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Honors Admissions Process Frequently Asked Questions
Welcome to the Honors Admissions Process FAQ page! We hope that most of your questions can be answered here. Please select from the list below to jump down to a question.
1. How do I get my Letter of Recommendation to you?
2. When will your application be available?
3. What do you look for in an applicant?
4. I have a GPA of 3.7 and an SAT of 1250 – should I still apply to Honors?
5. I’m definitely applying to the Honors program, do I need to apply to the UW as well?
6. I’m doing my UW application on paper, how can I do the Honors Application online?
7. I’m trying to apply to the UW Honors Program, but I cannot find that part of the online application – what am I doing wrong?
8. How much does your application cost?
9. When do I need to apply by?
10. I submitted my application by the Priority deadline! Will I receive notification sooner than my friends who submitted just in time for the final deadline?
11. Do you participate in Early Decision?
12. When will I hear back from Honors?
13. I heard back from the UW already, but nothing from Honors – what’s up?
14. How do I know that my application is complete?
15. Are the essay topics the same every year?
16. May I write my Honors Essay in a foreign language?
17. Can I come in for a tour of Honors?
18. Can I visit an Honors class?
19. I’m not sure Honors is right for me – can I talk with an advisor?
20. Are there Honors Scholarships that I can apply for?
21. Harvard is giving me a big scholarship, but I really want to go to the UW – can you offer me a competitive scholarship?
22. I’m an out-of-state student but I got into Honors, now can I get a scholarship?
23. Can I just respond to you, or do I need to accept the UW as well?
24. I decided I don’t want to be in the Honors Program anymore, but I still want to go to the UW! Will declining Honors affect my acceptance to the University?
25. Can I defer my enrollment in Honors?
26. Are Honors students all pre-med students, or can English majors be in Honors too?
27. Is there an Honors housing option?
28. Will I get to register early if I’m in the Honors program?
29. My question wasn’t answered here! Who can I talk to for more information?
1. How do I get my Letter of Recommendation to you?
A. Mail us your letter of recommendation. The letter must be in a sealed envelope on school letterhead and sent to:
University Honors Program
211 Mary Gates Hall
Box 352800
Seattle, WA 98195
It does not matter who mails the letter, so long as the recommender seals the envelope. Also, there is no form for the letter of recommendation. The teacher or counselor is recommending you for the Honors program. Just make sure your first and last name is clearly visible on the letter of recommendation if you mail it.
2. When will your application be available?
A. Our application will be available in the fall. Check back for updates.
3. What do you look for in an applicant?
A. Because applications to the UW Honors Program are read and evaluated on an individual basis, there are no hard-and-fast rules for an Honors applicant. All applications from students who have been admitted to the UW will be reviewed. We encourage both in-state and out-of-state applicants. We look for globally minded, curious students who are excited to take on the challenge of the Honors Program. The program is academically competitive - Last year’s entering class had an average high school GPA of 3.94 and an average SAT score of 1416.
4. I have a GPA of 3.7 and an SAT of 1250 – should I still apply to Honors?
A. Yes! While your academic record is very important in your Honors Application, we also place a lot of weight on the Honors Essay, the UW Personal Statement, and your extracurricular activities. Students admitted to the UW Honors Program have had a variety of academic and personal experiences. If you are interested in the Honors Program we encourage you to apply.
5. I’m definitely applying to the Honors program, do I need to apply to the UW as well?
A. Yes. The Honors Program application is now a part of the UW Freshman application.
6. I’m doing my UW application on paper, how can I do the Honors Application online?
A. The online Honors Application is a part of the UW Freshman online application. If you want to apply to the UW on paper, you must also apply to the Honors Program on paper. Instructions for applying to the Honors Program on paper are clearly outlined in the UW paper application.
7. I’m trying to apply to the UW Honors Program, but I cannot find that part of the online application – what am I doing wrong?
A. You will be able to access the Honors Program section of the UW application only if you answer Yes to the question, “Do you plan also to apply to the Honors Program?” on page 2 of the UW online application. This will make the Honors section of the application appear. If you change your mind and do not want to apply for the Honors Program, you must uncheck the box to submit your UW application.
8. How much does your application cost?
A. There is no additional fee to apply to the UW Honors Program.
9. When do I need to apply by?
A. Our Priority application deadline is December 1 st, 2007. Priority applications will receive priority consideration for merit scholarships. Our final application deadline is January 15 th, 2008. Your application must be submitted in full by this time to be considered.
10. I submitted my application by the Priority deadline! Will I receive notification sooner than my friends who submitted just in time for the final deadline?
A. Not necessarily. Submitting your Honors Application by the priority deadline ensures that you will receive consideration for Honors Program merit-based scholarships, but it does not necessarily mean that you will be admitted sooner. All of our applicants can expect to hear back from the Honors Program by mid-April.
11. Do you participate in Early Decision?
A. No. If you submit your application by the priority deadline your application will receive priority consideration for scholarships, but we do not have binding Early Decision.
12. When will I hear back from Honors?
A. All applicants to the Honors Program will receive notification by the middle of April as to whether or not they have been accepted.
13. I heard back from the UW already, but nothing from Honors – what’s up?
A. As you may recall, UW Admissions and Honors Program Admissions are two separate processes. We cannot admit students to the Honors Program until they have been admitted to the UW, so you will definitely hear from us after you have heard from the UW.
14. How do I know that my application is complete?
A. If you have submitted your online Honors Application, you can view your application’s completion status by logging into the system and we will also send you notification when we have received your letter of recommendation and when your Honors Program application is complete. If, however, you submitted your application on paper, we will send you notification by mail of your application completion status.
15. Are the essay topics the same every year?
A. No, the Honors essay topics are different every year. Be sure to check back in the fall for new essay topics.
16. May I write my Honors Essay in a foreign language?
A. No. All applicants are required to write their essays in English. We do not have any translators available for the application review process.
17. Can I come in for a tour of Honors?
A. You are welcome to come in and talk with an Honors advisor, and the UW offers UW campus tours to prospective students and their families, but the Honors Program does not host its own tours.
18. Can I visit an Honors class?
A. Yes! Contact an Honors advisor to arrange a visit to an Honors class. Let the advisor know which course you are interested in visiting. Because Honors courses are smaller than many UW classes we like to check in with the professor prior to your visit to make sure that it is an appropriate time to observe the course. Also, once students are accepted to the program they are matched with a Peer Mentor. It is possible to arrange to visit a class with your Peer Mentor, but they will need to get instructor permission. We do not arrange visits to non-honors courses, but the UW has a drop-in course list that allows you to visit other types of UW classes.
19. I’m not sure Honors is right for me – can I talk with an advisor?
A. Absolutely! Call our office at 206-543-7444 or email our advisors Aley Willis (aleym@u.washington.edu) or Brook Kelly (bbkelly@u.washington.edu) to set up an appointment.
20. Are there Honors Scholarships that I can apply for?
A. Your application to the Honors Program also acts as your application for Honors Scholarships for incoming freshmen. Submitting by our priority deadline of December 1st will ensure consideration for Honors scholarships. Our readers will nominate eligible applicants and you will be notified by mail. There are no additional Honors Program Scholarships to apply for as a freshman.
21. Harvard is giving me a big scholarship, but I really want to go to the UW – can you offer me a competitive scholarship?
A. We offer a limited number of scholarships to our incoming freshmen based on the merit of their Honors Program Applications.
22. I’m an out-of-state student but I got into Honors, now can I get a scholarship?
A. All of our scholarships are based on Honors Applications and are very competitive. If you would like to apply for additional scholarships, please check out the Undergraduate Scholarship Office website.
23. Can I just respond to you, or do I need to accept the UW as well?
A. You must accept and respond to both the Honors Program and the UW Admissions office in order to be enrolled in the UW Honors Program for the fall.
24. I decided I don’t want to be in the Honors Program anymore, but I still want to go to the UW! Will declining Honors affect my acceptance to the University?
A. Nope! You can accept the UW and decline the Honors Program without any problems.
25. Can I defer my enrollment in Honors?
A. Unfortunately we cannot defer enrollment into the Honors Program. We invite you to re-apply to the program for the year that you would like to attend.
26. Are Honors students all pre-med students, or can English majors be in Honors too?
A. We have students from almost every major in our program, from Ceramics to Electrical Engineering (and some students double majoring in both!). Honors can work with any major. If you have concerns, be sure to talk with one of our advisors about different academic options and how Honors can work for you.
27. Is there an Honors housing option?
A. Yes, there is! Honors House is located in both McCarty Hall and Lander Hall. This year, we have a record number of Honors students living in Honors House. It can be a great way to meet fellow Honors students and begin to form a community. We also have plenty of students who choose not to live in the Honors House, but they are still invited to attend events there and have a lot of fun in their own residence hall communities. You will receive more information about the Honors House in your invitation packet, or check out the Housing and Food Services website for more information about all of the special interest housing options.
28. Will I get to register early if I’m in the Honors program?
A. Nope, registration priority is determined by class standing, even for Honors students.
29. My question wasn’t answered here! Who can I talk to for more information?
A. You are welcome to call our office with additional questions. Our phone number is 206-543-7444, and we are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm during the academic year. Unfortunately we are not open on the weekends. If you are unable to contact us during our normal hours, you can send us an email at uwhonors@u.washington.edu, and we will respond to your questions as soon as possible.
Last Updated: Thursday, January 3, 2008