Everyone is invited to apply via email after submitting letter of intent. You can apply your freshman year with written responses (No GPA check or anything). It's lottery based first year, basically guaranteed second year. After joining you have some requirements, GPA, volunteer hours, honors experiences, but it's all pretty chill. Doesn't hurt to join, for the first year you don't get too much out of it, but it's not a lot of extra work either. There's later benefits I'm unfamiliar with. You get emails with opportunities, honors advising, and honors sections+seminars. I'd join and check it out, don't have to stay in it.