Sophomore Honors Award

The Sophomore Honors Award (SHA) recognizes outstanding student achievement and engagement within the LSA Honors Program within one’s first two years as an undergraduate. It incorporates participation in Honors Core Curriculum, Research, Geeklife Engagement Series, and GPA. All recipients are recognized by the director at the time they receive the award, as well as being acknowledged at the time of their graduation. The award carries no monetary value; it is a validation of one’s successful pursuit of a rigorous and well-rounded undergraduate experience from the beginning of undergraduate study through sophomore year.

You may copy and paste all or parts of the above paragraph into your resume/c.v., cover letter, personal statement, or other application materials.

As of fall 2024 the LSA Honors Program is using Suitable to log students' points towards the Sophomore Honors Award.

Award Requirements

To earn the Sophomore Honors Award, a student must complete the following by the end of their sophomore year:

Complete at least two (2) Honors Core Courses, one being an Honors First-Year Writing Requirement (FYWR) Course
Take no more than one optional Pass/Fail course (does not include courses on a Credit/No Credit grading scale)
Earn a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.4
Earn 24 Engagement Points

Award Requirement Details

Curriculum

Engagement points are earned based on number of credits for each eligible course.
If an Honors Core course is 4 credits, you would earn 4 engagement points.
There is no maximum number of points earned through curricular engagement.

Research

Research cannot count toward the Sophomore Honors Award if it is a paid research opportunity.
Students can earn a maximum of 6 engagement points from research.
- Independent research earns 2 points per semester

Geeklife Engagement Series

Each series of programming in the Geeklife Engagement Series has different point systems that will be outlined when you register for the program.
Not all Geeklife Engagement Series programs are available every semester. Programming may vary by semester.
Students can earn a maximum of 6 engagement points from Geeklife Engagement Series programs.
For more information on Geeklife Engagement Series programs, points, and more, click here.

Additional Details

Points may be earned through the end of winter term in one’s second year. You should log points in GradeCraft (information will be provided to you about using GradeCraft for this purpose). Applications for the Sophomore Honors Award are due May 30, and award announcements will be made by or at the beginning of fall semester.

Special Considerations

Are you a joint student with the Residential College or another U-M School or College?

Were you admitted to LSA Honors after your first term?
Are you a transfer student from another university or U-M college or school?

If any of the above applies to you, check your admissions letter or contact your advisor regarding specific award criteria and the timeline for meeting award requirements.

If none of the above applies to you, determine when to apply as follows:

Regular summer and fall admission 2019: apply end of summer 2021
Regular summer and fall admission 2020: apply end of summer 2022
Regular summer and fall admission 2021: apply end of summer 2023
Regular summer and fall admission 2022: apply end of winter by May 30, 2024
Regular summer and fall admission 2023: apply end of winter by May 30, 2025

Looking for engagement points opportunities outside the Honors Core? Click here.