Becoming an Honors Student

We would love for you to join our thriving Honors community.

There are two ways students can become part of the John Martinson Honors Program. The first is being admitted to the John Martinson Honors Program along with admission to Northeastern University for Fall entry. The second is our internal admissions process, which is designed for students who have already matriculated. Explore more about each pathway below.

Joining as a New Student

Each Fall, the John Martinson Honors Program welcomes a select group of students to join our program. Joining as a new student is only available for students applying to Northeastern (Boston campus) as a first time, first year undergraduate.

There is no additional application process to join. Selections are made during the undergraduate admissions process, and students are informed in their official Northeastern University admissions letter.

Newly admitted students who were not offered admission to the Honors Program should contact Admissions at honorsadmission@northeastern.edu.

FAQ about joining as a new student
  • How do I apply to the Honors Program? Is there a separate application?
    • There is no separate application to join the Honors Program. All students are automatically considered with their Northeastern application.
  • Does it matter which application cycle I apply during?
    • No, students who apply to Northeastern as part of the Early Decision, Early Action, and Regular Decision processes are all considered for entry to the Honors Program.
  • How will I find out that I have been admitted to the Honors Program?
    • The invitation to join the Honors Program will be included in your official Northeastern admission letter. This document will be accessible through the online application status check once admissions decision have been released.
  • Are there any financial incentives to joining the Honors Program?
    • Students who are admitted to the Honors Program are awarded a dedicated University Honors Scholarship.
  • I was accepted to Northeastern but not the Honors Program. Is there anything I can do?
    • Students that are matriculated on Northeastern’s Boston campus are eligible to apply through our Internal Admission pathway (see “Joining once you are at Northeastern” below!)

Joining once you are at Northeastern

Matriculated students (including students from programs such as N.U.in, London Scholars, and Global Scholars) have the opportunity to apply to the John Martinson Honors Program during their second, third, or fourth semester of study at Northeastern. If selected for admission, students will enter the Honors Program at the start of the following semester.

Internal Admissions Application Process

Applications are available during the Fall and Spring semesters. To join our mailing list and receive application notifications, please complete our interest survey.

The Spring 2025 Application is CLOSED.

Spring 2025 Checklist

Spring 2025 Staff / Faculty Reference Form (Form must be submitted by the reference, due Monday October 21st.)

Eligibility requirements:

  • Have a Northeastern institutional GPA (minimum GPA of 3.5)
  • Matriculated into one of the undergraduate day campuses on the Boston campus and can enroll in classes on the Boston campus
  • In 2nd – 4th semester at Northeastern
  • *Students who entered Northeastern as a transfer student or as a first semester first year must wait until their second semester of matriculated study to apply, or until they have a Northeastern GPA.

If you have any questions about the internal applications process, please feel free to reach out to Joshua Canning.

What to expect as an internal admit to the Honors Program

Admission into the University Honors Program as a continuing/matriculated student during the Spring & Fall application cycle is an exciting opportunity to engage in the pilot of our new iteration of Honors for internal admits. This experience, designed to parallel that of our incoming first-year Honors students, aims to fully integrate our internal admits into the Honors Program network with new benefits and exciting opportunities:

Admission to the University Honors Program as a continuing student will not result in reconsideration for university-sponsored scholarships or financial support or access to the Global Bank Account or first-year DOC waiver. However, internal admits are eligible for: