Honors Program FAQs
Our rigorous and rewarding Honors Program offers something for all students wanting to succeed in preparation for their future careers. Sort through some frequently asked questions that current students and faculty receive from prospective honors students. Don't see an answer to a question you might have? Email honors@mountunion.edu for more information.
We review all applicants holistically, so don't hesitate to apply. The automatic acceptance criteria are 3.75+ GPA and 24+ ACT or 1160+ SAT, which is why anybody who participates in the Presidential Scholarship Competition is invited to join Honors. If you meet the automatic acceptance criteria, you only need to notify our Honors Liaison in Admissions that you are accepting your spot (Savannah Morris-Digby, morrissa@mountunion.edu) before we reach capacity. If you don't quite meet the automatic admission criteria, just fill out the brief Honors application on this website so that we get a fuller picture of you as a candidate. If the application link is not active, which may be the case if we have reached capacity for incoming students, please contact Savannah directly.
Upon joining Honors, you become part of an incredible community of like-minded individuals who are committed to an academic journey of fulfillment and enrichment. You also gain access to exclusive Honors social events, volunteer opportunities, priority class registration with seniors, Honors conferences, alumni panels, preferential housing, our beloved Honors House, and so much more! View our Honors Benefits and Perks.
There are two processes, depending on your situation. If you meet the automatic Honors admission criteria of 3.75+ GPA and 24+ ACT or 1160+ SAT, you have probably been invited to join Honors and would just need to contact Savannah Morris-Digby, our Honors Liaison in Admissions, to accept your spot: morrissa@mountunion.edu. If you fill out the Honors application linked on this website instead, Savannah will be in touch about the status of your application. If we can offer you a spot in Honors, you would need to let her know that you accept.
No! There is no additional fee to join or remain in the Honors Program. All events and opportunities offered by the Honors Program are open to all Honors students.
Yes, but it's generally better to join at the beginning so you can participate in the Honors Orientation and Honors First-Year Seminar, which are great ways to bond with other Honors students and settle into the program. All students who would are interested in joining Honors after their first semester should contact the Honor Director, Dr. Thiele, directly (thieleds@mountunion.edu) since the Admissions office is not involved after a student begins classes at Mount. If you apply for University Honors after the first semester, based primarily on your UMU grades and an advisor recommendation.
To remain in good standing in the University Honors program, students must maintain a 3.5 GPA and stay on track with Honors curriculum requirements, but we are aware that even hardworking students face setbacks. There is a grace period of at least one semester for students who drop below a 3.5 GPA, and students who are in this situation can stay in Honors as long as they demonstrate a satisfactory trajectory toward regaining the 3.5, which is also the GPA required to graduate with University Honors.
You can apply for Honors in the Major as early as sophomore year or as late as senior year, depending on the paths toward Honors in the Major offered by the department that houses your major. Your advisor and department chair should be able to provide more info on these paths as well as any department-specific requirements for eligibility. Once you have all the information from your department, you will need approval from the instructor that you will be working with, the department chair, and the Honors Program Director.
Yes! Each year, we have ambitious students who achieve all three. University Honors (link) and Honors in the Major (link) are associated with the Honors Program and do not overlap in their requirements, so doing both is no problem. Latin Honors are based on grade point average achieved during a student’s full collegiate career and are awarded by the Registrar’s Office, not the Honors Program.
Conveniently located right across the street from the Hoover Price Campus Center, the Honors House is the perfect place to study, hang out with friends, host an event, and more! This space is accessible to all Honors students and recently underwent exciting and transformative remodeling.
While the Honors House is not a location where students live, if there is enough interest in a given year, Honors housing clusters are established to enhance living-learning communities.
Absolutely! Many of our Honors students participate in study abroad and major or minor in a variety of disciplines.
For Honors admissions questions for recent high school grads, contact Savannah Morris-Digby at morrissa@mountunion.edu. For questions about joining Honors as a current UMU student, and for any other Honors questions, please reach out to Dr. Thiele, the Honors Director, at thieleds@mountunion.edu. General questions can also be addressed to honors@mountunion.edu.