Trips to the Art Institute in Chicago and to see the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., are annual occurrences. Honors Program students may be given precedence in registration for certain classes. Freshmen gain the opportunity to apply to the Honors Living Centers, if they wish, without being required to participate in the housing lottery. The Honors Program requires not only a high grade point average, but also successful completion of a special series of challenging courses. Students in such major areas have a preplanned course program which includes not only their Honors Program requirements but many of their basic major requirements as well, offered in separately arranged Honors Designate sections of basic courses.
Graduates wear a special cord at Commencement.
The Honors Program is administered by a director and advisory committee composed of faculty members representing various disciplines. The committee determines requirements and guidelines and is involved directly in advising honors students and overseeing other aspects of the Honors Program. Admission Qualified students will be invited to participate in the Honors Program if they have a 3.5 high school GPA and an ACT score of at least 28. Students lacking one of these criteria may contact the program director regarding provisional admission to the program. Transfer students and those already enrolled at Grand Valley State University who wish to enter the Honors Program may apply for admission if they have a 3.2 college GPA per year.