The Pinnacle Non-Traditional Honor Society is accepting applications through March 1, according to a UA news release.

To apply, undergraduate students must be juniors at least 25 years old and have a GPA of 3.0 or higher. Graduate students who wish to apply must have a GPA of 3.4 or higher, the news release said.

Nina Smith, program manager for student services and academic outreach, said the society is international and it was chartered in 1999.

“There are more than 135 universities that participate in Pinnacle,” she said. “Right now, there are 63 [members of the society at the University].”

The organization began as a part of the undergraduate studies program, but it was later moved to the college of continuing studies and is affiliated with academic outreach.

Though the society is not geared to any specific major, Smith said, many of the members are in the external degree program.

“After that, it’s probably commerce and business administration. That’s probably primarily because when we market, we assimilate students who are in the external degree program first, and general business is one of our online degree programs.”

With their application, students are required to submit two academic letters of recommendation. They should also hold leadership positions in at least two community or campus organizations, and the level of their positions carries weight in the selection process.

“A large number of our students are females, and they are PTA presidents or they hold significant offices in their churches like being the director of youth,” Smith said.

People from several different fields of study comprise the panel that decides which applications to accept, and though there is no limitation on the number of members, Smith said the panel doesn’t take the selection process lightly.

“[The panel is] composed of at least one person in graduate studies, one person from undergraduate, one person from financial aid and Ana Self-Schubert,” she said.

Self-Schubert was president of the society in 1999, and she is also the program manager for external degrees and an instructor in the college of continuing studies.

Smith said she, too, takes part in the selection process as she coordinates scholarships and honors programs in the college of continuing studies.

After applications are turned in, students will quickly know the outcome.

“We started the Pinnacle late this year, and we’re actually doing our college’s honors day before honors week,” she said. “So [the applicants are] going to find out probably by Monday of the following week.”

The college of continuing studies provides applications at bamabydistance.ua.edu. Students may also call 205?348?0089 or 800?467?0227 for further information.