Application Information

Admission to the Honors College is competitive for first-year, transfer, and current student applicants. Simply meeting the academic invitation criteria will not guarantee admission. When crafting each class, the Honors College considers program space and applicants’ fit. Selection criteria may include but are not limited to overall fit within the Honors College to create a well-rounded class, content and quality of the Honors essays, academic achievement, academic program of study, and extracurricular, employment, or leadership activities.

Honors Application Activities and Involvement

Applicants are asked to highlight their involvement in up to four extracurricular, employment, service, or leadership activities. We encourage applicants to select activities demonstrating a depth of involvement, highlighting their contributions to the organization, or connecting the activity to their academic or professional goals.

Honors Application Essays

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 essays will let us better see you as a future scholar in our academic community. The essays will also assess your ability to write critically and effectively, which are key skills for success in the Honors curriculum.

Keep the following in mind:

  • Exceptional responses will go above and beyond answering the prompt. They may include and reflect on personal experiences to support the applicant’s desire for Honors membership.
  • This is your opportunity to share self-reflection and personal insight with the review committee.
  • The Honors review committee will not receive any personal statements or free responses from your undergraduate admissions application. Therefore, your Honors essays may include these themes so long as your responses fully answer the prompts.
  • Your essays should give the Honors review committee insight into how you think, how you reason, and what you value. They should closely examine your ideas about your educational journey and explain how the Auburn Honors experience will further this journey.
  • Your essays may take creative and intellectual risks but should address and integrate all prompt elements.
  • Be succinct, but make sure you thoroughly address the prompt.
  • Proofread your submission. You may want to consider drafting your essays in a Word document first so that you can review and revise if necessary.

 

2026-2027 Essay Prompts

(completed by all applicants, 600-word limit)

Describe your academic and/or professional goals and the experiences that have shaped them. How will your participation in the Honors College at Auburn University further your education, help you pursue these goals, and prepare you for your next steps? In your response, explain how you plan to engage with the academic opportunities and challenges offered by the Honors College and what you hope to contribute to the Honors community.

(applicants will select one prompt, 600-word limit)

Prompt A: Tell us who you are, and who you want to become, by describing in detail a material object that holds personal significance to you or someone close to you. What stories, memories, or meanings does this object carry? How have those influenced the person you are becoming?

Prompt B: The psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi used the word “flow” to describe a state of deep immersion in an activity. Describe an activity that can put you into this flow state, when your attention, energy, and sense of self align. What draws you to this experience? What does it reveal about who you are, how you think, or how you engage with the world?

Prompt C: Each year, the Honors College selects a quote to exhort the incoming cohort to aspire to the ideals of the college. Select a quote that deeply resonates with you and explain why it matters to you. How does this quote reflect your self-understanding, values, or way of thinking? How has it shaped your perspective, decisions, or sense of purpose?

Application Timeline

The Honors College reviews applications and selects a group of first-year students for membership each fall. Students entering the spring and summer semesters are encouraged to apply through the current student pathway. 

Fall 2025 First-Year Class at a Glance

Middle 50% ACT 33-34
Middle 50% SAT 1430-1490
Middle 50% weighted GPA 4.4-4.6

Apply to Auburn University

First-year students interested in the Honors College should apply to Auburn University early. Applicants seeking Fall 2027 membership should first complete their undergraduate admissions application. Interested students should plan to complete their Auburn admissions application three business days before the November 16th Honors application deadline to ensure adequate time to receive and complete their Honors application. Learn more about Auburn University admission deadlines and important dates.

Apply to the Honors College

Incoming first-year students can access the Honors application from the checklist in the Auburn applicant portal after submitting their institutional or Common Application. First-year applicants can begin their Honors application before receiving their Auburn admissions decision.

The Fall 2027 Honors application deadline is 11:59 p.m. CST, November 16, 2026.

Prospective students are encouraged to complete their Auburn application by November 13th to ensure they have adequate time to complete the Honors application.

Explore Honors Housing opportunities

Students wishing to participate in Honors special-interest housing should begin the University Housing application process early, as housing is not required or guaranteed to first-year students. The Honors College has a total of 200 beds in Broun Hall and Matthews Hall, including beds in the Engineered for Success Honors Residential Learning Community. We encourage you to visit the University Housing site for information on the housing application process and timeline.

Acknowledge your Honors offer

Students admitted to the Honors College must acknowledge their Honors acceptance by May 1. Students wishing to participate in Honors Housing should acknowledge their Honors offer by March 1* to have the opportunity to select from the Honors beds during their room selection timeslot.

Accepting your Honors offer is non-binding and is not the same as confirming your admission to Auburn University; students will have until the enrollment deposit deadline to finalize their admission. University Scholarships are not contingent upon Honors participation. A student may receive a Competitive Merit Scholarship and choose not to participate in or not be admitted to the Honors College.

Complete the AUSOM scholarship application

Early Action applicants automatically receive consideration for Competitive Merit Scholarships. Students should complete the Auburn University Scholarship Opportunity Manager, or AUSOM, for General and Departmental award consideration. Learn more about first-year scholarship opportunities.

Confirm your enrollment and register for Camp War Eagle orientation

Welcome to the Auburn Family! Students must submit their $250 enrollment deposit or “Intent to Enroll” form online via the Auburn Admitted Portal.

*The Honors application timeline is subject to change based on changes made to the University’s undergraduate admissions timeline. Applicants should closely monitor our campus partners’ sites for deadlines and updates to their timelines.