Eligibility And Application

Who is Eligible?

The Honors Program accepts incoming first-time freshmen as well as current UIW students and transfer students with less than 60 college credit hours. All admissions are based on a holistic review, accounting for academic preparation, extra-curricular activity, leadership, and other examples of scholarly and community achievement.

See below for eligibility requirements.

Incoming Freshmen

• Minimum High School Cumulative GPA of 3.3+

Transfer Students

• Cumulative College GPA of 3.3+
• 60 completed credits or less

Current UIW Students

• Cumulative Institutional GPA of 3.3+
• Completion of one full semester at UIW (Fall or Spring)
• 60 completed credits or less

Although interviews are not always required of applicants, we strongly encourage prospective students to visit campus, engage with our current students, and meet with the Honors Leadership Team. You may contact the Honors Program at HonorsProgram@uiwtx.edu to set up your visit. Once you have been accepted to the program we will help you fulfill the requirements of the Honors Program. We advise submitting an application even if you are not sure of your college choice. Knowledge of your admission to the UIW Honors Program is one more piece of information that you have to make an informed college selection.

How Can I Apply?

Freshman:

You are a freshman if you:

• are a student without college credit or
• earned college credit prior to high school graduation (dual credit/early college high school)

Incoming Freshman may apply to the UIW Honors Program by completing the Honors Application.

Transfer:

You are a transfer if you:

• earned college credit after high school graduation (during fall/spring semester) and
• do not have a bachelor’s degree and
• do not qualify for readmission

Transfer students may apply to the UIW Honors Program by completing the Honors Application.

Current Students:

You are a current student if you:

• have completed one full semester at UIW and
• do not have a bachelor’s degree

Current UIW students may apply to the UIW Honors Program by completing the Honors Application.

Please review the eligibility requirements to be sure you meet the minimum GPA and test scores before completing an application.

When Can I Apply?

Fall 2023 — Freshmen
July 1, 2022 – May 1, 2023

Fall 2023 — Transfer
January 1, 2023 – March 1, 2023

Fall 2023 — Current UIW Students
January 1, 2023 – March 1, 2024

Early Action Admission and Housing Deadline
March 4, 2023

NOTE: The UIW Honors Program can not review your application until after you have been admitted to UIW. On average, it takes 2-3 weeks from the time of your admission to the university for the Honors Program to grant a program decision.

March 1 is the priority deadline for incoming students who are interested in Honors Housing Learning Living Community (LLC). Applications from incoming freshmen are accepted through May 1. This ensures that we can accommodate students in our Honors classes and the New Honors Student Orientation (NHSO) in August. However, spots are competitive and we may fill our roster before these dates. 

What Do I Need To Apply?

1. Application
   
   • Prospective students can complete the Honors Application directly here.
2. Activity Summary or Resume
   • We want to see all that you're involved in outside the classroom. Applicants may either complete the "Extracurriculars" section on the application, or send us a resume. Struggling to figure out what belongs? Contact our staff for help with your application at honorsprogram@uiwtx.edu.
3. Academic or Professional References
   • The Honors Program no longer accepts Letters of Recommendation and instead asks students to submit the contact information for two professional or academic references as part of their application. Typically these are teachers, supervisors, or instructors for extra-curricular activities.
4. Essays
   • The application essays are your chance to set yourself apart from other applicants. The Honors Program cares about more than your grades and scores, we want to know what makes you you! Each applicant will be required to complete two essays as part of their application.
     • Essay A: What is your understanding of the UIW Interdisciplinary Honors Program and why do you want to be a part of it?
     • Essay B: Consider at least two passions or skills you’ve explored in school. Explain how you imagine bringing those skills to the UIW community and making an impact at UIW in your first year. For this prompt, you can explain your answer in a wide variety of ways, including an essay, a poem, a video, a screencast, a podcast, a portfolio, or some other media/mode. Some reasonable limits on the length of your answer could include: 300-600 words, a 3 minute audio/video, or 2-3 elements in a portfolio.