University Honors Application
Thank you for your interest in joining the University Honors Program!
Students applying in Fall 2024 will need to meet the following eligibility:
- Baccalaureate-seeking student at UC
- Graduating Spring 2026 or later
- 3.2+ Overall GPA after Fall 2024 semester
Application Preparation
University Honors prioritizes experience-based learning, so students who aspire to join are encouraged to be engaged beyond the classroom. Engagement can take many different forms such as participation in campus or community organizations, employment or training programs, research, global travel as well as independent learning or creative projects.
The application requires an updated resume, particularly highlighting any college involvement, as well as responses to five essays. We recommend including organizations even if you are just starting your involvement this fall. Students are also welcome to highlight impactful or important experiences from high school as well.
Application essays
The required essays are provided here for you to preview prior to starting your application. We suggest working on these in advance to starting your application. Pay attention to the character limits for each.
Note that there is a character limit, not word limit, meaning all punctuation, spaces, and letters contribute to the response limit.
- Why do you want to join the University Honors Program? Reference a few aspects of the program that resonate most with you. (max 1500 characters)
- Describe a personal or professional goal that is important for you to make strides toward prior to graduation. How will participating in the University Honors Program uniquely contribute to your progress? (max 1500 characters)
- Describe an experience that was a significant challenge to you. What did you learn from it? How have you applied those lessons since? (max 2000 characters)
- The vision of the University Honors Program is “Developing students into global citizen scholars who lead innovative efforts toward solving the world’s complex problems.” Identify a complex issue or problem that you intend to learn more about prior to graduation. If you were provided ample resources, describe a couple ideal opportunities, projects, or initiatives you’d use to explore this interest. Why are they important for you to pursue? (max 2000 characters)
- What is the most important skill, unique perspective, or impactful experience you have not been able to highlight in your essays or resume? How does this experience differentiate you from other candidates? (max 1200 characters)