Freshman Application Instructions

Thank you for your interest in applying to the Honors Program! If you have questions, please read our Honors Freshman Admissions FAQ before consulting our front desk staff - we greatly appreciate it!

Overview

The Interdisciplinary Honors admission application is included in your UW Undergraduate Application, but has a separate evaluation process with additional required materials. You must complete and submit all of the regular UW Admissions and all of the Honors application materials to be considered for Interdisciplinary Honors.

How to Apply

• Check the box labeled, "Yes, I would like to apply to the Honors Program" on section 9 of the UW online application. If you no longer wish to apply to Honors, you must un-check this box to proceed.
• Respond to the Honors essay prompt(s) and designate your Honors recommender.
• After submitting your UW application, the recommender you list in the Honors portion of the application will receive an e-mail containing a link to our Honors Recommendation Form. After your recommender completes the online form, you will be notified via email from uwhonors@uw.edu.

General Information

• Your Honors application will not be reviewed unless you have submitted all necessary Honors materials and have been admitted to the UW.
• You cannot check your Honors Program admission status on your MyUW page. You will receive your Honors admission decision from us directly by mail.
• Admission to the UW Honors Program is highly competitive. Last year, we received more than 2,300 applications for 235 spaces.

What NOT to send to the Honors Program

• Do not send SAT/ACT scores or payments/fees to Honors - send them to UW Admissions
• Do not send transcripts unless you are applying for International Undergraduate Admission
• Do not send any supplemental materials (news articles, resumes, slides, etc.) - these will be discarded upon receipt
• Do not send additional recommendation forms - the first form we receive will be matched to your application and any others will be discarded

Important Dates

Honors Short Essays

The cornerstone of the Honors application is the Honors Short Essay Section. In this section Honors Program applicants are required to submit a response to a short essay which is separate from the UW Writing Section. Your response will be evaluated on content as well as form (spelling, grammar, and punctuation).

Your essay should be original, thoughtful, and concise. Do not repeat a previous essay or materials found on the UW Honors Program web site. Draw on your best qualities as a writer and thinker; academic risk-taking is a core value of the Honors Program, so take some risks and have fun. Tell us who you are and how your story is unique. Work on the essay early, remembering that concise and eloquent writing is both difficult and powerful. Have someone edit your writing but don't let an editor erase your unique voice.

Essay Prompts

Respond to the short essay prompt using no more than 400 words.

• Why do you want to incorporate our interdisciplinary liberal arts curriculum into your undergraduate experience? We are interested in learning about what motivates you and what unique contributions you might make to our community.

Tips for the Honors Essays

• If you are applying online, write, edit, and proofread your essay in a separate word-processing program before you are ready to complete the application.
• Remember your audience. The UW is a large and diverse public institution. The people evaluating your application may not have the same political, moral, or religious beliefs you do. This is acceptable and desired in the academic world. Consider this as you frame your essay.
• PROOFREAD! The UW uses a holistic application review process, as do we - your writing ability is no less important than your grades and scores.
• Finally, have fun! This is your opportunity to introduce yourself to us. Let us see who you are and what makes you tick. Demonstrate what qualities you would contribute to the Honors Program. Be creative!

Recommendation Form

The Honors application must include one recommendation form. A survey regarding your qualifications for honors work at the college level should be made by the person-teacher, counselor, faculty member, principal-in the best position to make such an evaluation.

Online

If you are applying online, the recommender you list in the Honors portion of the application will receive an e-mail containing a link to our Honors Recommendation Form. After your recommender completes the online form, you will be notified via email that the recommendation has been submitted. If you need to change your recommender or send a follow-up email after submitting your application, you must use the CollegeNet/ApplyWeb.com website to do so. Your recommender will then receive an email with instructions on how to log in and submit his/her recommendation.

On Paper

If your recommender will not be using the online submission system, you must fill out and sign a paper recommendation form and provide it to your recommender along with a stamped envelope addressed to UW Honors (address below). Your recommender's written responses must be printed on school/company letterhead and sent with a completed and signed paper recommendation form. The Honors Program will discard any recommendations submitted by mail that do not include a signed Honors recommendation form and/or do not address the short-response prompts listed on the form.

Only ONE recommendation will be accepted - extras will be discarded upon receipt. We will not review your application without a recommendation. It is your responsibility to ensure that your recommender has submitted his/her form.

Application Checklist

You will receive a confirmation email from uwhonors@uw.edu once we match all of your materials. If you have not heard from us, please give us a few days to process our mail - is is not uncommon for the Honors office to be flooded with hundreds of letters and applications per day during UW admission season. Thank you for your patience!

• I submitted my UW application by or on December 3rd at 5pm
  • If you apply online, the Honors office automatically receives a copy of all your application materials
  • If you use the paper application, you must submit one copy of your entire UW Freshman Application directly to the Honors office, including all Writing Sections
• My recommender submitted a recommendation form by or on January 18
  • If he/she submits online, you can check the status by logging into your application account page (Regular Freshman or International Freshman)
  • If he/she submits by mail, a completed and signed paper recommendation form must be sent directly to the Honors Program office, and the written responses must be printed on school/company letterhead

Mailing Address

Any Honors application materials submitted by mail must be sent directly to the Honors Program office, which is separate from UW Admissions:

University of Washington Honors Program
211 Mary Gates Hall
Box 352800
Seattle, WA 98195-2800