Applications are available every fall quarter. Members serve until graduation. In addition to the College of Letters and Science Honors Program, UCSB also hosts chapters of national honors societies. While not directly tied to Letters and Science, these societies have continually been reinforced by the participation of students from the honors program. Alpha Lambda Delta Selects students following their freshman year.
Initiation is held for new members in the fall.
Members provide service to the community and campus. The Golden Key National Honor Society Invites juniors and seniors to join based on similar high academic standards. Golden Key also promotes academic excellence and service to the community. In the past, activities have included tutoring students, painting the Isla Vista Child Care Center, and adopting high school students to introduce them to the campus. The election of new members takes place annually by a faculty committee in April, based initially on overall UC GPA and thereafter on a program of study emphasizing breadth of intellectual curiosity.