Honors Leadership Society

The Honors Leadership Society consists of four select cohorts for students accepted to Yeshiva University’s undergraduate Honors Programs.

These cohorts include students selected by the Zahava and Moshael J. Straus Center for Torah and Western Thought (“Straus Scholars”); the Leadership Scholars Program through the Office for Values and Leadership (“Leadership Scholars”); the Lieberman- Mitzner Center for Public Service and Advocacy (“Lieberman Scholars”); and the YU- Einstein Medical Scholars Program (“Medical Scholars”).

The Honors Leadership Society is a group of small cohorts within YU’s Honors Program that undertake unique intellectual opportunities within and beyond the classroom, professional training, skills development, and extracurricular programming.

In fact, students in the Honors Leadership Society are by definition also part of the undergraduate Honors Program, as the Honors Leadership Society functions as a subgroup within the broader Honors Program.

Leadership Scholars are only one of the four cohorts that comprise the Honors Leadership Society. The Honors Leadership Society is an umbrella term that includes not only the Leadership Scholars but also the Straus Scholars, Lieberman-Mitzner Scholars, and YU-Einstein Medical Scholars.

As part of the process for applying to the Honors Program, students can indicate their interest in admission to specific programs within the Honors Leadership Society, which entails a supplementary application. The staff of the four programs within the Honors Leadership Society may also reach out to students after their acceptance into a specific Honors Program to encourage them to apply to the Honors Leadership Society.

Students admitted into the Sy Syms Honors Program are eligible for selection by the Leadership Scholars Program and the Lieberman-Mitzner Center for Public Service and Advocacy. However, the Straus Scholars and YU-Einstein Medical Scholars Program only select students admitted into the S. Daniel Abraham Honors Program (Stern College for Women) and the Jay and Jeanie Schottenstein Honors Program (Yeshiva College).

No. First and foremost, as members of the Honors Leadership Society, students must fulfill all standard Honors requirements. Layered on those requirements are additional courses and extracurricular requirements, depending on the specific Honors Leadership Society program.

Many of the Leadership Society events and courses are offered in coordination with the Honors Program so as to ensure students can fit all requirements into their schedule - for example, a Straus Scholars event offered in collaboration with the Honors Program fulfills both an Honors requirement and a Straus Scholars requirement.

Yes. Students in the Honors Leadership Society who wish to remain in YU for a seventh and/or eight semester will have their scholarship amount maintained through the Honors Program.

Being accepted to the Honors Leadership Society provides outstanding benefits including but not limited to uniquely tailored academic and extracurricular activities; intellectual and professional mentorship; winter break and summer trips; networking opportunities with leading thinkers, writers, policy makers and advocates; and leadership training.

The required GPA is the same as that required for each undergraduate Honors Program.

While you cannot retain your spot for a second year of study in Israel, students accepted to all cohorts, with the exception of the YU-Einstein Medical Scholars Program*, are welcome to reapply to the relevant Honors Leadership Society cohort during your second year of study. Your application will be considered from among that year’s applicant pool.

*YU-Einstein Medical Scholars are not eligible for a second year of study in Israel or to reapply for acceptance. Students intent on remaining in Israel can still apply to the Albert Einstein College of Medicine through the traditional application process as juniors/seniors in college.

For general questions about admissions, contact yuadmit@yu.edu. For questions about the Straus Center, contact shaina.trapedo@yu.edu. For questions about the Leadership Scholars, contact mordechai.schiffman@yu.edu. For questions about the Lieberman- Mitzner Center for Public Service and Advocacy, contact sharon.poczter@yu.edu. For questions about the YU-Einstein Medical Scholars Program, contact rweiss1@yu.edu.