What are the requirements for membership?
You must be a graduate of an accredited university, college, or high school who graduated with one of the following honors: Summa cum Laude (Highest Honors), Magna cum Laude (High Honors), Cum Laude (Honors), Valedictorian, Salutatorian, or Top One Percent of your high school graduating class. Note: Applicants with a Master’s must have earned a GPA in the 90th percentile or a minimum 3.59 GPA on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with an earned doctorate automatically qualify for membership on that basis alone, no GPA requirement. (2) You must complete and submit the online APPLICATION FORM. (3) We must receive your completed ACADEMIC HONOR VERIFICATION FORM duly signed and verified by the appropriate official of your school.
What are the classes of membership?
There are five classes of membership: (1) Doctoral degree members, (2) Master’s degree members, (3) Bachelor’s degree members, (4) Associate’s degree members, (5) High School diploma/certificate members.
Who is a Member?
A Member is an honor graduate who has submitted the online APPLICATION FORM, a completed ACADEMIC HONOR VERIFICATION FORM, and has received an official letter and Certificate from Gamma Honors confirming membership.
How do I know if I am a Member?
You will receive an official letter and a CERTIFICATE OF MEMBERSHIP to use as proof. Your name will also appear in the online Membership Directory.
Who is an Aspiring member?
An Aspiring member is a Doctoral candidate in ABD stage, a final-year Master’s degree candidate, or a senior/final-year student in a university, college, or high school whose overall cumulative GPA at the beginning of the senior/final year would ordinarily qualify for membership had he/she graduated; that is, a student who at the beginning of the senior/final year has earned an overall cumulative GPA if based on his/her school or college catalog or requirements would have been viewed as having a GPA deserving of honor status. Aspiring Members are not official members and would not be considered official members until they graduate and meet all the requirements for membership. Completing the Aspiring members Contact Form will provide some exposure but, importantly, will allow us to send you a reminder to apply for membership upon graduation. Being an Aspiring Member is an accomplishment but not one we can recognize, vouch for, or certify until you graduate and meet the requirements for membership.
How do I apply as an Aspiring Member?
Visit our website and complete the ASPIRING MEMBER CONTACT FORM.
Can I state in my resume that I am an Aspiring Member of Gamma Honors?
No.
I am unable to transmit my Application Form online. Why?
The most likely reason is that you failed to complete all “required fields”. You may have also failed to process or pay the submission fee. To resolve this problem, please pay attention the above pointers.
How much does it cost to become a member of Gamma Honors?
Absolutely nothing! Membership is free.
What are the benefits or potential benefits and advantages of membership?
Click here for a listing of benefits and/or potential benefits and advantages of membership.
Is membership lifetime?
Yes. Once a member, always a member unless your membership is cancelled due to fraud or submission of inaccurate personal and/or academic information.
Can I be a member in more than one Category in the same year?
No.
If I became a member upon graduation from High school (High School Diploma Category), can I qualify in another category if I subsequently attended and graduated from a two-year or four-year college/university?
Yes.
If I am in the “honors program” or took “honors classes” at my school, will I qualify for membership?
No. You must graduate with honor.
What do the symbols “PGD,” “PGM,” “CU,, “JC,” “HS” represent?
These symbols are used from time to time to by Gamma Honors to distinguish member categories. “PGD” is used to identify members in the Postgraduate Category with earned Doctorates. “PGM” is used to identify members in the Postgraduate Category with earned Master’s degrees. “CU” is used to identify members in the Four-Year Colleges & Universities Category; with earned Bachelor’s degree. “JC” is used to identify members in the Two-Year Junior & Community Colleges Category with earned Associate’s degree. “HS” is used to identify members in the High School Category with earned High School Diploma or Certificate..
What is the Gamma Honors motto?
“Knowledge, Character, Excellence and Hope.” Our motto is reflected in our unique name and symbol. – Gamma Honors.
Gamma is the initial letter of the Greek word GNOSIS, which means Wisdom/Education/Knowledge. As a Gamma Honors member, you stand for Knowledge, Character, Excellence and Hope. You embody the pursuit of wisdom. We believe that from great wisdom come the great virtues of good character, hard work, determination, excellence, discipline, respect, consistency, and optimism that Gamma Honors members embody.
How do I apply?
Visit our website at and complete the Online APPLICATION FORM, making sure you check-off the appropriate membership category.
What information will be published about me?
The type and scope of information published about you depends on whether you are applying as a university, college, or high school graduate.
We will list your name and category and other information pertinent to your academic accomplishments, including but not limited to the following:
College/University graduates: Name, hometown/city, state, and country, if not from the U.S.; your university or college and its city, state, and country; degree earned and major or field of specialization/concentration, e.g. A.S. Accounting, BA English, BSC Nursing, etc; graduation year.
High School graduates: Name, hometown/city, state, country if not U.S.; your high school and its city, state and country; diploma or certificate earned; graduation year.
Will my GPA be included or mentioned in the book Best in Academics among Graduates…?
No. Gamma Honors reserves the right, however, to include it in future publications and/or provide this information when requested by law, or when requested, for example, by a potential employer or another organization attempting to verify your membership and/or the GPA you reported.
If I am a Valedictorian or Salutatorian and have applied as a Valedictorian or Salutatorian, do I need to complete the form again or also check-off the Category labeled “Top One percent of My Graduating Class”?
No. That would be duplication. As a Valedictorian or Salutatorian, it is well-known that you graduated in the Top One Percent of your high school graduating class.
Will my Honor (e.g., Summa cum Laude, Valedictorian, etc.) be included in the book Best in Academics among Graduates…. ?
No.
If I graduated several years ago before the formation of Gamma Honors, can I become a member?
Yes.
If I graduated several years ago before the formation of Gamma Honors, will my name also appear in the publication Best in Academics among Graduates.… ?
Yes. Your name will be included in one of the Special Inaugural Editions of the publication that will profile members who graduated before the formation or founding of the Society.
If I attended only part-time and graduated in a longer time than normally required for a full-time student, do I still qualify for membership?
Yes. The length of time it took to complete your program is not a membership requirement.
If I completed my program in a shorter time than other students in my program, will I still qualify for membership?
Yes. The length of time it took to complete your program is not a membership requirement.
Who are Campus Reps?
These are students who help disseminate Society news and promote its activities at their institutions and campuses. Their tasks include placing posters or passing-on information from the Society to campus honor clubs, fraternities and sororities, and school staff and administrators. To apply click here.
What are the advantages/benefits of being a Campus Rep.?
As a Campus Representative, you may include the title (“Campus Representative, Gamma Honors”, followed by the beginning and ending dates of your service) in your resume. Your association with Gamma Honors by itself is one that others will envy.
Can I still apply as a Campus Rep. even if I may not qualify as a future member?
No. A Campus Rep must have a 3.5 GPA or above on a 4.0 scale or be considered an honor student based on the scale or qualification(s) used by the applicant’s school.
Any induction or pledging ceremony?
Not at this time. In the future, however, the society plans to institute some type of induction/pledging. When that process is in-place, members and prospective members will be notified.
What is the approved format for citing or listing membership in a member’s resume?
The following are the only formats currently approved. It is important for members to adhere to these formats.
For postgraduates:
Lifetime Member, Gamma Honors (The International Society for Honor Graduates), Doctorate Category, Name of college or university, city, state, country. Class of (the year you graduated).
Lifetime Member, Gamma Honors (The International Society for Honor Graduates), Master’s Category, Name of college or university, city, state, country. Class of (the year you graduated).
Four-Year College and Universities Graduates: Lifetime Member, Gamma Honors (The International Society for Honor Graduates), Bachelor’s Category, Name of your college or university, city, state, country. Class of (the year you graduated).
Two-Year Community and Junior Colleges: Lifetime Member, Gamma Honors (The International Society for Honor Graduates), Associate’s Category, Name of your college, city, state, country. Class of (the year you graduated).
High Schools: Lifetime Member, Gamma Honors (The International Society for Honor Graduates), High School Diploma Category, Name of your high school, city, state, country. Class of (the year you graduated).
Note: For those members who graduated prior to the founding or formation of Gamma Honors, the citation will not include the current graduation year; instead, “Special Inaugural Class” followed by the actual graduation year will be added.
Example: Mr. John Johnson graduated with honor in 1960 from Harvard University before the founding of Gamma Honors. He earned a Bachelor’s degree. Mr. Johnson has been admitted to membership and is interested in including his membership information on his resume. Mr. Johnson’s resume, in the appropriate field, will read as follows:
Lifetime Member, Gamma Honors (The International Society for Honor Graduates), Bachelor’s Category, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA. Special Inaugural Class of 1960.
Note: Any other listing format is disallowed!!