Honor Societies

Stanford University currently has active local chapters in the following six language honor societies, which recognize the academic accomplishments of high-achieving students in language and literature studies:

Selection Process

Each year Stanford’s chapter advisors (one representing the Language Center and another from the Division of Literatures Cultures and Languages) review the academic records of undergraduate students who have studied into the upper level language and literature courses in the target languages. Candidates are selected for membership based on specific criteria set by each honor society.

Once the selection process is complete, honorees receive an invitation from the chapter advisors to join the honor society. Honorees must officially accept the invitation and attend an induction ceremony, held in early May, in order to join the honor society.

The initiation fee, cords for graduation, and certificates are all covered by Stanford University. There is no cost to the student.

Why accept an invitation to join?

Membership in an honor society carries with it formal recognition of a student’s academic performance and accomplishments in the field and has many advantages, aside from the obvious benefit of having one more academic achievement to add to one’s resume. Students have the opportunity to meet other highly motivated students who have similar academic interests, providing a wealth of opportunities for networking and friendship building.

Some honor societies offer access to job banks, scholarships, and other opportunities for further study, such as study abroad opportunities. Benefits of membership vary by individual society. Please see the webpages for our chapters referenced above for more information.