Apply to the University Honors Program
The University Honors Program looks for students who aspire to expertise and interdisciplinarity, respond creatively to pressing questions, and feel called to build healthy, inclusive communities.
Fall application deadlines
Application materials
Through your application, we want to get to know you and understand your hopes for your college education. You will primarily do this with the inclusion of two components beyond those generally required by KU: an essay and short response to three questions.
Essays should be intellectually curious, thoughtful, well-organized, proofread, and limited to 500 words. We will evaluate the quality of your writing and your ability to provide an expansive yet focused response to one of these three prompts:
- Option 1: Dr. Cora Downs, who in 1924 became the first woman to earn a doctoral degree at KU, was a renowned microbiologist whose work advanced the detection and treatment of infectious diseases. Downs remarked that she was not motivated by fame and publicity but was rather someone “who had done something she very much wanted to do, that’s all.” Tell us about something that you very much want to do and what motivates you. How will you go about pursuing this interest?
- Option 2: Each year, KU’s honors program hosts Common Cause, an interdisciplinary symposium that focuses on one of the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Choose an SDG that you are passionate about, explain your personal connection to it, then describe the specific ways your time at KU will prepare you to make a meaningful difference in that area. (Goals and details can be found at sdgs.un.org.)
- Option 3: KU graduate and Olympic champion Billy Mills said: “Find your passion, develop your talent, create the magic.” What “magic” do you hope to create and why? What are your plans for developing the skills and experience you’ll need to make it happen?
Please upload your responses to all three questions as a single Word or PDF document and limit your total word count to 1,200 words combined. Convey the factors that shaped you and demonstrate skills of clarity and brevity when you answer each of these three questions:
- Question 1: List no more than five items — clubs and organizations, employment, community service, awards and recognition, extra-curricular interests, personal or family obligations — in descending order of significance, with the most significant item first. For each, explain your role, time commitment, length of involvement, and responsibilities.
- Question 2: How have your experiences affected your sense of who you are and what you hope to accomplish in college? There are no wrong answers.
- Question 3: Honors students make the most of available opportunities. Based on course availability at your school, how did you select the classes you took? Is there anything you want the admissions committee to know about your transcript?
Application review
We evaluate applications across four main criteria:
- Challenge
- Depth
- Breadth
- Leadership potential
We seek applicants who took full advantage of the courses and opportunities available to them at their high school, in addition to demonstrating academic excellence, an interest in interdisciplinary connections, and a commitment to community.
Our individual and holistic review process considers responses to essay and short answer prompts, along with GPA, high school transcripts, and any ACT or SAT scores provided. No minimum GPA or test score is required for admission. Submitted test scores will be considered, but applicants will not be penalized for a lack of scores.
Admissions take place on a rolling basis, with initial review of applications in early October. Incoming first-year students should allow up to eight weeks for a decision.
International applicants
Students from outside the U.S. applying to KU as incoming first-year students should complete the general KU application along with their honors application by March 1 for fall admission. Students must also demonstrate English proficiency as defined by KU International Admissions. Students who are not yet proficient in English are invited to apply to the University Honors Program after successfully completing their Level 5 coursework in the Applied English Center. (Current international KU students: Please refer to the section above for current KU students.)