors societies, they are not related to the University Honors Program. They are completely separate entities. It is possible to be a part of both if you so choose. 

What are the benefits at graduation? Is it equivalent to “graduating with Honors”?

• Students in the Honors Program will automatically graduate with Honors as long as they maintain the required 3.5 GPA. By maintaining a 3.5 GPA, all Honors students will automatically graduate from the University as Cum Laude, Summa Cum Laude, or Magna Cum Laude. You are awarded a medal to wear at graduation and are recognized at commencement for being a part of LMU’s most prestigious academic program.