Application Process for Incoming Freshman

Qualified incoming freshmen will receive an invitation to apply to the Honors College after they have received their official acceptance to Auburn. Invitations, application deadlines, and notifications regarding acceptance are on a rolling timeline, and are dependent on when a student applies and is accepted to Auburn. Priority invitations will be given to students that are accepted to Auburn during the early action period.

This invitation is digital and will be sent to your Auburn email address and well as the personal email address listed on your application to Auburn. It will also include information about the Honors College, a link to the application, and the deadline for submission.

In order to be accepted, you must complete the application and submit it.

The Honors College will send notices of acceptance beginning in late fall and early spring. Accepted students will have a few weeks to accept/acknowledge their spot in Honors.

The deadlines are firm, and we will not accept any students after the final acceptance date.

Accepting a spot in the incoming Honors College is not binding and does not commit a student to coming to Auburn; students will still have until the university deadline to decide. Membership in the Honors College has no ties to university level scholarships. A student can receive top scholarships and choose not to be in the Honors College.

*Note that this timeline is subject to change based on the university’s admissions decisions release dates and calendar*

Didn't receive an email? Check your email account folders...

Please check your spam/junk folders in both the email that was listed on your application to Auburn, and your official Auburn email account. The subject of the email with your invitation to apply is: “Honors College at Auburn University Invitation,” or “A Message from the Honors College at Auburn University.”

Application Information

Honors College applications are reviewed individually and separately from the Auburn admissions application. Both objective information such as high school GPA and standardized test scores, and subjective information from the Auburn Honors College application (e.g. essay and other supplemental information) are included in the review.

The Honors College application essays allow you to address the admissions committee in your own voice. We have a deep interest in knowing why you are considering joining the Honors College, and your essay will let us better see you as a future scholar in our honors community.

The essays will also heavily contribute to the assessment of your ability to write critically and effectively, key skills for success in the honors curriculum.

Keep the following in mind:

  • Your essay should closely examine your ideas about your education and about the Auburn Honors College experience

  • Your essay may take creative and intellectual risks, but be sure to address and integrate all elements of the prompt

  • Your essay should give the admissions committee insight into how you think, how you reason, and what you value

  • Be succinct, but make sure you thoroughly address the prompt

  • Proofread your submission. You may want to consider writing your essays in a word document first so that you can review and revise if necessary.

Essay Prompts

The two-part essay is required for every applicant. Both parts must be completed.

There are many benefits of being an Auburn University Honors College student, such as smaller class sizes, flexible curriculum, priority registration, undergraduate research and internship opportunities, study and travel experiences, and other rich and diverse opportunities. The Honors College experience can best be encapsulated by our value statements:

Engage

We serve others with compassion.

Explore

We pursue truth with courage and conviction.

Elevate

We participate in the creation of a more just world.

Experience

We value the diversity of the human experience.

After reading the above, please answer both of the following prompts to address “part one” of your essay. (550-word limit)

Please tell us which value statement most resonates with you and why?

-AND-

Why do you want to be a part of the Auburn University Honors College and what do you expect to bring to the honors community?

Please choose one (1) of the following prompts to address “part two” of your essay. (500-word limit)

  1. Author, professor, and autism advocate Temple Grandin has often spoken about how the world needs “different kinds of minds.” Discuss how considering perspectives or problem-solving approaches different from your own will strengthen the work you do at Auburn and beyond.

  2. With great power comes great responsibility” is a popular adage. How do you think it applies to the realm of human communication? Explain your thoughts using an example from current events, history, film, literature, or your own life.

  3. How do you see yourself improving society and the lives of others in the future, and what do you hope to get from Honors to help you accomplish your goals?

Last updated: 04/02/2024