Freshman Application Instructions

Thank you for your interest in applying to the Honors Program! Here you will find the instructions for Freshman Admission to the UW Honors Program. If you have questions, please consult the Honors Freshman Admissions FAQ before consulting our front desk staff - we greatly appreciate it!

• Steps
• Recommendation ↓
• Essays ↓
• Mailing Address ↓
• Checklist ↓

Application Steps

Remember - The Honors Program admission application is included in your UW Admission 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 UW Honors application materials to be considered for the Honors Program.

If applying online

• To access the Honors admission materials within the online UW admissions application, please answer Yes to the question, "Do you plan also to apply to the Honors Program?" on page 1 of the UW online application. If you fail to check this box, you will not be able to see the Honors Program admission materials.
• 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 Letter of Recommendation form. After your recommender completes the online form, you will be notified via email that the recommendation has been submitted.

If applying on paper

• Completely fill out the UW Undergraduate application, including the writing sections.
• Check the "Honors Program" box on page 1 of the UW Undergraduate Application
• Complete the Honors Program materials, listed on page 5 of the Freshman Application Instructions.
• Make a copy of your entire UW Undergraduate Application and writing sections.
• Send the UW Undergraduate Application, writing sections, and any applicable fees to the UW Admissions Office.
• Send a copy of your entire UW admission application (with writing sections and Honors materials) directly to the Honors Program Office. The Honors office is separate from UW Admissions Office - if you accidentally send your Honors materials to UW Admissions, there is no guarantee that they will be forwarded to the Honors office!

General Information

• Look over the 2012 Honors Essay prompts and write your Honors essay before completing the online application.
• Your Honors Program application will not be reviewed until 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.
• Admission to the UW Honors Program is highly competitive. Last year, we received more than 2,700 applications for 225 spaces.

What NOT to send to the Honors Program

• Do not send SAT or ACT scores to Honors - please 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 recommendations - the first letter we receive will be attached and filed with your application, and all others will be discarded upon receipt.

Important Dates

• December 1, 2011 - Final UW Application Deadline
• January 31, 2012 - Final Honors Letter of Recommendation Deadline
• February 28th, 2012 - Submit your FAFSA to UW (the Office of Financial Aid recommends sending your file no later than February 15th to ensure timely delivery)
• March 15-31, 2012 - UW Notification Period
• April 1-15, 2012 - UW Honors Notification Period

• Steps ↑
• Recommendation
• Essays ↓
• Mailing Address ↓
• Checklist ↓

Letter of Recommendation

The Honors application must include one letter of recommendation. A statement 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 Letter of 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 online recommendation system to do so. Your recommender will then receive an email with instructions on how to log in and submit their recommendation.

View the online recommendation reminder instructions (PDF) »

On Paper

If your recommender will not be using the online submission system, the Letter of Recommendation must be:

• printed on school/company letterhead
• contain your full legal name and date of birth
• be sent directly to the Honors Program office

Please note that we will only accept ONE letter of recommendation per student - extras will be discarded upon receipt. We will not review your application without a Letter of Recommendation - it is your responsibility to ensure that your recommender has submitted his/her letter.

• Steps ↑
• Recommendation ↑
• Essays
• Mailing Address ↓
• Checklist ↓

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 responses to BOTH short essays (listed below), which are separate from the Writing Section of the UW application. Your responses will be evaluated on content as well as form (spelling, grammar, and punctuation).

Your essays 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 essays early, remembering that concise and eloquent writing is both difficult and powerful. Have someone edit them but don't let an editor erase your unique voice.

Essay Prompts

Respond to both short essay prompts, using no more than 300 words per response.

• How does the Honors Program fit into your imagined future at the University of Washington?
• Stanley Nelson, filmmaker of Freedom Riders, says, "The lesson of the Freedom Rides is that great change can come from a few small steps taken by courageous people. And that sometimes to do any great thing, it's important that we step out alone." What steps will be taken by your generation, and how might you step out alone?

Tips for the Honors Essays

• Read the essay prompts carefully and respond to the question directly.
• 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!

• Steps ↑
• Recommendation ↑
• Essays ↑
• Mailing Address
• Checklist ↓

Mailing Address

Please send paper application materials directly to the Honors Program office:

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

• Steps ↑
• Recommendation ↑
• Essays ↑
• Mailing Address ↑
• Checklist

Application Checklist

If you can check off all of the items on the list below - congratulations, your application is complete! You will receive a confirmation email from us once we process all of your materials. If you have not heard from us, please give us time 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 have submitted one copy of my entire UW Freshman Application directly to the Honors office, including the Writing Section (if applying online, the Honors office will automatically receive this)
• With the copy of my application, I included my responses to the Honors Essay prompts (if applying online, the Honors office will automatically receive these)
• My recommender has submitted one letter of recommendation either:
  • Online - Through our online recommendation system, which you may verify by logging into your application account page (Regular Freshman or International Freshman).
  • By Mail - Directly to the Honors Program office, printed on school/company letterhead, including my full legal name.
• My application was postmarked on or before December 1st, 2011.