Overview
The University Honors Program values academic and professional development and welcomes students who bring a wide range of perspectives, experiences, and skills to the Honors Aggie community. In your application, we want you to show us both your curiosity and creativity in pursuing ideas that interest you and your courage and connection with others when exploring ideas that challenge your own.
We encourage potential applicants to schedule appointments with our Honors Academic Advisor or one of our peer advisors.
NOTE: Current USU or transfer students who have earned credit for at least one semester of college courses should complete a different application designed specifically for their experience.
How to Create a Strong USU Honors Application
For tips as you apply to USU Honors, please see our Honors first-year application advice.
First-Year Student Application Requirements
Basic Information
Complete the basic information form at the bottom of this page.
Extracurricular Resume
- Upload (below) a brief (1–2 page) extracurricular resume as a part of your single application PDF (directions for PDF merger below).
A strong resume demonstrates your potential as a curious, community-engaged Honors student at USU. Please list the extracurricular, volunteer, and/or work experiences that shaped your high school experience, including a one-sentence description of why each activity was important to you and a clear range of the school years (9th, 10th, 11th, and/or 12th grades) of your participation. Work experience might seem different than extracurricular activities, but we believe that both kinds of experience can demonstrate a student’s determination and resilience, time-management skills, thoughtfulness about future professional goals, and desire to engage with various communities. We value all of these qualities, and your extracurricular resume should help us see how you have developed them in your activities beyond the classroom.
Transcript
- Upload (below) an electronic file of your unofficial high school transcript and a brief explanation (see immediately below) of that transcript, merged as part of your single application PDF (directions for PDF merger below).
BRIEF EXPLANATION INSTRUCTIONS: The USU Honors Program is looking for students who are curious about the world and willing to challenge themselves within the limits of available resources. We ask that you include a transcript to show how you challenged yourself academically during high school, but we do not believe that a transcript tells the whole story of your high school experience. We therefore ask each applicant to include a paragraph that briefly describes how you managed to challenge yourself, even if it was difficult, to do your best in high school and to make the most of the time, classes, and resources available to you. Please also describe any specific challenges or adversity you faced during high school to help put your transcript, GPA, and academic choices in context. This is your chance to tell us the story behind your transcript and to share your approach to choosing and completing your coursework in high school.
Essays
- Upload two clearly labeled essays (250-300 words each) as part of your single application PDF (directions for PDF merger below). Please pay careful attention to the prompts below and write two specific essays showing your (1) Curiosity and Creativity and (2) Courage and Connection.
The USU Honors Program’s motto, from the poet Horace, is “Sapere aude” or “Dare to Know.” Honors is looking for a diverse group of curious, engaged, resilient students who will take that dare by making the most of their time in college. Please write and upload two brief essays that respond to the following prompts (label the two essays with the bold titles below):
Curiosity and Creativity (250-300 words): Describe thoughtfully and in detail a moment in high school when you became so curious about an idea, assignment, or activity from a class that you decided to share it with people outside your classroom (friends, family, co-workers, community members). Then, choose one of our upcoming Honors Introductory Experiences or Honors Book Labs and tell us briefly why you are curious about that particular topic and how the reading and discussion might challenge you to think more creatively and empathetically about yourself and others. Your essay should demonstrate your curiosity and creativity, helping us to see how you will take the Honors "Dare to Know" at USU.
Courage and Connection (250-300 words): Honors is looking for students who are willing to challenge themselves and eager to help others. Our courses and other academic experiences are designed to take students out of their comfort zones in a safe space that builds community among Honors peers with different interests and points of view. Honors is looking for students who are brave enough to expand their own and others’ perspectives through civil discourse and conversation. Choose a specific example from your own recent experience that demonstrates your ability to question your own perspective and to engage with other views in a positive, productive way. Show us that you can listen carefully, expand your own mind, and build connections by engaging with what others care about. Close the essay by telling us, as specifically as you can, which activities you might pursue at USU to bring that courage and connection to your own Honors Aggie experience.
Combining and Converting Application Files to PDF format for Submission
Honors accepts only PDF application submissions that include all required parts listed above (1-4) combined into one single PDF.
Please submit only a PDF file; Honors will not accept separate Word documents, JPGs, Google Docs, Pages documents, Zip files, or other file types. Follow the directions below and/or try using the techniques in this article if you have additional questions about combining or converting your files.
From Google Drive:
- If all of the files you want to convert are together in one Google Drive document, use the top menu to choose File>Download As>pdf document. Don't forget to save your application with the appropriate file name.
- If you need to add additional files before converting, choose Insert>Image to combine your files, and then follow step 1.
From Microsoft Word:
- If all the files you want to convert are already part of one Word document, select File>Save As. Then, name your file and choose “.pdf” as the file format.
- If your documents are not all Word files, place the cursor in your Word document where you want to insert your PDF, JPG, or other file. Then, select Insert>Picture (Insert>Object in some versions). Once all of your documents are in one file, use the instructions in step 1 to convert the file into a single pdf.
From Preview:
- Using Preview, open all of the individual files that you want to combine.
- Using the small dropdown box in the top left, select Thumbnail view.
- Click and drag each page from thumbnail into a single preview window.
- When you have put all the documents into one file, select all the thumbnails (shift+click on Mac) and choose File>Export as PDF in the main Preview Menu. Save using the appropriate file name.
NOTE: Admission to the Huntsman, Quinney, or Caine Scholars programs does not guarantee admission to the University Honors Program. Students must apply directly to the University Honors Program.
We recommend that all applicants also
Apply to USU
Go Aggies!
First-Year USU Honors Student Application