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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.

The following information is specific to the 2008 Honors Freshman application session.

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.

  1. 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 2 of the UW online application. If you fail to check this box, you will not be able to see the Honors Program admission materials.
    • Send the Letter of Recommendation directly to the Honors Program office (see address below).

  2. If applying on paper

    • The instructions for applying to the Honors program are included in the paper application and are as follows:
    • Completely fill out the UW Undergraduate application, including the writing sections.
    • Check the "Honors Program" box on page 1 of the UW Undergraduate Application
    • Completely fill out the Honors Program materials, including the Honors essay (prompts are below).
    • Make a copy of your UW Undergraduate Application and writing sections.
    • Send the UW Undergraduate Application and writing sections to the UW Admissions Office.
    • Send a copy of your entire UW admission application, including the writing sections, the Honors essay, and one letter of recommendation directly to the Honors Program Office. You must send your UW Undergraduate Application to the Admissions Office AND you must send the copy of the UW Undergraduate application with the Honors materials to the Honors Program Office. The Honors Program Office is not linked to the Admissions Office.

  3. Letter of Recommendation Information

    • A statement regarding your qualifications for honors work at the college level should be made by the recommender - teacher, counselor, faculty member, principal - in the best position to make such an evaluation. Be sure to talk to your recommender well in advance so that he or she has time to prepare a letter for you.
    • The recommender must include your full name as it appears on your application, as well as nicknames or aliases that he or she may use for you. He or she may send the recommendation starting Autumn 2007, but it should be filed by the application deadline as your application will not be reviewed without it.
    • The Letter of Recommendation must be on official letterhead.
    • Only submit ONE letter, as the committee will only read one letter.
    • If applying online, the Honors Program admission application is included in your UW admission application, but the Letter of Recommendation must be submitted separately and mailed directly to the Honors Program.
    • You will receive a notification updating your application status when the UW Honors Program receives the letter.
    • Remember that it is your responsibility to ensure that your recommender has submitted his/her letter by the appropriate deadline.

  4. General Tips for all Freshman Applicants

    • Look over the 2008 Honors Essay prompts and write your Honors essay before completing the online application.
    • Your Honors Program application is not considered complete until after you have submitted all your UW admission application materials and all your Honors Program admission application materials, including the Letter of Recommendation.
    • You cannot check your Honors Application on your MyUW page. You will receive information from us directly.
    • Admission to the UW Honors Program is highly competitive. It is common for us to receive more than 2000 applications for approximately 250 spaces.

  5. What NOT to send to the Honors Program

    • Scores from SAT or ACT must be submitted to UW Admissions, but they do not need to be submitted separately to the Honors Program. The Honors Program does not consider SAT II scores.
    • We no longer request high school transcripts for the Honors Program admissions application.
    • All application fees must be sent directly to UW Admissions. There is no additional fee to apply to the Honors Program.

  6. Deadlines

    • The final deadline to apply to UW Honors is January 15, 2008.
    • Honors applications submitted or postmarked by December 1, 2007, will receive priority consideration for Honors scholarships. Meeting the December 1 deadline does not impact your changes of admission.
    • Complete applications submitted or postmarked by January 15, 2008, will be considered for admission, but not for scholarships. You must submit your regular UW application AND your Honors Application by these dates to qualify. No application materials will be considered after January 15th.
    • The UW Honors Program will review your application in a separate evaluation process only after you have been admitted to the University of Washington.
    • You will receive notification of admission from the UW and from the Honors Program separately. The Honors Program will notify all applicants of invitation or non-invitation by mid-April, 2008. Please be patient.

Honors Essay Information

An important component of the Honors Application is the Honors essay. This is the chance for the committee to become familiar with you and your abilities in more depth than with test scores and GPA alone. Below are the prompts for admission as a freshman in Autumn 2008. Students must answer one of the prompts in a two page, double-spaced (about 500 words) essay.

  1. Essay Prompts

    • Discuss the best mistake you or anyone else ever made.
    • Are you the same person you were in eighth grade? If not, what happened to that person? If you are not the same person you were then and anticipate further changes in the next four to five years in college, who is the person you will be at the end of this new period of transformation?
    • Imagine that you could invite an unlikely duo or trio of historical, literary, or other fictional figures for a gathering at a coffeehouse. Explain whom you invited, why you brought them together, and what conversations might ensue from the meeting.

  2. Vital Tips for the Honors Essay

    • Read the essay prompts carefully and directly respond to the question. Students who write wonderful essays that do not directly answer the question are less impressive than students who write wonderful essays that DO directly answer the question.
    • Keep the essay guidelines and deadlines in mind. We are looking for an essay of approximately 500 words (roughly 2 pages double-spaced). The Priority deadline is December 1st, and the final deadline is January 15th. If you are submitting online at 11:45pm on January 14th and your computer freezes, you'll wish you had done it one day earlier.
    • If you are applying online, write your essay before you are ready to submit 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 fact as you frame your essay.
    • PROOFREAD! You are applying to a university, not writing a note to a classmate. When you make typos and grammatical errors, it is clear that you did not spend much time on the task at hand. Ideal Honors students are people who work hard to make their applications impeccable. While we would not disregard your essay because of a typo, we do notice them.
    • 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!

Mailing Information

Please send paper applications and all Letters of Recommendation to our address:

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

Application Recap!

  1. Pre-Application Checklist

    • It is best to compose all the writing sections (including the Honors Essay) in an application like Microsoft Word and then paste them into the online application.
    • Give your recommender plenty of time to write and send your Letter of Recommendation. Be sure that the letter is on official letterhead, that the recommender signed it, and that the recommender included your full name.
    • It is your responsibility to ensure that your recommender has the Honors Program Office address and is aware of the guidelines and deadlines.
    • If you have questions or concerns, please email or call the Honors Program Office sometime before the deadlines so we can give you adequate assistance.
    • Be sure that you complete all sections (UW Undergraduate AND Honors Program) of the application before submitting it.
    • You must fill out either the paper or online application; you cannot do a combination of both.

  2. Submitting your Application Online

    • You must answer Yes to the question, "Do you plan also to apply to the Honors Program?" on page 2 of the UW online application to access the online Honors application materials.
    • You must fill out the entire application (Honors essay included) before submitting the application. You CANNOT edit or add items on to your application once it has been submitted.

  3. Submitting your Paper Application

    • Be sure to check the "Honors Program" box on page 1 of the Undergraduate Application.
    • Completely fill out the Undergraduate Application and the Honors Program materials.
    • Make a copy of the Undergraduate Application (including writing sections) and send it to the Honors program office along with the Honors Essay and Letter of Recommendation.
    • Send your original Undergraduate Application and the application fee to the Admissions office. DO NOT send the fee to the Honors office; we require no extra fee and the UW Admissions Office processes all payments.

 

211 Mary Gates Hall : Box 352800 : Seattle, WA 98195-2800

206.543.7444 : 206.543.6469 FAX

uwhonors@u.washington.edu

Last Updated: Tuesday, February 26, 2008

University Honors Program University of Washington