Admitted Students Information
This page includes information to help you prepare for your GVSU Orientation process. Please read it carefully, then use the following steps as a checklist to ensure you have completed all the necessary steps to prepare. If you do not plan to participate in the Frederik Meijer Honors College, please let us know at [email protected]. If there are any questions regarding the process below please call our office at 616-331-3219 or email [email protected].
Step 1: New Student Orientation
Sign Up for an Orientation Date: Signing up for Orientation is your way of telling us and Grand Valley that you will be attending. In summer 2024, there are two Honors-specific Orientation/Registration dates: May 15 and May 30. Each of those dates is preceded by an optional (but strongly encouraged) Honors Overnight, which we describe below. We encourage you to choose one of these dates, but if necessary you may attend any other orientation. Honors representatives will be available at all sessions. You may still participate in any of the Honors Overnights.
Your first step is to go to the New Student Orientation site to sign up for a date.
Step 2: Foundational Interdisciplinary Sequence
Foundational Interdisciplinary Sequence preference: Normally, incoming students in Honors will take a yearlong First-Year Interdisciplinary Sequence. There are many options, and we would like to get a sense of your preference for which sequence you would like to take. Please take some time to look at the offerings and course descriptions here.
After you have reviewed the available sequences, please fill out the online form listing the Interdisciplinary Sequence you wish to take in order of your preference. We cannot guarantee that you will be able to get your first choice, but this information will help us when making sequence assignments. Make sure and fill out this form ASAP—forms are processed in the order they are received. Preference forms will be reviewed starting April 15, 2024. As your preference form is reviewed you will receive an email with your sequence assignment. Please bring that to your Orientation day, when you will register for your assigned sequence and your non-Honors classes.
Step 3: Honors Overnights
Honors Overnights: This year our overnights will be May 14 and May 29, 2024. See below for more information about what an Honors Overnight is. Sign up will be through your application portal with the specific link sent via email. There will be a $35 fee, paid via credit card at time of registration.
The Honors Overnight will begin with check in at 5:00 p.m. with pizza served until the program starts at 6:00 p.m. The evening will conclude for parents and supporters around 8:00 p.m. though students who are staying overnight will continue later into the evening. Students will be placed with other incoming students in the Niemeyer Living & Learning Center. Please bring your own bedding (sleeping bag or sheets/blankets), towels as well as toiletries or other necessities.
More specific information will be sent closer to the date you are registered for. Please contact the Meijer Honors College office if you have any questions.
What is an Honors Overnight?
The Honors Overnight is a great opportunity to meet some fellow incoming Honors students during the summer before classes begin. After enjoying some pizza and salad with the Honors staff and peer mentors, you'll hear from the staff about the Honors experience. Then students and parents/supporters part ways for the night. Parents and supporters join the Honors staff and other campus representatives for an informative Q & A session. Incoming students join the mentors for on-campus tours, information sessions, and fun games, including our favorite, Body-Body. The overnight gives you the chance to talk to Honors faculty, meet new people, and get to know some current students. It also gives you the opportunity to stay in a dorm for a night to get a feel for campus. The Honors Overnight program is your first opportunity to be a Honors College student! Summer 2024 dates are May 14 and May 29.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there separate Honors Orientation dates?
Yes. There are specific Orientation dates designated for Honors students, though attending a non-Honors date is an option if necessary. On the Honors specific dates an overnight orientation program is available to parents and students the night before - please see this great video about the overnight! These programs are designed not only to familiarize you with the Frederik Meijer Honors College, but also to give you the opportunity to meet other incoming freshman, current students, and faculty/staff.
Do I take only Honors College courses?
No. The Honors College courses comprise the general education component of your undergraduate curriculum. Therefore, you still take courses in your major, minor, and any other courses you choose. Here's a quick overview of the curriculum.
What is a first-year "sequence"?
The Honors curriculum at GVSU begins with a year-long grouping, or "sequence," of four integrated courses, two in the first semester and two in the second semester, that are team-taught by at least two faculty and that focus on a single interdisciplinary topic. The full list of sequence topics and descriptions for the upcoming academic year is available here.
Do I have to take an Honors course every semester?
No. You do not have to be enrolled in an Honors course every semester to remain in the Frederik Meijer Honors College.
Do I need to live in Honors housing?
No. Honors housing is optional.
How do I apply for Honors housing?
You must submit the Grand Valley general housing application, the $150 housing deposit, and designate the University Honors housing as your first choice.
What are the advantages to Honors housing?
Whether you’re in Honors housing on the north side of campus in the Holton-Hooker Learning and Living Center, or on the south side in the Glenn A. Niemeyer building, residing in Honors allows you to be surrounded by like-minded students while simultaneously forming a strong sense of community. Living with other Honors students facilitates interactions and relationships between students that carry over into the classrooms, further enhancing students’ learning. Students can easily collaborate on course materials, have quick access to faculty and staff, and participate in other unique opportunities from the comforts of their buildings.
For specific housing details and the differences between our options please see our housing information page.