EVER WONDER WHAT OCC HONORS IS ALL ABOUT OR IF YOU MIGHT BE QUALIFIED ALREADY?
Don't wonder any more! We've got answers!
Every spring and fall semester, more than 5,000 OCC students qualify for one or more OCC Honors opportunities.
If this past spring semester was a successful one for you AND you plan to continue your studies at OCC in the summer or fall 2022 (or both!), you may be invited to join one or more of the 16 different OCC honor societies or the OCC Honors Program (yup, they're different!) after spring grades are added to your OCC transcript in June. REQUEST A TRANSCRIPT REVIEW AND PERSONALIZED REPORT ABOUT YOUR HONORS ELIGIBILITY.
Just fill out our REQUEST FORM and give us a couple of weeks to reply:
Here's some information to de-mystify what Honors at OCC means and who qualifies. For a quick overview, just scan the rest of this message for the capitalized text at the start of each paragraph.
OCC OFFERS MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR HONOR SOCIETY RECOGNITION THAN ANY OTHER COLLEGE IN CALIFORNIA. There are 16 different honor societies at OCC, (no honors classes required) as well as a campus-wide Honors Program (honors classes are required). Honor societies recognize and reward your academic success. The Honors Program helps you prepare for transfer and future success. No need to choose -- you can have them both!
HONORS STUDENTS TEND TO WIN THE GREATEST NUMBER AND THE LARGEST AMOUNTS OF SCHOLARSHIPS EACH YEAR. One of our students just won a 2022 national Jack Kent Cooke scholarship worth $55,000.00 PER YEAR for up to three years to help her finish her bachelor's degree. Hundreds of others won OCC and outside scholarships to help them afford their educations, too.
HONORS STUDENTS TEND TO BE SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER APPLICANTS TO THE MOST SELECTIVE UNIVERSITIES AND MAJORS. Our certified Honors Program applicants have been admitted to UCLA at a rate of between 70% and 92% over the past ten years. OCC non-honors applicants are admitted at rates closer to 25% each year. Honors Program students are routinely admitted to UC Berkeley, UCSD, USC, Cal Poly SLO and Pomona, NYU, Columbia University (yes -- Ivy Leagues!) and many others.
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MOST HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED BEGINNING JULY 1 UNTIL OCTOBER 31, 2022.
HONOR SOCIETIES ARE A LITTLE LIKE CLUBS BUT WITH MINIMUM ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS FOR MEMBERSHIP. Honor societies are student-run (by election or appointment) with advisement from faculty and staff. Some societies are specific to certain areas of study (e.g., psychology, business, marine science, STEM, health professions, political science, communication, English and others). Other societies are open to qualified students regardless of major or type of courses completed (e.g., Alpha Gamma Sigma, Phi Theta Kappa, and SALUTE). Each society has its own criteria for membership and its own policies for granting Permanent membershiip status.
ALL HONOR SOCIETIES REQUIRE PAYMENT OF A MEMBERSHIP FEE (also called "dues."). Students may pay for their memberships personally using a credit or debit card online, or may have their support program pay for them (like EOPS, Student Equity, Guardian Scholars, or CalWORKS). There are some rules for third-party payments, so be sure to ask before you apply.
HONOR SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP DOES NOT REQUIRE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION. All meetings, events and volunteer service service are entirely optional. Participation and leadership often lead to more scholarship opportunities and recognition.
PERMANENT MEMBERSHIP IN ANY OF THE 16 HONOR SOCIETIES earns a special notation on your OCC transcript and Honors status for graduation (you get to wear the special accessories with your cap and gown). Permanent membership criteria vary by society and may not be available immediately. Be sure to read applications for membership carefully.
STUDENTS WITH AN OCC CUM GPA OF 3.0 OR HIGHER, and who have completed at least 12 units of coursework with letter grades (A, B, C, etc.) over their most recent three semesters combined WILL QUALIFY for one or more honor society memberships. Over 5,000 OCC students qualify each semester for one or more memberships among the honor societies. REQUEST A FULL TRANSCRIPT REVIEW to find out which societies you qualify for and at what membership levels. Just fill out this Google form.
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THE OCC HONORS PROGRAM is an insructional program led by OCC faculty and counselors. The Honors Program's primary focus is on providing guidance to our highly motivated, HP-enrolled OCC students, especially in preparation for transfer priority granted through a process called "certification," to some of the top universities in the U.S., including UCLA, UCI, Georgetown, and Columbia University/ General Studies. Under certain circumstances, first-semester Freshmen may qualify to enroll in the Honors Program based on their high school success and AP English score. More than 1,000 students qualify each semester for enrollment in the Honors Program.
THERE IS NO FEE TO ENROLL IN THE HONORS PROGRAM, but there is a 3.25 minimum cum GPA requirement and an English composition coursework requirement, among other criteria. To learn more about enrolling in the Honors Program, send an email to hpro@occ.cccd.edu to request the self-paced orientation materials, link to the orientation quiz, and the application for enrollment.
REQUEST AN APPOINTMENT WITH AN HONORS COUNSELOR to discuss whether the Honors Program is an appropriate choice for you and to set up and education plan that includes honors courses. Honors Counselors are Carol Barnes, Linda Bagatourian, Eileen Tom, Eric Cuellar and Jared Vidal.
HONORS PROGRAM DEADLINE TO ENROLL: For students who are getting ready to transfer and will be applying to UCLA or UCI in Fall 2022 for Fall of 2023 admission, have a minimum cum GPA of 3.50, will have at least 12 units of Honors coursework completed by the end of Fall 2022, the deadline to enroll in the Honors Program is AUGUST 31, 2022. Other applicants may apply at any time they meet the enrollment criteria.
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BE SURE TO CHECK YOUR STUDENT EMAIL FREQUENTLY FOR MESSAGES FROM THE OCC GARRISON HONORS CENTER. We will send invitations, announcements, and notifications to our pre-qualified students about Honors opportunities from time to time.
DON'T MISTAKE THE MESSAGES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THE GARRISON HONORS CENTER AS SPAM OR JUNK MAIL. Please take them seriously and tell your classmates. If you're not sure that something you receive about Honors is legit, get in touch with us. and we'll let you know.
QUESTIONS? Please contact Terry Scarbrough in the Garrison Honors Center: tscarbrough@occ.cccd.edu or drop in to our Virtual Front Desk -- a daily Zoom. You'll find the link and the schedule for the Zoom sessions on our website: www.occhonors.org