The Kapaun Mt. Carmel Cum Laude program is an honors program that extends for the entire length of a student's tenure at Kapaun Mt. Carmel.  It culminates in a designation on the student's high school diploma that the student completed the Cum Laude program, thus evidencing that the student managed through the most rigorous course load offered at KMC.  

Entry into the Cum Laude program begins with an invitation by the KMC Administration and Counseling department to join the KMC honors program.  This invitation is mailed to incoming freshman students who score in the 90th percentile on the KMC placement exam, either in the composite score or on any one of the individual categories of the exam.  Such students who desire to enter the Cum Laude program are required to take all honors courses in the core subject matters during their freshman year.  These students will be required to maintain all As or Bs in these courses during their first semester of their freshman year, with the exception that they could earn one C and still be allowed to elect into the program at the end of their freshman year.

Actual entry into the Cum Laude program occurs during the second semester of the freshman year, when the student and his or her family make an election to become a part of the program.  Once a student elects to enter the program, the student will be obligated to take all honors courses in the core subject matters throughout their tenure at KMC.  There are multiple curriculum options for these students, two of which are laid out in the Program of Studies booklet.  

Successful completion of the Cum Laude program requires the student to maintain grades of A or B in every class throughout their tenure, with the exception of one C during their four years (even if that C occurs during the freshman year prior to election to enter the program).

Honors-Designated Courses

Students need not be in the Cum Laude program to take an honors-designated course.  Each student must, however, meet the requirements of the honors-designated course in order to enroll in it.  

In order to remain in an Honors course, a student must maintain a minimum semester grade of B- or better. Should the student fail to maintain at least a B- grade, he/she may be moved to a parallel college preparatory course, except the following elective courses: Honors Foreign Language, Honors Chemistry and Honors Anatomy/Physiology. The above policy applies to all honors classes. First semester freshman who receive a letter grade of C will be allowed a second semester probationary period to raise their grade to a B or higher before this policy takes effect.

Honor Roll

Academic honors at KMC are determined by the individual’s current G.P.A. calculated in a weighted point system. Students will receive honors according to the following norms:

Superior Honors 4.0 and above
First Honors 3.7 – 3.9
Second Honors 3.4 – 3.6