Honors Program Admission Criteria
Students can apply as a continuing student after they have earned at least a 3.25 GPA in 12 or more units of transferable college coursework after graduating from high school.
High school students who have completed 12+ units of dual-enrollment coursework should still apply as a first-year applicant.
We encourage students to apply to the Honors Program as soon as they are eligible, since Honors students are required to complete at least 9 units of Honors coursework by the end of their final fall semester and 15 units of Honors coursework prior to transferring.
Application Process
The Honors Program reviews applications on a rolling basis using a holistic review process.
To apply to the Honors Program, follow these steps:
- Access the Honors Program application. You will need your IVC student log-in information. If you don’t know your log-in information, please contact the Student Help Desk.
- Submit the following materials with the application. Students whose applications that do not follow the instructions exactly (e.g., outdated or missing transcripts) will not be accepted to the program.
- Transcripts: Upload the most recent unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended, demonstrating completion of at least 12 units of transfer-applicable coursework with at least a 3.25 GPA.
- Portfolio: Submit three items of creative or college-level academic work that demonstrate academic potential. Student work should be clearly labeled with your name and may include (but are not limited to) writing samples, lab reports, multimedia presentations, or artwork. Please do not submit group work or application essays you’ve submitted to other colleges. Documents should be uploaded as PDFs through the application system; we do not accept portfolio items by email. To see samples of student work, click here.
- Personal Essay: Upload a single PDF that includes your responses to the following questions:
(1) The IVC Honors Program values intellectual curiosity, collaborative community, and academic integrity. In 250+ words, share how your personal experiences demonstrate one or more of these core values.
(2) How many semesters do you anticipate being part of the Honors Program before transferring? (1 sentence)
(3) Honors coursework is the cornerstone of students’ experience in the program. Honors students must complete 2 Honors courses within 2 semesters of admission to the program, at least 9 units of Honors coursework by the end of their final fall semester at IVC, and at least 15 units of Honors coursework before transferring. After reviewing the list of IVC Honors courses, identify at least 5 Honors classes you would be interested in taking to fulfill the 15-unit requirement and explain why you are interested in each one. (250+ words)
Note: Students whose applications are flagged for academic dishonesty or generative AI use will be disqualified from current and future consideration for Honors Program admission.
Please Note:
If you do not meet the membership requirements yet, you may apply to the program once you have a 3.25 GPA with 12 or more transferable college units. You may still enroll in Honors classes, and any Honors classes taken for a letter grade prior to program admission will be counted towards the Honors course requirement. However, we encourage students to apply to the Honors Program as early as possible, since Honors students must complete at least 9 semester units of Honors courses by the end of their final fall semester and 15 units of Honors coursework prior to transferring.