Honors Experience

The Honors Program has many advantages including attending class with other academically talented students. In addition to enriched learning opportunities, the Honors Program students:

• May receive scholarship aid.
• May be recognized by the “National Dean’s List,” “Who’s Who in American Junior Colleges,” and/or “All American Scholars.”
• Will carry honors designation on their transcripts for each honors course successfully completed.
• May participate in educational field trips, social activities and special events.
• Receive honors recognition and are eligible to wear honors regalia at the graduation ceremony.

To be accepted in the program, students must meet the following criteria:

Entering Freshmen

• Must pursue an associate degree or 1-year certificate at Lake Land College; and
• Meet one of the following:
  • Graduate in the top 15 percent of their high school class; or
  • Have an ACT composite score of 26 or higher/SAT total score of 1230 or higher.

Current Lake Land Students & Transfer Students

• Must have completed at least 12 hours of coursework toward an associate degree
  and
• Have a GPA of 3.25 or above after the completion of at least 12 semester hours of college coursework at Lake Land College.

Students interested in the Honors Program should complete the following steps:

1. Log into the Laker Hub and click on “Honors Experience” under the IRIS Menu. After clicking on the “Honors Experience” link, you will be prompted to submit interest in the program. Once interest is submitted, you will be notified of your eligibility for the program via your Laker email within two weeks.
2. Review the Honors Course Guidelines and/or Honors Independent Study Course Guidelines. These guidelines will help you understand the levels of learning that distinguish an honors coursework from standard coursework. Additionally, the guidelines include specific language that can be utilized when completing a contract for a honors course with an instructor.
3. Complete and submit a Honors Contract and/or Honors Independent Study Contract.
4. Receive approval and start your honors coursework!

If you choose to discontinue your honors coursework, please notify us at honors@lakelandcollege.edu as soon as possible.

Honors students must complete the program requirements in order to graduate as an Honors student. Those requirements are:

• Maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA;
• Graduate from an associate degree program; and
• Complete four honors courses for full status graduation/two honors courses for associate status.

Students whose cumulative GPA fall below a 3.25 will be placed on probation and will have one semester to raise their GPA to the minimum requirement. Students who do not meet these requirements will be removed from the Honors Program.

The following document provides comprehensive answers to common questions regarding the Lake Land College Honors Program:

• FAQs for Students

In addition to being part of a nationally recognized professional honors collegiate organization that looks exceptional on resumes, PTK members:

• May receive scholarship aid.
• Have networking opportunities and fellowship with their peers and other PTK affiliates.
• Will carry PTK designation on their transcripts for at least two semesters of qualified Lake Land College PTK membership.
• May participate in educational field trips, social activities and special events.
• Have a gold insignia stamp on their diploma with at least two semesters of qualified Lake Land College PTK membership.
• Receive honors recognition and are eligible to wear PTK regalia at the graduation ceremony.

Students who meet the following criteria are eligible to join Phi Theta Kappa:

• Must be invited by a PTK advisor to join;
• Enrolled in an associate degree program;
• Have 12 semester hours completed; and
• Possess a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher.

Lake Land College students are invited to join PTK after completing 12 semester hours if they are degree seeking and have a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher. Once invited to join, eligible students will need to:

• Register online at www.ptk.org; and
• Submit new members dues in the amount of $85 for the first semester.
• Presidential Scholars in their first semester of enrollment may join as provisional members for a fee of $20.

PTK members must complete the program continuations requirements in order to remain active and graduate as a PTK student. Those requirements are:

• Maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative GPA;
• Pay dues on a semester basis in the amount of $10 for returning members; and
• Participate in monthly meetings and events.

Students who meet one of the following criteria are eligible for the Presidential Scholarship:

• Be in the top 15 percent of students in the senior class at the end of 7th or 8th semester; or
• Have an ACT composite score of 26 or higher/SAT total score of 1230 or higher.

Qualifying students must also:

• Reside in the Lake Land College District at the time of graduation;
• Graduate from a high school located in the Lake Land College District; or
• Graduate from a high school serving a portion of the Lake Land College District; and
• Enroll full-time the fall semester following graduation.

Students who meet the eligibility criteria should:

• Contact their high school guidance counselor to complete and submit the Presidential Scholarship Acceptance Form; and
• Enroll at Lake Land College full time the fall semester immediately following high school graduation.

Presidential Scholars must fulfill certain requirements to remain eligible to continue to receive the award including:

• successfully completing a minimum of 12 semester hours each semester; and
• obtaining either a 3.25 semester or cumulative GPA every term.

The following documents provide comprehensive answers to common questions regarding the Presidential Scholarship:

• FAQs for High School Students & Parents
• FAQs for High School Counselors
• FAQs for Current Presidential Scholars