Applying as a Transfer or Current KU Student

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. Current-student applicants and transfer applicants choose one of the following three prompts:

• Option 1: The University Honors Program highly values interdisciplinarity. Identify two of your academic interests or passions that significantly contrast and describe the ways they interact or uniquely intersect. How might the exploration and connection of these two ideas influence your plans for college and the future?
• Option 2: Pulitzer Prize winner and native Kansan William Allen White once wrote that “youth should demand change in the world. Youth should not accept the old order if the world is to move on.” Drawing on your own experiences, what change do you want to see in the world? What will your role be in seeing these changes through, and how will your time in college prepare you?  
• Option 3: Amelia Earhart, Kansan and first woman to fly over the Atlantic, said: “Some of us have great runways already built for us. If you have one, take off. But if you don't have one, realize it is your responsibility to grab a shovel and build one for yourself and for those who will follow after you.” What are your plans for building a runway for yourself and others, and where are you headed once the path has been paved? 

In a single Word or PDF document, please upload your responses to all four of the following short-answer questions:

• Question 1: Which major(s) and minor(s) are you pursuing, and when is your anticipated date of graduation (i.e. Spring 2025)?
• Question 2: Help us learn about you, your life, and your experiences.  List no more than three 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. You may include one activity from high school, but the primary focus should be on your life and experiences since starting college.
• Question 3: The honors program intends to attract students who make the most of the opportunities available to them. What goals and objectives shaped your selection of courses and experiences? Is there anything else you want the admissions committee to know about your academic record or activities?
• Question 4: Have you already taken any honors-designated courses or completed an Enhanced Learning Experience (ELE) at KU or another university?  If so, list them below. Up to three courses and two ELEs may be retroactively counted toward your completion requirements. Note: Previous honors coursework and experiences are not required for admission.