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Honors College Essay: Tips, Prompt Examples and How to Write

Writing honors college essay

An honors college essay is an academic paper that students typically complete to establish entrance into an honors college, program, or division. An honors paper seeks to test students’ research skills and focus their analytical abilities on a subject of academic interest. 

Due to the specialized focus of the paper, students benefit from serious attention to the college essay topics, which are vital in developing the essay.

An Honors College essay is unique in terms of its requirements, structure, and background. The purpose of this article is to provide advice on writing and structuring an Honors College essay.

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Which Universities do Ask for Honors College Essay

1. uci (university of california irvine) .

The UCI has two programs, the Academic Honors Program and the Honors Program. Both are popular with many members. They are not mutually exclusive, but they have different requirements and different goals.

The Academic Honors Program is for students who want to get recognized by their professors for academic achievement. It does not require an essay but several letters of recommendation from faculty members.

You should not apply to either program if you are only interested in one or the other because there is no guarantee that either program will accept your application or that you will gain acceptance into either program.

2. VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University)

The applicants must complete the 500-word Essay on Honors. The essay should address the following topics:

• Your interests and goals, especially as they pertain to your intended major(s) and career path(s). How do you feel about being a lifelong learner?
• Your ideas about leadership, including h
• How you would define leadership, what your leadership style is, how you would use your abilities as a leader to positively impact your community in and out of college, and how you would lead if given the opportunity.

3. NJT (New Jersey Institute of Technology)

NJT requires you to write an essay and submit it along with your application.

These honors college essays usually focus on your intellectual interests and experiences, using specific examples to illustrate your points. It’s essential to select an area you are interested in and know about. 

You should also pick something that you can write about easily; it will be evident if you are writing a research paper or other academic work instead of an honors college essay, so don’t try to fake it!

4. Purdue University

Purdue University’s Honors College focuses on scholarship, leadership, research, and engagement by integrating residential and co-curricular learning opportunities with academic classroom experiences.

Your college application essay needs to breathe life into your application. It should capture your genuine personality, explaining who you are beyond a series of grades, test scores, and after-school activities. 

Take a minute and think about the college or university admission officers who will be reading your essay.

5. Stony Brook University

The Stony Brook Honors College provides an exceptional opportunity for students who want to pursue a challenging course of study in the company of talented peers. Your essay should be no longer than three double-spaced pages and should address certain questions.

It is an opportunity to explain an event that took place on any day in history; what would that event be? Discuss why you chose this particular day. Also, as this question, what do you hope to learn/experience by being present?

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How to Write a Good Honors College Essay

Honors college essays follow a formal style with a clear structure. To get your honors college essay, follow these tips:

• Think about the prompt and what you want to say.
• Brainstorm.
• Organize your thoughts into a logical outline.
• Write your introduction.
• End with a conclusion that sums up the main points of your argument and connects those points back to the prompt.

Technically, the honors college essay can be a five-paragraph essay, but it should be more than that.

It should be closer to a 10-paragraph essay, with an introduction and conclusion paragraph that are each about four or five sentences long.

The introduction and conclusion paragraphs should be about the same size. The middle of the essay should be about three paragraphs long, and each of them should be about four to five sentences long.

1. Introduction 

The introduction should have a hook which is a catchy sentence or two that gets the reader interested in reading your essay. Furthermore, it should have an explanation of why you want to go to Honors College: This is usually possible in one sentence. 

Also, there should be a thesis statement. This is usually evident in one sentence at the end of the paragraph. The thesis statement tells the reader what you plan to write about in your essay. For example: “I want to attend honors college because of their strong pre-med program.”

Write the body of your paper using transition words to connect your ideas and explain the connections between them.

The middle paragraphs should include an explanation of why you have chosen your career path and why you are interested. 

3. Conclusion

End with a strong conclusion that ties together everything you discussed within your paper, providing important takeaways for readers as well as leaving them feeling satisfied with what they just read.

Takeaways 

• You are writing an essay, not a text message. In other words, please use complete sentences and correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation. If proper English is not your strong suit, enlist someone proficient at it to help edit your essay.
• Be specific about what you want to study and why. Do not just say that you want an education; tell the reader what kind of education you want and why. This is particularly important if you plan to study something that you did not find at your high school. 
• The readers do not expect you to know everything about the field you plan to enter. They expect that you give serious consideration to it and explain why you want to pursue it beyond the fact that “it sounds interesting” or “it pays well.”
• Proofread your essays before sending them in. Errors will distract from whatever else is in those essays and may give us a negative impression of your abilities.

Things to Remember about Honor Essays

The honors essay is one of your best chances to stand out in a meaningful way from other applicants, so be sure to invest time in crafting a great response.

The admission office is looking for the following:

• The office wants to know that you understand what makes the honors program special. We have a diverse group of students and faculty who are passionate about learning and interacting across disciplines.
• What do you think this will mean for you? How will you take advantage of being in an environment that values interdisciplinary thinking?
• Your accomplishments. Let the audience know your talents. Have you excelled academically? What leadership roles have you taken on, or awards have you won? They want to discover what drives your passion for learning, leadership, and service.
• Your plans for the future. The honors program will prepare you for success beyond your skills, whether that’s graduate school or medical school, or a career in a completely different field. 

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Examples of Honors College Essay Topics

• Considering your lifetime goals, explain how your present and future academic activities will assist you in achieving your goals. 
• Settle for an issue of importance to you, whether it is political, personal, local, or international related. Then, craft an essay to explain the significance of that issue to yourself, your community, and your generation. 

When not handling complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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Albert Dorman Honors College

Tips for Writing an Honors College Essay

Writing an Honors College Essay (Max. 400 words)

A college essay is a chance for you to tell us what all your records cannot: who you really are, how you think, and how well you write. It is not an invitation to tell a story, write a novel, or write about other people's experiences. The main point of your essay is to tell us what you have to offer and how you will take advantage of what we have to offer .

• Write an essay that addresses the topic specified  on the application form. A general essay about yourself or an experience you had is not acceptable.
• Do not write your essay as if it were a novel. "The baby cried until it had to be comforted by its mother;" "I could not believe as I walked into my first class that this was the beginning of my engineering career." These tell us nothing about yourself. Regardless of what you may have been told in school, write a straightforward descriptive essay that directly addresses the question asked.
• Avoid clichéd, generic, and predictable writing, such as "I want to help people." This is particularly applicable to essays for accelerated program candidates.
• Do not quote our own description of our program. We know what we have to offer; we are interested in knowing what you have to offer and how you will use what we offer . Tell us about your interests and why the Albert Dorman Honors College is the right place for you.

Honors Theses

What this handout is about.

Writing a senior honors thesis, or any major research essay, can seem daunting at first. A thesis requires a reflective, multi-stage writing process. This handout will walk you through those stages. It is targeted at students in the humanities and social sciences, since their theses tend to involve more writing than projects in the hard sciences. Yet all thesis writers may find the organizational strategies helpful.

Introduction

What is an honors thesis.

That depends quite a bit on your field of study. However, all honors theses have at least two things in common:

• They are based on students’ original research.
• They take the form of a written manuscript, which presents the findings of that research. In the humanities, theses average 50-75 pages in length and consist of two or more chapters. In the social sciences, the manuscript may be shorter, depending on whether the project involves more quantitative than qualitative research. In the hard sciences, the manuscript may be shorter still, often taking the form of a sophisticated laboratory report.

Who can write an honors thesis?

In general, students who are at the end of their junior year, have an overall 3.2 GPA, and meet their departmental requirements can write a senior thesis. For information about your eligibility, contact:

• UNC Honors Program
• Your departmental administrators of undergraduate studies/honors

Why write an honors thesis?

Satisfy your intellectual curiosity This is the most compelling reason to write a thesis. Whether it’s the short stories of Flannery O’Connor or the challenges of urban poverty, you’ve studied topics in college that really piqued your interest. Now’s your chance to follow your passions, explore further, and contribute some original ideas and research in your field.

Develop transferable skills Whether you choose to stay in your field of study or not, the process of developing and crafting a feasible research project will hone skills that will serve you well in almost any future job. After all, most jobs require some form of problem solving and oral and written communication. Writing an honors thesis requires that you:

• ask smart questions
• acquire the investigative instincts needed to find answers
• navigate libraries, laboratories, archives, databases, and other research venues
• develop the flexibility to redirect your research if your initial plan flops
• master the art of time management
• hone your argumentation skills
• organize a lengthy piece of writing
• polish your oral communication skills by presenting and defending your project to faculty and peers

Work closely with faculty mentors At large research universities like Carolina, you’ve likely taken classes where you barely got to know your instructor. Writing a thesis offers the opportunity to work one-on-one with a with faculty adviser. Such mentors can enrich your intellectual development and later serve as invaluable references for graduate school and employment.

Open windows into future professions An honors thesis will give you a taste of what it’s like to do research in your field. Even if you’re a sociology major, you may not really know what it’s like to be a sociologist. Writing a sociology thesis would open a window into that world. It also might help you decide whether to pursue that field in graduate school or in your future career.

How do you write an honors thesis?

Get an idea of what’s expected.

It’s a good idea to review some of the honors theses other students have submitted to get a sense of what an honors thesis might look like and what kinds of things might be appropriate topics. Look for examples from the previous year in the Carolina Digital Repository. You may also be able to find past theses collected in your major department or at the North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library. Pay special attention to theses written by students who share your major.

Choose a topic

Ideally, you should start thinking about topics early in your junior year, so you can begin your research and writing quickly during your senior year. (Many departments require that you submit a proposal for an honors thesis project during the spring of your junior year.)

How should you choose a topic?

• Read widely in the fields that interest you. Make a habit of browsing professional journals to survey the “hot” areas of research and to familiarize yourself with your field’s stylistic conventions. (You’ll find the most recent issues of the major professional journals in the periodicals reading room on the first floor of Davis Library).
• Set up appointments to talk with faculty in your field. This is a good idea, since you’ll eventually need to select an advisor and a second reader. Faculty also can help you start narrowing down potential topics.
• Look at honors theses from the past. The North Carolina Collection in Wilson Library holds UNC honors theses. To get a sense of the typical scope of a thesis, take a look at a sampling from your field.

What makes a good topic?

• It’s fascinating. Above all, choose something that grips your imagination. If you don’t, the chances are good that you’ll struggle to finish.
• It’s doable. Even if a topic interests you, it won’t work out unless you have access to the materials you need to research it. Also be sure that your topic is narrow enough. Let’s take an example: Say you’re interested in the efforts to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s and early 1980s. That’s a big topic that probably can’t be adequately covered in a single thesis. You need to find a case study within that larger topic. For example, maybe you’re particularly interested in the states that did not ratify the ERA. Of those states, perhaps you’ll select North Carolina, since you’ll have ready access to local research materials. And maybe you want to focus primarily on the ERA’s opponents. Beyond that, maybe you’re particularly interested in female opponents of the ERA. Now you’ve got a much more manageable topic: Women in North Carolina Who Opposed the ERA in the 1970s and 1980s.
• It contains a question. There’s a big difference between having a topic and having a guiding research question. Taking the above topic, perhaps your main question is: Why did some women in North Carolina oppose the ERA? You will, of course, generate other questions: Who were the most outspoken opponents? White women? Middle-class women? How did they oppose the ERA? Public protests? Legislative petitions? etc. etc. Yet it’s good to start with a guiding question that will focus your research.

Goal-setting and time management

The senior year is an exceptionally busy time for college students. In addition to the usual load of courses and jobs, seniors have the daunting task of applying for jobs and/or graduate school. These demands are angst producing and time consuming If that scenario sounds familiar, don’t panic! Do start strategizing about how to make a time for your thesis. You may need to take a lighter course load or eliminate extracurricular activities. Even if the thesis is the only thing on your plate, you still need to make a systematic schedule for yourself. Most departments require that you take a class that guides you through the honors project, so deadlines likely will be set for you. Still, you should set your own goals for meeting those deadlines. Here are a few suggestions for goal setting and time management:

Start early. Keep in mind that many departments will require that you turn in your thesis sometime in early April, so don’t count on having the entire spring semester to finish your work. Ideally, you’ll start the research process the semester or summer before your senior year so that the writing process can begin early in the fall. Some goal-setting will be done for you if you are taking a required class that guides you through the honors project. But any substantive research project requires a clear timetable.

Set clear goals in making a timetable. Find out the final deadline for turning in your project to your department. Working backwards from that deadline, figure out how much time you can allow for the various stages of production.

Here is a sample timetable. Use it, however, with two caveats in mind:

• The timetable for your thesis might look very different depending on your departmental requirements.
• You may not wish to proceed through these stages in a linear fashion. You may want to revise chapter one before you write chapter two. Or you might want to write your introduction last, not first. This sample is designed simply to help you start thinking about how to customize your own schedule.

Sample timetable

Avoid falling into the trap of procrastination. Once you’ve set goals for yourself, stick to them! For some tips on how to do this, see our handout on procrastination .

Consistent production

It’s a good idea to try to squeeze in a bit of thesis work every day—even if it’s just fifteen minutes of journaling or brainstorming about your topic. Or maybe you’ll spend that fifteen minutes taking notes on a book. The important thing is to accomplish a bit of active production (i.e., putting words on paper) for your thesis every day. That way, you develop good writing habits that will help you keep your project moving forward.

Make yourself accountable to someone other than yourself

Since most of you will be taking a required thesis seminar, you will have deadlines. Yet you might want to form a writing group or enlist a peer reader, some person or people who can help you stick to your goals. Moreover, if your advisor encourages you to work mostly independently, don’t be afraid to ask them to set up periodic meetings at which you’ll turn in installments of your project.

Brainstorming and freewriting

One of the biggest challenges of a lengthy writing project is keeping the creative juices flowing. Here’s where freewriting can help. Try keeping a small notebook handy where you jot down stray ideas that pop into your head. Or schedule time to freewrite. You may find that such exercises “free” you up to articulate your argument and generate new ideas. Here are some questions to stimulate freewriting.

Questions for basic brainstorming at the beginning of your project:

• What do I already know about this topic?
• Why do I care about this topic?
• Why is this topic important to people other than myself
• What more do I want to learn about this topic?
• What is the main question that I am trying to answer?
• Where can I look for additional information?
• Who is my audience and how can I reach them?
• How will my work inform my larger field of study?
• What’s the main goal of my research project?

Questions for reflection throughout your project:

• What’s my main argument? How has it changed since I began the project?
• What’s the most important evidence that I have in support of my “big point”?
• What questions do my sources not answer?
• How does my case study inform or challenge my field writ large?
• Does my project reinforce or contradict noted scholars in my field? How?
• What is the most surprising finding of my research?
• What is the most frustrating part of this project?
• What is the most rewarding part of this project?
• What will be my work’s most important contribution?

Research and note-taking

In conducting research, you will need to find both primary sources (“firsthand” sources that come directly from the period/events/people you are studying) and secondary sources (“secondhand” sources that are filtered through the interpretations of experts in your field.) The nature of your research will vary tremendously, depending on what field you’re in. For some general suggestions on finding sources, consult the UNC Libraries tutorials . Whatever the exact nature of the research you’re conducting, you’ll be taking lots of notes and should reflect critically on how you do that. Too often it’s assumed that the research phase of a project involves very little substantive writing (i.e., writing that involves thinking). We sit down with our research materials and plunder them for basic facts and useful quotations. That mechanical type of information-recording is important. But a more thoughtful type of writing and analytical thinking is also essential at this stage. Some general guidelines for note-taking:

First of all, develop a research system. There are lots of ways to take and organize your notes. Whether you choose to use note cards, computer databases, or notebooks, follow two cardinal rules:

• Make careful distinctions between direct quotations and your paraphrasing! This is critical if you want to be sure to avoid accidentally plagiarizing someone else’s work. For more on this, see our handout on plagiarism .
• Record full citations for each source. Don’t get lazy here! It will be far more difficult to find the proper citation later than to write it down now.

Keeping those rules in mind, here’s a template for the types of information that your note cards/legal pad sheets/computer files should include for each of your sources:

Abbreviated subject heading: Include two or three words to remind you of what this sources is about (this shorthand categorization is essential for the later sorting of your sources).

Complete bibliographic citation:

• author, title, publisher, copyright date, and page numbers for published works
• box and folder numbers and document descriptions for archival sources
• complete web page title, author, address, and date accessed for online sources

Notes on facts, quotations, and arguments: Depending on the type of source you’re using, the content of your notes will vary. If, for example, you’re using US Census data, then you’ll mainly be writing down statistics and numbers. If you’re looking at someone else’s diary, you might jot down a number of quotations that illustrate the subject’s feelings and perspectives. If you’re looking at a secondary source, you’ll want to make note not just of factual information provided by the author but also of their key arguments.

Your interpretation of the source: This is the most important part of note-taking. Don’t just record facts. Go ahead and take a stab at interpreting them. As historians Jacques Barzun and Henry F. Graff insist, “A note is a thought.” So what do these thoughts entail? Ask yourself questions about the context and significance of each source.

Interpreting the context of a source:

• Who wrote/created the source?
• When, and under what circumstances, was it written/created?
• Why was it written/created? What was the agenda behind the source?
• How was it written/created?
• If using a secondary source: How does it speak to other scholarship in the field?

Interpreting the significance of a source:

• How does this source answer (or complicate) my guiding research questions?
• Does it pose new questions for my project? What are they?
• Does it challenge my fundamental argument? If so, how?
• Given the source’s context, how reliable is it?

You don’t need to answer all of these questions for each source, but you should set a goal of engaging in at least one or two sentences of thoughtful, interpretative writing for each source. If you do so, you’ll make much easier the next task that awaits you: drafting.

The dread of drafting

Why do we often dread drafting? We dread drafting because it requires synthesis, one of the more difficult forms of thinking and interpretation. If you’ve been free-writing and taking thoughtful notes during the research phase of your project, then the drafting should be far less painful. Here are some tips on how to get started:

Sort your “evidence” or research into analytical categories:

• Some people file note cards into categories.
• The technologically-oriented among us take notes using computer database programs that have built-in sorting mechanisms.
• Others cut and paste evidence into detailed outlines on their computer.
• Still others stack books, notes, and photocopies into topically-arranged piles.There is not a single right way, but this step—in some form or fashion—is essential!

If you’ve been forcing yourself to put subject headings on your notes as you go along, you’ll have generated a number of important analytical categories. Now, you need to refine those categories and sort your evidence. Everyone has a different “sorting style.”

Formulate working arguments for your entire thesis and individual chapters. Once you’ve sorted your evidence, you need to spend some time thinking about your project’s “big picture.” You need to be able to answer two questions in specific terms:

• What is the overall argument of my thesis?
• What are the sub-arguments of each chapter and how do they relate to my main argument?

Keep in mind that “working arguments” may change after you start writing. But a senior thesis is big and potentially unwieldy. If you leave this business of argument to chance, you may end up with a tangle of ideas. See our handout on arguments and handout on thesis statements for some general advice on formulating arguments.

Divide your thesis into manageable chunks. The surest road to frustration at this stage is getting obsessed with the big picture. What? Didn’t we just say that you needed to focus on the big picture? Yes, by all means, yes. You do need to focus on the big picture in order to get a conceptual handle on your project, but you also need to break your thesis down into manageable chunks of writing. For example, take a small stack of note cards and flesh them out on paper. Or write through one point on a chapter outline. Those small bits of prose will add up quickly.

Just start! Even if it’s not at the beginning. Are you having trouble writing those first few pages of your chapter? Sometimes the introduction is the toughest place to start. You should have a rough idea of your overall argument before you begin writing one of the main chapters, but you might find it easier to start writing in the middle of a chapter of somewhere other than word one. Grab hold where you evidence is strongest and your ideas are clearest.

Keep up the momentum! Assuming the first draft won’t be your last draft, try to get your thoughts on paper without spending too much time fussing over minor stylistic concerns. At the drafting stage, it’s all about getting those ideas on paper. Once that task is done, you can turn your attention to revising.

Peter Elbow, in Writing With Power, suggests that writing is difficult because it requires two conflicting tasks: creating and criticizing. While these two tasks are intimately intertwined, the drafting stage focuses on creating, while revising requires criticizing. If you leave your revising to the last minute, then you’ve left out a crucial stage of the writing process. See our handout for some general tips on revising . The challenges of revising an honors thesis may include:

Juggling feedback from multiple readers

A senior thesis may mark the first time that you have had to juggle feedback from a wide range of readers:

• your adviser
• a second (and sometimes third) faculty reader
• the professor and students in your honors thesis seminar

You may feel overwhelmed by the prospect of incorporating all this advice. Keep in mind that some advice is better than others. You will probably want to take most seriously the advice of your adviser since they carry the most weight in giving your project a stamp of approval. But sometimes your adviser may give you more advice than you can digest. If so, don’t be afraid to approach them—in a polite and cooperative spirit, of course—and ask for some help in prioritizing that advice. See our handout for some tips on getting and receiving feedback .

Refining your argument

It’s especially easy in writing a lengthy work to lose sight of your main ideas. So spend some time after you’ve drafted to go back and clarify your overall argument and the individual chapter arguments and make sure they match the evidence you present.

Organizing and reorganizing

Again, in writing a 50-75 page thesis, things can get jumbled. You may find it particularly helpful to make a “reverse outline” of each of your chapters. That will help you to see the big sections in your work and move things around so there’s a logical flow of ideas. See our handout on  organization  for more organizational suggestions and tips on making a reverse outline

Plugging in holes in your evidence

It’s unlikely that you anticipated everything you needed to look up before you drafted your thesis. Save some time at the revising stage to plug in the holes in your research. Make sure that you have both primary and secondary evidence to support and contextualize your main ideas.

Saving time for the small stuff

Even though your argument, evidence, and organization are most important, leave plenty of time to polish your prose. At this point, you’ve spent a very long time on your thesis. Don’t let minor blemishes (misspellings and incorrect grammar) distract your readers!

Formatting and final touches

You’re almost done! You’ve researched, drafted, and revised your thesis; now you need to take care of those pesky little formatting matters. An honors thesis should replicate—on a smaller scale—the appearance of a dissertation or master’s thesis. So, you need to include the “trappings” of a formal piece of academic work. For specific questions on formatting matters, check with your department to see if it has a style guide that you should use. For general formatting guidelines, consult the Graduate School’s Guide to Dissertations and Theses . Keeping in mind the caveat that you should always check with your department first about its stylistic guidelines, here’s a brief overview of the final “finishing touches” that you’ll need to put on your honors thesis:

• Honors Thesis
• Name of Department
• University of North Carolina
• These parts of the thesis will vary in format depending on whether your discipline uses MLA, APA, CBE, or Chicago (also known in its shortened version as Turabian) style. Whichever style you’re using, stick to the rules and be consistent. It might be helpful to buy an appropriate style guide. Or consult the UNC LibrariesYear Citations/footnotes and works cited/reference pages  citation tutorial
• In addition, in the bottom left corner, you need to leave space for your adviser and faculty readers to sign their names. For example:

Approved by: _____________________

Adviser: Prof. Jane Doe

• This is not a required component of an honors thesis. However, if you want to thank particular librarians, archivists, interviewees, and advisers, here’s the place to do it. You should include an acknowledgments page if you received a grant from the university or an outside agency that supported your research. It’s a good idea to acknowledge folks who helped you with a major project, but do not feel the need to go overboard with copious and flowery expressions of gratitude. You can—and should—always write additional thank-you notes to people who gave you assistance.
• Formatted much like the table of contents.
• You’ll need to save this until the end, because it needs to reflect your final pagination. Once you’ve made all changes to the body of the thesis, then type up your table of contents with the titles of each section aligned on the left and the page numbers on which those sections begin flush right.
• Each page of your thesis needs a number, although not all page numbers are displayed. All pages that precede the first page of the main text (i.e., your introduction or chapter one) are numbered with small roman numerals (i, ii, iii, iv, v, etc.). All pages thereafter use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.).
• Your text should be double spaced (except, in some cases, long excerpts of quoted material), in a 12 point font and a standard font style (e.g., Times New Roman). An honors thesis isn’t the place to experiment with funky fonts—they won’t enhance your work, they’ll only distract your readers.
• In general, leave a one-inch inch margin on all sides. However, for the copy of your thesis that will be bound by the library, you need to leave a 1.25-inch margin on the left.

How do I defend my honors thesis?

Graciously, enthusiastically, and confidently. The term defense is scary and misleading—it conjures up images of a military exercise or an athletic maneuver. An academic defense ideally shouldn’t be a combative scene but a congenial conversation about the work’s merits and weaknesses. That said, the defense probably won’t be like the average conversation that you have with your friends. You’ll be the center of attention. And you may get some challenging questions. Thus, it’s a good idea to spend some time preparing yourself. First of all, you’ll want to prepare 5-10 minutes of opening comments. Here’s a good time to preempt some criticisms by frankly acknowledging what you think your work’s greatest strengths and weaknesses are. Then you may be asked some typical questions:

• What is the main argument of your thesis?
• How does it fit in with the work of Ms. Famous Scholar?
• Have you read the work of Mr. Important Author?

NOTE: Don’t get too flustered if you haven’t! Most scholars have their favorite authors and books and may bring one or more of them up, even if the person or book is only tangentially related to the topic at hand. Should you get this question, answer honestly and simply jot down the title or the author’s name for future reference. No one expects you to have read everything that’s out there.

• Why did you choose this particular case study to explore your topic?
• If you were to expand this project in graduate school, how would you do so?

Should you get some biting criticism of your work, try not to get defensive. Yes, this is a defense, but you’ll probably only fan the flames if you lose your cool. Keep in mind that all academic work has flaws or weaknesses, and you can be sure that your professors have received criticisms of their own work. It’s part of the academic enterprise. Accept criticism graciously and learn from it. If you receive criticism that is unfair, stand up for yourself confidently, but in a good spirit. Above all, try to have fun! A defense is a rare opportunity to have eminent scholars in your field focus on YOU and your ideas and work. And the defense marks the end of a long and arduous journey. You have every right to be proud of your accomplishments!

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Atchity, Kenneth. 1986. A Writer’s Time: A Guide to the Creative Process from Vision Through Revision . New York: W.W. Norton.

Barzun, Jacques, and Henry F. Graff. 2012. The Modern Researcher , 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Elbow, Peter. 1998. Writing With Power: Techniques for Mastering the Writing Process . New York: Oxford University Press.

Graff, Gerald, and Cathy Birkenstein. 2014. “They Say/I Say”: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing , 3rd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Company.

Lamott, Anne. 1994. Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life . New York: Pantheon.

Lasch, Christopher. 2002. Plain Style: A Guide to Written English. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Turabian, Kate. 2018. A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, Dissertations , 9th ed. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

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How to Write an Essay for Honors College

• Erik Hinrichsen
• Categories : College , Education
• Tags : Education college topics admissions

When Might You Need to Know How to Write an Essay for Honors College?

Many state schools, seeking to attract top students, have an elite honors college. Getting in to the honors college is more difficult than the general school, of course, and usually requires an extra essay. Knowing how to write an essay for honors college can mean the difference between admittance and rejection, especially for borderline applicants. By writing a well-written, meaningful, and engaging essay, you can increase your odds of being admitted to the honors college of your choice. This guide to writing the honors college essay will give you the necessary tools to compose the essay that best reflects you as a person.

Getting Started

• Read the prompt!

Before you start writing, make sure to read the prompt carefully. It is very important that your essay correspond to the actual requirements of the school. Some honors college essays may have word count limits, and each school is likely to have its own requirements. If you are applying to more than one school, be sure to tailor your essay to each college’s requirements. Submitting an essay that clearly ignores the school’s guidelines will reflect poorly on you as an applicant.

• Choose a topic

After you feel you understand the prompt, take time to gather your thoughts and figure out what you want to write about. Make sure that your chosen topic or anecdote clearly explains a positive aspect of yourself. Remember, the point of the essay is to sell yourself to the admissions committee.

If the prompt is something like “Why have you decided to apply to the Honors college?”, take the time to think through your real reasons. While being honest is very important, it is also imperative to make your reasons engaging and to present yourself in a positive light. If you just want to go to the honors school because the students get nicer dorms, don’t say so! Talk about the ways being in the honor school will help you achieve your life goals and advance yourself as a person.

• Organize your thoughts

Many people find it helpful to plan out their essay before starting to write. This can help you to organize your thoughts into a clear, coherent narrative. Making an outline is an excellent way to do this, though there are other methods. Whatever you do, make sure you understand where you’re going with the essay before you start writing it.

• Write a Draft

Your first draft might not be great. It might be terrible. But that’s alright, because you have plenty of time to revise. It’s much easier to improve an essay on paper than one that’s still floating around your head.

How to Organize Your Essay

While the essay doesn’t need to be a standard school essay, the essay should have some semblance of structure . At the very least, it should contain a brief, engaging introduction. The introduction should introduce the reader to you, the writer, and briefly state whatever your main focus is.

Remember that honors college essays are not novels. Write a straightforward essay that clearly explains something about yourself and your goals. Unless you’re applying for a creative writing program, essay readers have no interest in your story-telling abilities. The essay should generally avoid narratives altogether unless the story very strongly describes something about yourself.

Finishing the essay can be difficult. While it isn’t always necessary to write a conclusion, doing so can help summarize your points so that readers come away from your essay with a clear understanding.

• Read over your essay

Remember that you are applying for an elite honors college. Spelling errors and grammatical mistakes will reflect poorly on you. Run spell check and read over the essay for any mistakes or unclear phrasings. If you aren’t good with grammar and spelling, have someone else look over the essay.

• Have other people edit your essay

Show your essay to as many people as possible - friends, family members, and teachers - and ask for their honest feedback. English teachers are excellent resources for this purpose, as they’ve likely read many such essays and can point out your essay’s flaws. Whatever you do, don’t let other people write the essay! The admission board readers read thousands of essays and can usually pick out an adult’s writing quite easily. Besides, this essay is meant to be a reflection on yourself.

Once you’ve edited your work and have a completed product, send in your application. Submitting early ensures that your materials will arrive on time; if there are any problems, you can easily resolve them before the deadline. Many honors colleges also admit students on a rolling basis, so the earlier you apply the better your chances. By focusing on learning how to write a college essay for honors college, you improve the likelihood that you will receive a positive response.

Personal Essay Tips

Tips for Writing an Honors College Essay

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, 70+ academic honors examples for your college application.

College Admissions

College applications are all about showing off to the admissions committee, and what better way to do so than to lead with your most impressive academic awards.   What are the best academic honors and awards to put on a college application?

In this guide, we give you 7 0+ academic honors examples to give you an idea of what types of achievements colleges like to see most on applications.   In addition, we explain what counts as an academic honor or award, go over different impressive academic honors and awards examples you can get, and give you useful tips for effectively talking about awards on your application.

What Is an Academic Honor or Award?

First things first, what counts as an academic honor or award?

Generally speaking, an academic honor or award is any major achievement you’ve made and been recognized for in some way.   The form of recognition can range from an actual object, such as a trophy or plaque, to prize money, a title, or verbal recognition.

Typically, an academic honor will fall into one of the following categories:

• Distinction, honor, or honorable mention  for which you won’t usually receive a physical object or award—just the title
• A diploma or certificate indicating the completion of a program or recognizing an accomplishment in a program or other activity
• Prize or award won from a contest, competition, or tournament
• Scholarship given in recognition of an outstanding (academic) accomplishment
• Membership in a highly selective and competitive group or society

If you’ve won any awards for specific activities such as a sport you play or a club you’re part of, it’s better to list these in the extracurricular activities section of your application instead of in a separate awards section.

So what are some honors and awards to put on a college application? Up next, we'll take a look at more than 70 academic honors examples.

Academic Honors and Awards Examples

Here, we give you a list of 70+ academic honors and awards examples you could include on your own college application, from prizes won in national and international contests to school-based distinctions and awards.

All the academic honors examples below are grouped by category and listed alphabetically.

Note that this is not an exhaustive list of all academic honors and awards you could possibly have, so if you have an achievement that doesn’t exactly match one of the examples below, don’t worry—you can still put it on your college application!

Advanced Placement (AP) Awards

• AP International Diploma (APID)
• AP Scholar with Distinction
• AP Scholar with Honor
• DoDEA AP Scholar
• International AP Scholar
• National AP Scholar
• State AP Scholar
• IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) Certificate

National Awards

• Governor’s Volunteer Award
• National Student Volunteer Award
• President’s Award for Educational Achievement
• President’s Award for Educational Excellence
• President’s National Service Award

PSAT Awards

• National Hispanic Scholar
• National Merit Commended Student
• National Merit Finalist
• National Merit Scholar
• National Merit Semifinalist
• School-based National Merit Scholarship winner

School-Based Awards

• Foreign language award
• High class rank (e.g., top 10%)
• Honor roll/GPA award
• National Honor Society membership
• Perfect Attendance Award
• School-specific award
• School subject-specific award
• Student of the Month/Term/Year
• Subject-specific Honor Society membership (e.g., Science Honor Society)

Competitions and Contests

• AAN Neuroscience Research Prize
• Academic Decathlon
• Academic Triathlon
• American Regions Mathematics League (ARML)
• B.E.S.T. Robotics Design contest
• Conrad Spirit of Innovation Challenge
• Davidson Fellows Scholarship
• Doodle 4 Google
• Google Science Fair
• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF)
• International BioGENEius Challenge
• International Chemistry Olympiad
• International Mathematical Olympiad
• International Photography Awards (IPA)
• Kids Philosophy Slam
• Microsoft Imagine Cup
• MIT INSPIRE
• MIT THINK Scholars Program
• National Academic League
• National Academic Quiz Tournament
• National Economics Challenge by CEE
• National Geographic Bee
• National Geographic Student Photo Contest
• National High School Mock Trial Championship
• National Science Bowl
• National Science Olympiad
• PhysicsBowl
• Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS)
• Regional/National Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
• Scholastic Art & Writing Awards
• Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision Awards
• University Interscholastic League (UIL)

Miscellaneous Awards

• Boy Scouts/Eagle Scouts awards
• Employee of the Month
• Girl Scouts awards
• Merit scholarships for college
• Musical performance award
• National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) winner
• National Poetry Writing Month (NaPoWriMo) winner
• Publications (such as short stories, art pieces, essays, etc.)
• Volunteer award
• Work award or promotion

The Best Honors and Awards to Put on a College Application

Of the dozens of academic honors examples above, which ones will look the most impressive on a college application?  Here, we explain the top four qualities a truly impressive academic honor will have. 

Note that an honor doesn’t need to have all  these qualities, though if it does, then it is definitely an excellent one to put on your application!

#1: It’s Highly Selective

One quality you want to highlight on your application is the selectivity of the award or honor you’ve won.  In other words, the academic award will be one that a lot of students try to win, making it difficult to achieve.

For example, because national and international contests and competitions draw so many student competitors, winning an award like these would certainly impress the admissions committee.

The more selective an academic honor or award is, the more impressive it’ll look on your college application.

Academic Honors Examples of Highly Selective Awards

• Google Science Fair winner

#2: It’s Unique

Admissions committees see a lot of honor roll and National Society honors on college applications (not that these are bad — they’re just fairly common). So if you've won a particularly unique or rare award, definitely include it on your application, as this will  help you stand out from the crowd.

A unique award can be highly selective; it can also be one that is less well known or that highlights something creative, surprising, or impressive about you.

For instance, maybe you won the Most Innovative Employee award at your part-time job after you pitched the idea to create and manage a social media page for the company.

Academic Honors Examples of Unique Awards

• Specific school-based awards (e.g., Most Confident Speaker in Chinese Class)
• Local or community-based awards 

#3: It’s Relevant to Your Academic Interests and Strengths

Another academic award or honor that's  great to include on your college application is one that’s relevant to your academic interests and strengths.  These are typically subject- or field-specific awards, such as English or writing awards, math awards, etc.

For example, if you’re planning to major in engineering, you'd want to detail any awards you might have won in science, math, or engineering contests.

Relevant awards indicate to the admissions committee not only that you’re truly committed to the field you want to study, but also that you’re one of the most promising students in your field.

Academic Honors Examples of Relevant Awards

• Writing award or publication (if you’re an English or creative writing major, for example)
• STEM award (if you’re a STEM major)
• Model UN (if you’re a political science or IR major, for example)

#4: It Highlights Your Leadership Potential

An impressive academic honor or award will also emphasize your leadership potential.  These are typically   awards that involve group or collaborative work.  S o if you ever led others to success — as a captain or president, for instance — this kind of honor would look great to potential colleges.

Just make sure that you explain on your application what kind of role you had and how your leadership specifically led your team to success.

Academic Honors Examples of Leadership/Group Awards

• Volunteer awards
• Girl Scouts or Eagle Scouts awards

How to Talk About Honors on Your College Application: 4 Tips

Since you likely won’t have a lot of room to write about academic honors and awards on your application, it's important that   you present your academic achievements in an effective, impressive way.  Here are some tips on how to talk about the awards you've won.

Tip 1: Open With Your Most Impressive Awards

Admissions officers don’t usually spend a lot of time with each application they get, so you want to make sure that you’re catching their eyes right away by starting with your most impressive honors and awards.  These will generally be awards that are highly competitive and required a lot of work and commitment on your end.

Tip 2: Focus on Your Spike

A "spike" is a particular academic passion you have.   For example, if you’re a science buff who plans to major in chemistry, you'd want to emphasize your spike on your application by focusing primarily on your chemistry- and science-related activities and awards.

Having a spike will ultimately help you stand out from other applicants.  To learn more about how you can develop a spike, check out our guide on how to get into Harvard and the Ivy League .

Tip 3: Describe Awards That Are Vague or Unclear

Not all academic awards and honors are well known or obvious, especially if they’re unique to your school or area. Therefore, m ake sure that you’re using the space you have in the awards section of your application to describe any academic honors that the admissions committee is probably unfamiliar with.

The last thing you want an award to do is confuse admissions officers, so be clear about what it is, how you won it, and what makes it impressive.

Tip 4: Explain the Competitiveness of the Award

For each academic award or honor you’ve won, you want to clarify its level of competitiveness by explaining the scope of the competition.  For example, was the science tournament you won a national one? A local one? A school-based one?

Note that if the award has the word "national" or "international" in it, you shouldn’t have to add much explanation to its description since it'll be obvious that the award is fairly selective.

The overall point here is to show off!

Recap: Honors and Awards to Put on a College Application

As you can see, there's a huge variety in the types of academic honors and awards examples you can put on your college application. The 70+ academic honors examples listed above are just some of the possible honors you could include.

In general, the best academic honors to include on your application will have some or all of the following qualities:

• They’re highly selective/competitive
• They’re unique
• They highlight your academic interests and strengths (your "spike," that is)
• They emphasize your leadership skills/potential

You won’t have a ton of space on your application to explain the academic awards you’ve won, so it’s important to use the room you have wisely. To reiterate, h ere are our four best tips for how to talk about your academic awards and honors on your application:

• Open with your most impressive awards and honors
• Focus on your spike —i.e.,  your biggest academic passion and commitment
• Describe any vague, unclear, or lesser-known awards/honors you've received
• Explain the competitiveness of the award

Now get out there and win some awards!

What’s Next?

Lots of colleges use the Common App . If you're going to be using this platform to apply to college, make sure you know what to expect with the Common App honors section .

Planning to take AP tests in the spring? If you're hoping to snag a distinguished AP award , read our guide to get tips on how you can do this.

Honors can prove that you're a serious and ambitious college applicant.  Check out our expert guide to learn what high school honors is and how you can achieve honors status at your own high school.

Hannah received her MA in Japanese Studies from the University of Michigan and holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Southern California. From 2013 to 2015, she taught English in Japan via the JET Program. She is passionate about education, writing, and travel.

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Plan II Essay Info

Guidelines and prompts for freshman applicants.

Plan II must often deny applicants with excellent grades and test scores who submit mediocre essays.  A great essay can sweep us off our feet and perhaps make up for somewhat lower scores or relatively lackluster grades. These are the writing samples you will submit for the Common Application portion of the application and your Plan II Honors short answer response.  

What NOT to Do

• Choose a very complicated and involved topic that you think will impress us
• Choose a very safe subject
• Make the essay brief and superficial
• Fill it with clichés
• Make unsubstantiated assertitions
• Throw in broad generalizations
• (Over)use a thesaurus.

To write a good essay for Plan II: Express yourself

• Use your own voice
• Write about something you know or something that is truly important to you (as much as possible within the confines of the prompts)
• Give us a clear impression of who you are, providing your admission evaluators a view of an interesting individual is what gets applicants admitted
• Appeal to the senses when you write:  show us what is beautiful, sad, impressive, scary, confusing, frustrating or comforting.  Don't just tell us that it was so.
• To make your story resonate employ detail, description and precision rather than pretense and melodrama.
• Don't simply tell us what you think or what you feel in abstract terms. Describe it. Make it real.

What do we want?

• Sophistication
• Strong command of language
• Good variety in sentence structure
• Clarity of development and thought
• Flow from sentence to sentence, paragraph to paragraph and idea to idea
• Introduce the topic, develop the topic, and move on to a clear conclusion
• Great essays may be quite creative or they may exhibit very straight-forward narrative/expository writing

Take your time, but beware over-editing

Spend plenty of time writing and fine-tuning your essays. Ask for feedback from people you trust before submitting your essays.  But be careful.  Don't allow helpful editors to edit you out of your own essay .  Stay true to your original idea.  Stay true to your voice.  If your essay sounds as though your father, your AP English teacher or your older sister wrote it, it's not likely to earn you admission to Plan II Honors. 

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, rutgers honors college essay examples.

Hey everyone, I'm applying to Rutgers Honors College and I'd like some help with the essay. Any examples of successful essays or tips on writing them would be super helpful! I really want my application to be strong. Thanks a lot!

Hi! It's great that you're aiming to make your Honors College application as strong as possible. While I can't share specific examples of successful essays (partly because sharing someone's unique essay may breach their privacy), here are some general tips on writing a stand-out Honors College essay for Rutgers. Keep in mind that the purpose of the essay is to showcase your abilities, accomplishments, and depth of thought in a way that separates you from other applicants.

1. Read the prompt carefully: Ensure you understand what the prompt is asking of you. Address all aspects of the prompt and use it to shape your essay’s narrative.

2. Be genuine: Be honest about your experiences, goals, and passion. Your genuine voice will resonate with the admissions committee, making your essay more memorable.

3. Show, don't tell: Instead of listing your accomplishments, delve into one or two meaningful experiences and describe them in detail—what happened, your role, and how it impacted you. Use descriptive language and examples that paint a vivid picture for the reader.

4. Connect your experiences: Draw connections between your achievements, experiences, or skills, and the values or qualities required for success in the Honors College. Demonstrate how these experiences have prepared you for the challenges and opportunities within the program.

5. Keep it concise: While you may have a lot to share, focus on the most relevant examples and ensure that you maintain a clear structure throughout the essay. You want the reader to easily follow your thoughts and grasp the key points you’re making.

6. Proofread and revise: Allow yourself enough time to revise your draft multiple times. Ask friends, family, or teachers to review your essay, provide feedback, and check for errors. This will not only help you polish your essay, but it will also demonstrate your commitment to submitting a quality application.

Remember to maintain your unique voice while writing and focus on demonstrating your genuine interest in the Honors College at Rutgers. By showcasing what makes you stand out and connecting your experiences to the program, you'll build a compelling essay that will leave a lasting impression on the admissions committee. Good luck!

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Purdue Supplemental Essay 2022-2023

Purdue supplemental essay: quick facts.

• Purdue University acceptance rate: 67%— U.S. News ranks Purdue as a more selective school.
• Purdue application: Purdue only accepts the Common Application , not the Coalition Application.
• 2 (100-word) required essays
• 2 (500-word) Purdue Honors College essays (required if applying to the Honors College)
• Purdue Essay Tip: We recommend answering both Purdue University supplemental essays comprehensively and thoughtfully, highlighting in each of your Purdue essays why Purdue is the perfect school for you.

What are Purdue University’s essays?

In addition to the Common App essay , students must also complete the Purdue supplemental essay prompts. 

Required Purdue supplemental essay prompts:

• How will opportunities at Purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom? (100 words)
• Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected. (100 words)

Required Purdue supplemental essay prompts for Honors College applicants are:

• One Purdue supplemental essay about your vision for your honors experience at Purdue (500 words)
• An additional Purdue supplemental essay about the interdisciplinary nature of your chosen field of study (500 words)

These Purdue application essays represent the final step in the Purdue application process. Strong responses to the Purdue supplemental essays can help your Purdue application stand out among the almost 60,000 applications the university receives each year.

So, if you want to get into Purdue, it’s important to spend time on your responses to the Purdue essay prompts. A solid set of Purdue application essays can make a major difference in the Purdue admissions process.

In this guide, we’ll break down each of the Purdue essay prompts and provide expert tips on how to make sure your Purdue application essays shine. Keep reading to learn how to approach your Purdue University supplemental essays!

Purdue application essay requirements

Many selective colleges require supplemental essays beyond the standard Common App essay, also known as the Personal Statement . The Purdue application requirements are no exception to this. 

There are two Purdue essay prompts required of all applicants. Additionally, Honors College applicants must complete two additional Purdue University supplemental essays. Pay close attention to which Purdue supplemental essays you should complete, as it varies by program. 

So, if you are applying to Purdue University, you must complete at least two 100-word Purdue essay prompts. Each Purdue supplemental essay is designed to give you a chance to show Purdue admissions officers who you are, beyond the rest of your application. You should treat each Purdue supplemental essay as an opportunity to showcase a part of yourself that isn’t highlighted elsewhere within the Purdue application requirements.

Honors College essay requirements

Like many schools, Purdue has additional requirements for the Purdue Honors College. If you apply to the Purdue John Martinson Honors College, you must complete two more 500-word Purdue Honors College essays. These additional prompts help Purdue Admissions ensure that Purdue Honors College applicants go above and beyond the typical Purdue application requirements. 

You should be sure to set aside more than enough time to craft strong Purdue Honors College essays and Purdue supplemental essays.

Purdue Supplemental Essay- Prompt 1 ( Required )

How will opportunities at purdue support your interests, both in and out of the classroom (100 words maximum).

The first Purdue essay asks applicants to reflect on their academic and personal interests. Then, it asks them to explain how Purdue will help them pursue those interests. In other words, the first of the Purdue essay prompts asks why you want to attend Purdue over any other school. 

You’ve probably encountered similar “why this college?” essay prompts on other applications. So, as you might expect, this Purdue application essay must be specific to Purdue. You won’t be able to copy and paste another school’s essay to answer this Purdue supplemental essay. 

Brainstorming your topic

Before starting to write this Purdue supplemental essay, think about your interest in Purdue. Write down a list of reasons why Purdue made your college list. Does Purdue offer a particular program that interests you? Or does Purdue’s campus culture fit your vision for your college experience? The best responses to the Purdue essay prompts will include specific details.

Building your narrative

Once you have created your list of interests, identify several that you would like to write about in your Purdue supplemental essays. This Purdue supplemental essay doesn’t give you much space; picking one or two interests, therefore, will help you stay within the word count and give your essay some structure. 

When deciding which interests to focus on, remember your other Purdue essay. You can discuss your intended major in the second of the required Purdue essay prompts. With this in mind, make sure you don’t delve into topics better suited for other Purdue essay prompts. Instead, use this Purdue supplemental essay to talk about interests that you have not discussed in other areas of your application. After all, you want each Purdue supplemental essay to showcase a different part of your identity.

Making it specific

Next, research Purdue to see how your interests overlap with opportunities Purdue offers. The Purdue essay prompts are a chance to show off the research you’ve done; for example, talking to Purdue admissions representatives or visiting campus. If any of these interactions relate to one of your chosen themes, mention them in this Purdue supplemental essay. This shows your knowledge of Purdue’s strengths as a university. 

For example, a prospective student could use this Purdue application essay to discuss the state-of-the-art kinesiology labs she visited and how they would help her pursue her interest in physical therapy. Make sure you discuss what you experienced along with how it relates to your interests. Once again, the best Purdue University supplemental essays will use specific details to show why you belong at Purdue.

Writing your essay

Now that you’ve done the brainstorming and research for this Purdue supplemental essay, you can start writing. Because you only have 100 words for this Purdue supplemental essay, you need to make each one count. Avoid unrelated topics, vague wording, and forms of “to be.” Instead, use clear language and strong action verbs in each Purdue essay. Compare these two sentences below:

“There is no school that is a better fit to support my interests than Purdue University.” (16 words)

“Purdue possesses the resources to support my interests.” (8 words)

The second sentence conveys the same message as the first, but it uses much stronger language and fewer words. Specific details and short, powerful sentences will help your Purdue essay stand out. 

Purdue Supplemental Essay Reflection Questions:

• Does your Purdue essay refer to 2-3 strong interests from your list?
• Do you present information not found in other areas of your application?
• Does your Purdue supplemental essay contain specific information about Purdue based on your research?
• Do you clearly explain to Purdue admissions how Purdue will help you pursue your interests?

Purdue Supplemental Essay — Prompt 2 ( Required )

Briefly discuss your reasons for pursuing the major you have selected. (100 words maximum).

The second of the Purdue supplemental essays is the typical “why major essay.” The “why major essay” is a common supplemental essay question that many schools require. Purdue is no different—they want to understand why you aim to pursue the field you’ve indicated on your application. 

The reality of the “why major essay” question is that schools want to know you’ve done your research on their programs. As a result of this, your “why major essay” for each school must relate to that school’s unique offerings. While you can include some general details, you should make sure this essay remains school-specific. 

Not all students know what they plan to major in. Choosing your college major is a big decision, and it requires plenty of forethought. This Purdue supplemental essay can be especially daunting if you’re unsure of your major, so let’s explore how to get around that. 

Brainstorming your major

Before starting to write this “why major essay,” think about the school subjects you enjoy. You may already identify as a lover of math or know you have the most fun in English class. However, Purdue University offers more than 200 different undergraduate majors across their 11 different colleges, so check the full list for options. This research will also help you show demonstrated interest in this Purdue supplemental essay.

When selecting a major for this Purdue application essay, think about the career you might want to pursue. You might consider the topics you have liked learning about, both inside and outside the classroom. If you’re having trouble selecting one major for this Purdue supplemental essay, choose the major you have the most compelling reasons to pursue.

Selecting a field of study for this Purdue supplemental essay might feel daunting. However, don’t be stressed about choosing a major. Instead, as you write your Purdue supplemental essay, focus on showing your intellectual curiosity and engagement with your studies. You can always change your major once you arrive on campus.

Using details

In order to write the best essay possible, include experiences that have made the biggest impact on your academic career. Have you had a teacher who drove you to explore more about their subject? Have you had work or volunteer experience that inspired you to pursue a particular major? Do you have a burning passion to support a specific cause? 

Your Purdue application essay should tell a story. So, highlight stories where you’ve engaged deeply with your chosen subject, whether directly or indirectly. In doing so, you’ll help readers understand why your chosen major excites you. This can help your Purdue supplemental essay showcase your intellectual curiosity.

Whatever major you choose, don’t just discuss the basic reasons why you enjoy it in this Purdue essay. Instead, go deeper. Think of this Purdue essay as a short narrative where you share moments in your life that have influenced you. A student who wants to major in electrical engineering might talk about getting a circuitry kit for Christmas and watching his dad repair wires around the house. She might then share how she helped the school robotics club win a competition. Find those formative moments in your life and use them as the foundation of your Purdue supplemental essay. Again, the best Purdue supplemental essay will be the most specific!

• Does your Purdue essay focus on the major that most interests you?
• Do you use specific details about how you came to love that major?
• Does your Purdue supplemental essay help your reader learn something new about you?

Purdue Honors College Essay Requirements

The Purdue Honors College is a separate program within Purdue University specifically designed for high-achieving students. Recently, the Purdue Honors College became formally known as the John Martinson Honors College. According to their website , “Martinson supports new programmatic initiatives which promote undergraduate research, scholarship and creative activity, leadership and professional development, global and community engagement, and innovative pedagogies.” 

You should research the Purdue Honors College thoroughly before deciding if you want to apply. Once you make the decision that the Purdue Honors College is right for you, it’s time to crack down on the Purdue Honors College essays.

The Purdue Honors College supplemental essay requirements are:

• 1 (500-word) Purdue supplemental essay about your vision for your honors experience at Purdue
• 1 (500-word) Purdue essay prompt about the interdisciplinary nature of your chosen field of study

Now, let’s break down each of the Purdue supplemental essays for the Purdue Honors College and talk about strategies to tackle each one. 

For more help on writing supplemental essays, click here . For help standing out in the college admissions process, read this article .

Purdue Honors College Essays- Question 1 

Explain your vision, ideas, or goals for how you hope to shape your honors experience while at purdue. please put this in the context of the four pillars which are the foundation of the john martinson honors college. (500 word maximum).

In order to answer the first of the Honors College Purdue essay prompts effectively, you need to reflect on your reasons for applying to the Honors College. Then, you need to connect those reasons to the four pillars that express the Honors College’s values. The best Purdue application essays will directly connect an applicant’s academic goals with the four pillars of the Purdue Honors College.

Understanding Purdue

Before starting this Purdue supplemental essay, you need to have a firm understanding of the four pillars mentioned in the prompt. These pillars are: community and global engagement, undergraduate research, leadership development, and interdisciplinary academics. Reviewing the Honors College mission statement will give you more information about the four pillars. You do not need to reference all four of these pillars in your Purdue essay; instead, focus on whichever ones best fit with your future plans.

Researching the Honors College beyond the four pillars can also help strengthen your Purdue supplemental essay. Start by browsing this year’s Honors College course list . Review some of the research projects done by past Honors students. As you brainstorm for your Purdue admissions essays, look for programs and projects that connect to your interests. You might see a course or research project that lines up with one of your passions. You can use that as evidence in your Purdue essay that the Honors College will provide an ideal learning environment to nurture your interests.

Making it about you

This Purdue essay prompt asks you to imagine how you would spend your time as a Purdue Honors student. That future will likely be rooted in your past experiences. Strong Purdue application essays, therefore, should use the four pillars of Purdue Honors to connect your past experiences to your future at Purdue. 

When you talk about your future, try to be as specific as possible. For instance, saying that you want to travel to India to study their culture is not as powerful as saying that you want to travel to India to research how native fashions have changed due to modern technology in this Purdue essay.

You can begin brainstorming for this Purdue supplemental essay by doing a fr e e-write based on this prompt: “If I could have any academic experience I want in college, what would it be?” Think about the questions you might explore or problems you would like to solve if you had the freedom to choose. Don’t limit yourself—the best way to start writing is to free yourself from any perfectionism. 

Use this Purdue admissions essay to share the subject that you could stay up all night researching or the idea you cannot get out of your head. Let your ambition come across in your writing, using the four pillars of the Honors College as the foundation for achieving your goals. Finally, help your reader envision how you would contribute to the Honors College in this Purdue supplemental essay.

• Does your Purdue essay clearly describe your goals for attending the Honors College?
• Do you include references to at least one of the four pillars of the Honors College?
• Does your Purdue supplemental essay indicate specific projects you might undertake or resources you might use as an Honors student?

Purdue Honors College Essays — Question 2

Please describe the interdisciplinary nature of your chosen field of study and how it complements or supports other fields. (examples: you might describe how your work in a liberal arts career may impact or inform the work of an engineer.) (500 word maximum).

The second of the Purdue application essays asks how your chosen subject connects to other fields. At first, this Purdue essay can seem daunting. After all, most high school classes are separated by subject without much room for interdisciplinary work. However, with a little creative thinking, you can develop relationships between just about any set of subjects and use those relationships to write a strong Purdue essay.

Finding an intersection

To get you started, here are a few examples of interdisciplinary study that would make good material for Purdue application essays:

• Creating a business plan for a health care clinic combines medicine with economics
• Volunteering at a music therapy provider combines Psychology and Music into an interdisciplinary field grounded in helping those with mental illnesses
• A project about the evolution of manufacturing technology combines history with engineering

These example topics for a Purdue supplemental essay represent a tiny fraction of the ways you could answer this prompt. Each of these potential Purdue application essays could also tie in with some of your activities from high school. 

You might also use your Purdue essay to consider what you have learned working with people who have different interests than yours and how you could bring that knowledge to your studies. Strong Purdue admissions essays can come from anywhere, so don’t limit yourself. 

Getting creative

If you struggle to form connections between academic fields based on your personal experience, you can use your imagination to come up with hypothetical situations that might foster collaboration across fields. These imaginary situations can still make for a great Purdue supplemental essay. 

For instance, as a lover of computer science, you might imagine its applications in the world of digital art to create vivid settings for a video game. The best Purdue supplemental essays will be unique and creative. Additionally, strong Purdue application essays will tell a story. The more you can use narratives to illustrate the wide range of uses for your discipline, the more successful your Purdue admissions essay will be.

Essays Reflection Questions for Purdue Honors College :

• Does your Purdue supplemental essay demonstrate your enthusiasm for your chosen field?
• Do you include a variety of possible connections between your chosen fields and other fields?
• Does your Purdue admissions essay use stories and examples to illustrate the connections between fields?

Want more helpful tips on how to approach your Purdue supplemental essays and other aspects of Purdue University’s application process? Check out this video below from Purdue’s senior assistant director of admissions! 

What does Purdue University look for in essays?

Your Purdue supplemental essays help the admissions team get to know you beyond your demographics, transcript, and activities list. Each Purdue essay also provides valuable insight into what kind of student you would be.

These specific Purdue essay prompts help the Purdue admissions committee understand how you will use your education at Purdue. Purdue looks for students who can articulate their interests and describe how Purdue’s resources will help them pursue these interests. Your Purdue application essays, then, should show the Purdue admissions team how Purdue would help you meet your goals.

Demonstrated Interest

The committee wants to see you show demonstrated interest (DI) in Purdue. DI is a gauge that universities use to determine how interested a student is in attending their school. To take advantage of this, use your Purdue application essays to explain exactly what about Purdue interests you. You don’t need to physically visit the campus to write strong Purdue supplemental essays. However, if you don’t visit , it helps to find other ways of showing your interest. These include contacting admissions officers, reviewing the school’s website, or attending a virtual information session/webinar.

The Purdue admissions team also wants to know if you can write clearly and concisely—an important skill for succeeding in college. So, ensure your writing is strong, clear, and free of any errors. Your Purdue application essays also show your attention to detail and passion for learning. Students who use the Purdue essay prompts to showcase their passions will definitely impress the admissions team.

How do I get into Purdue University?

Getting accepted into Purdue starts with filling out the Common Application and meeting the Purdue application requirements. On the Common Application, you will report your GPA, list your high school activities, and write a 250-650 word Common App essay. 

For the fall and spring of 2023, Purdue is test flexible . This means if you have the opportunity to take the SAT or ACT, Purdue admissions would prefer you do. This is different from test optional because test optional schools truly have no preference for test scores. Purdue, however, makes it clear that they would like to review test scores as part of your application if possible. Strong scores will only enhance your application . 

Purdue application requirements

Your GPA , course schedule, test scores, Common App essay, letters of recommendation , supplemental essays, and extracurricular activities comprise the Purdue application requirements and will all factor into the committee’s decision.

Last year, approximately 60,000 students applied to Purdue University. The median GPA range of accepted applicants was 3.5-3.9, the median SAT was 119-1410, and the median ACT was 26-33. As you can see, Purdue admits students with high scores, which contributes to the U.S. News Purdue University ranking.

Purdue University Application

In 2022, U.S. News assigned its Purdue University ranking among national universities at #51 overall. US News also named Purdue as one of the Top 10 most innovative universities in the last four years. Among public universities , the Purdue University ranking is #18 in the country. Purdue University’s top academic programs include Aerospace Engineering (where the Purdue University ranking is #5) and Biological/Agricultural Engineering (where the Purdue University ranking is #2). This makes Purdue a great fit for students specifically interested in those fields.

Finally, the Purdue University ranking attracts many applicants who view Purdue’s rankings as a sign of prestige. This means that Purdue supplemental essays will be used to determine which students are interested in attending for reasons beyond the Purdue University ranking. Remember, your Purdue supplemental essays are your chance to show the admissions team your genuine interest in the school. 

Looking to put your best foot forward when filling out the Common Application and writing the Common App essay? Check out this guide for helpful tips.

Top 5 Purdue Supplemental Essay Tips

How to write an outstanding purdue supplemental essay:, #1 – start early.

Be sure to leave yourself time to edit and revise each of your Purdue University supplemental essays. You don’t want to be drafting and editing a Purdue supplemental essay down to the wire.

#2 – Look at the big picture

When writing your Purdue supplemental essays, consider your application as a whole. Make sure that each Purdue supplemental essay explores something new about you. 

#3 – Be authentic

Don’t lie or exaggerate on your Purdue University supplemental essays. Each Purdue application essay is a chance for you to showcase who you are.

#4 – Show your unique self

These Purdue supplemental essays are an opportunity for you to stand out to Purdue admissions. Don’t generalize in your responses to the Purdue essay prompts. Instead, get specific about your experiences. Use the opportunity to not only demonstrate who you are, but also to show off your writing style.

#5 – Proofread, proofread, proofread!

Edit your essays . You don’t want to craft a stellar Purdue supplemental essay, only to have it marred by poor grammar or a spelling mistake. Have another person look over each Purdue supplemental essay before you submit it. 

Purdue Supplemental Essay — Final Thoughts

Although each Purdue supplemental essay is short, they are also incredibly important. Don’t think that a short essay will take you less time to write—often, short essays are the hardest to write. Given the Purdue University ranking, you should use every chance you get to stand out. This includes crafting strong Purdue supplemental essays.

Be yourself

The Purdue essay prompts help the admissions committee get to know the person behind the grades and test scores. Make sure that your Purdue supplemental essays are full of anecdotes and stories that show why you will succeed as a Purdue student! Let your readers know in each Purdue supplemental essay that you have done your research and thought about why you want to attend Purdue.

Ask for help!

And finally, seek help from trusted sources with editing your Purdue supplemental essays; sometimes a second opinion can help you improve your Purdue essays in unexpected ways.

This Purdue supplemental essays guide was written by Laura Frustaci.   Looking for more admissions support? Click  here  to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile and help you find targeted ways to increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how  CollegeAdvisor.com  can support you in the college application process.

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• Ryan Murphy
• Oct 11, 2018

How to Write Texas A&M (TAMU) Honors Essays

Texas A&M University, or TAMU, has a separate honors program application for college admissions. For the application, you have to answer a few short honors essay prompts. Today I will provide you some strategies and outlines for writing the best TAMU honors essays.

Prompt #1 :

Thousands of non-honors graduates of Texas A&M are well prepared for and obtain their first choice medical school, law school, graduate school, or employment after they graduate each year. If you were guaranteed the admission or job of your choice without being in the University Honors Program, why would the Honors Program be an essential experience for you? (250 words max.)

What is the the general strategy?

You want to show admissions officers that you have a reason for participating in the University Honors Program (a reason that goes beyond simple prestige).

In other words, they want to know that you have done your homework and know what kinds of opportunities TAMU honors offers students. Then they want to know that you can see yourself using these resources to their full potential.

After all, if they are claiming that regular students have great success, why would they waste a space on someone who doesn’t really know how they’d benefit from the University Honors Program?

You need to identify 1-2 KEY components of the honors program. Maybe there is more access to research. Maybe there are better relationships with professors. Maybe you have to complete a senior thesis. Whatever the case may be, focus only on a couple elements, so you can speak to those program offerings in detail.

What should your outline look like?

Paragraph 1 (50 words): Introduce why you think honors studies are generally important and identify the 1-2 key components of the TAMU honors program. Ex: You could say how you’ve taken honors classes in high school and how this rigorous environment has led to your best thinking. You think that TAMU honors represents the best environment because of its professor-mentored independent projects and access to high-end research materials.

Paragraph 2 (90 words): Describe Key Component #1 and how you would benefit from it. Ex: You talk about the importance of professor-mentored independent projects. You specify what your honors program offers and how this independence will be pivotal for creating cutting-edge technology for medical sciences.

Paragraph 3 (90 words): Describe Key Component #2 and how you would benefit from it. Ex: You talk about the resources that are more readily available to students and how these resources will be essential to applying lessons from the classroom.

Paragraph 4 (20 words): Conclude by restating your thesis and try to include a meaningful image or phrase that calls back the beginning of the essay or some thematic element. Ex: You reiterate the value of independence and research materials, and you call back the notion of pushing yourself as the best way to be successful and engaged.

Note: You may not have enough space to discuss two key components. In that case, simply combine Paragraphs 2 and 3 into a longer 180-word paragraph. My advice is to go deeper on fewer points, so that you can come across more realistically and meaningfully as a person behind the essay.

Prompt #2 :

What force of nature are you and why? To respond to this prompt, you may define “force of nature” as whatever that means to you from a cultural or disciplinary perspective. (250 words max.)

What is the general strategy?

Honors programs are known for their creative thinkers, regardless of discipline. This second question (and any like it) wants to see more of your personality, and more importantly, get admissions officers to understand your thinking. Honors students are typically people who think outside of the box, who conduct groundbreaking research, who found new and exciting businesses, who value both science and humanities, etc. You need to show that you are imaginative as well as mature, creative as well as thoughtful.

What do these traits mean for your essay? Well, there are a couple different approaches. For one, you want to think about what a “force of nature” is generally. Often we consider a force of nature something that breaks through all barriers, that doesn’t listen to directions. It can be both a good thing and a bad thing. It could be someone who gets work done but who also doesn’t care what others want. Obviously you will want to present yourself in the best way, so be mindful that your “force of nature” is one that is constructive and ultimately helpful.

Notice how the prompt also gives you two suggestions on how you could define “force of nature.” There is the “cultural” perspective and the “disciplinary” perspective. So, is a “force of nature” something related to your upbringing, or could it be something related to a field of study, such as researching medicine or creating works of art? And of course there is the literal meaning of “nature.” Could you be an agent of the natural world, out to do its bidding?

Let's think about a “force of nature” as a cultural trait. Maybe as part of your upbringing, your family taught you to be independent and verify the truth for yourself.

Now let's think about a “force of nature” as a term in your science field. Perhaps you can use one of the literal forces, such as gravity, as a way to define yourself. Perhaps people gravitate to you, and you connect others in meaningful ways.

Basically, there is no “wrong” answer to this question, but you should consider how your answer will reveal who you are and what you consider important. You have to make a choice on how you represent yourself.

My recommendation is that you choose something creative and fun, especially since the previous question will cover more “serious” topics. Remember that you want to be able to use each new essay as a way to showcase something different about your personality and background.

Paragraph 1 (50 words): Introduce how you define “force of nature,” providing a thesis that explains what kind of force of nature you are and why you are this particular force of nature. Ex: You define “force of nature” as it relates to your chosen field of study, physics, as one that is gravitational. You say that you are a gravitational force because you bind people to a single core mission.

Paragraph 2 (90 words): Provide the context, or definition, of “force of nature” and how you got to this definition. Then state that you see yourself as this force of nature. Ex: First you explain how, even though it is an essential, regular part of everyday life, gravity has always fascinated you. As a prospective physics major, you see its influence and have even studied it in high school through research and personal projects. With this background, you see yourself as a similar “force of nature.”

Paragraph 3 (90 words): Transition from the type of force of nature you are and say why you think you are this force of nature. Draw on past experiences to do so. Ex: You provide support to back up why you are a gravitational force of nature. You talk about experiences (focus on one good one) that illustrate how you draw people to a single goal.

Paragraph 4 (20 words): Restate the kind of force of nature you are and why, and end on an interesting image or phrase. Ex: You say again what force of nature you are and why. Then you end on an image about keeping Earth grounded (or something like that).

Okay! You should be all set to write TAMU honors essays that make an impression on the admissions officers. Of course, you want to make sure that you have a quality ApplyTexas A essay as well.

Planning to apply to Texas A&M honors and need more personalized feedback on your honors essays? Need help with other essays in your college applications? Get the best advice on how to revise and sharpen your unique image!

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Honors Program Guide

Introduction.

Opportunities for Independent Critical and Scholarly Work 

Completing the English major with honors allows students to do independent study on a topic they choose, to work closely with a faculty advisor, and to write a researched critical paper of about 50 pages. Students almost always find the Honors Program an incalculably satisfying project and a memorable achievement. Here and elsewhere, many graduate school applicants submit part of their honors thesis as a sample of their critical, scholarly work and their future promise as scholars. Students preparing for other career paths also write theses in their senior year.

When combined with the opportunity to study one-on-one with a scholar in a field of particular interest, to get a real taste of the pleasures of advanced work, to discuss work with other honors students, work on the honors thesis places students in an intellectual community, the memories of which they may well carry into future work and into other intellectual and professional endeavors.

Successfully completing an honors thesis requires sustained interest, ability, diligence, and enthusiasm—all qualities in large supply among Cornell English Majors.

Admission to the Honors Program

How to apply.

• Calculate your GPA for courses that qualify for the English major. A minimum English GPA of 3.7 is required to be eligible for the Honors Program.
• Confer with the Director of Honors and receive preliminary acceptance to the Honors Program. The Director of Honors is listed on the faculty page . 
• Complete the online  Honors Program Application . The Director of Honors will record their approval of your application with the department.
• Ask an English professor to be your honors thesis advisor and obtain email confirmation that they have agreed. Send your thesis advisor’s confirmation as an attachment (or have them email directly) to the Director of Honors and the Undergraduate Program Coordinator ( Aurora Ricardo, [email protected] ).

Requirements and Courses

The Honors Program is a three-course commitment in which students must complete:

ENGL 4910 (Pre-1800) or ENGL 4920 (Post-1800): Honors Seminar The purpose of the Honors Seminar is to acquaint students with methods of study and research to help them write their thesis.

• The seminar requires a substantial essay that incorporates evidence and critical material effectively, and develops an argument. Students need not take an Honors Seminar that applies directly to the subject of their honors thesis work.
• Plan to take the Honors Seminar in your junior year. If you plan to study abroad one semester of the junior year, you should take the Honors Seminar in the semester you are studying at Cornell. If you are spending the academic year abroad, you will need to take the Honors Seminar either in the first semester of your senior year—keeping in mind that you will also be enrolled in ENGL 4930 Honors Essay Tutorial I—or as a sophomore, with permission of the instructor.

ENGL 4930 (Fall) and ENGL 4940 (Spring): Honors Essay Tutorial I & II Students work one-on-one with their thesis advisor, meeting regularly on a mutually agreed upon schedule between the professor and the student. Students will also attend larger meetings of all honors candidates held by the Director of Honors.

• These semesters must be consecutive during the senior year . The Honors Essay Tutorial is a full-year independent study course taken for a letter grade (S/U grades are not an option for Honors Tutorials I and II).
• To enroll in your thesis advisor’s section of ENGL 4930/4940, you must have their approval and the Director of Honors' approval of your application on record with the department. 

While applying to the program and writing a thesis is not a guarantee that you will be awarded honors in English, most of our candidates who complete an honors thesis have been successful.

Stages of the Program

The semester-by-semester schedule below should give interested students an idea of the usual way honors candidates move through the program. Other patterns are possible, though. Some students know at the time they declare the English major that they wish to pursue honors, while others may discover later in their English studies a riveting interest they desire to pursue in-depth, and only then consider writing an honors thesis.

Early planning usually makes it easier to fulfill the Honors Program’s three-course commitment (Honors Seminar, Honors Essay Tutorial I, Honors Essay Tutorial II). But any English major with a strong record in literary studies and curiosity about a topic is welcome to talk to the Director of Honors, at any stage, about the possibility of becoming a candidate for English honors.

Sophomore year

• If you have a strong record, apply to the Honors Program in your second semester. Occasionally, students with especially strong motivation or a defined thesis plan whose major GPA is somewhat lower than the minimum will apply. The Director of Honors will then review their junior-year English grades to assess their eligibility to continue in the program.

Junior year

• Complete ENGL 4910/4920, the Honors Seminar. 
• Start to identify your thesis topic. 
• Confirm your thesis advisor. 
• Pre-enroll in your thesis advisor's section of ENGL 4930: Honors Essay Tutorial I.
• Ask for some suggestions for preparatory reading. Spend some time in the summer months reading primary texts and thinking about your topic, approach, and argument. If possible, be in occasional email contact with your advisor.

Senior year

First semester.

• As soon as your first semester senior year begins, consult with your thesis advisor about your topic, discuss requirements and procedures, and set up a schedule for regular meetings. If you did not pre-­enroll for ENGL 4930 you will need to do so.
• Peruse past submissions in the honors thesis archive .  
• a short prospectus or essay proposal
• a bibliography of available and relevant secondary or conceptual work on your topic
• an annotated bibliography of the work you wish to use, critique, and apply to your research
• about 20–30 pages of writing

Second Semester

• While enrolled in ENGL 4940, you will write the final draft of your honors thesis. Your advisor should read a few drafts of the final version, drafts which you should be submitting and revising under your advisor’s engaged supervision.
• Allow yourself the last two weeks to edit and proofread your thesis. Do not complicate your own project by trying to do too much at the last minute and not allowing time for the refinement of ideas and execution.
• Submit your thesis by the deadline in mid-April (or early November for those graduating in January).
• Enjoy the remainder of your final semester and graduate with Distinction in English!

Developing a Thesis Topic

Look over the papers you have written in your English courses. Some of the most successful honors theses have come out of coursework—including work completed for the Honors Seminar—that sparked curiosity and made a student want to go further and revisit and revise previous work.

Identify your interests; think about work you have done well in the past and about what work you would enjoy pursuing.

Brainstorm freely, dream, identify your intellectual interests and passions.  

Ask yourself: What project will nurture and sustain my interest for two semesters of independent study?  These suggestions should help you identify your topic for the honors thesis and should help you think about the advisor with whom you would enjoy working.

Honors Thesis Advisor

When choosing your honors thesis advisor, speak to faculty members who would be suitable for your project, keeping in mind that your thesis advisor should be in residence both semesters. The thesis advisor does not have to be the major advisor. You can consult the Director of Honors about appropriate advisors.

Most working relationships between honors candidates and their thesis advisors go well, and the learning is genial, exciting, and mutual. Many students recall their tutorial as a highlight of their Cornell experience, and professors, too, typically enjoy working with intellectually engaged students on a developing thesis. But if you realize that the shape your topic is taking calls on a different kind of expertise from the one represented by your thesis advisor, it is possible to change your advisors. Consult the Director of Honors for advice.

Thesis Grade and Honors Designation

Honors thesis grade.

The thesis writing process is determined in two parts:

• The entire course (Honors Essay Tutorial I in the Fall and Honors Essay Tutorial II in the Spring) will give you 8 credits. Your work for each semester will be graded by your thesis advisor.
• The completed honors thesis is read and assessed by two readers. One reader is the thesis advisor. The other is often a faculty member whose academic interests correspond to your topic. Readers write a report and assign a letter grade to the thesis. You will receive both your advisor's and second reader's reports.

Honors Level Designation

The Honors Committee, selected by the department Chair, assists the Director of Honors in determining the level of honors (Honors, High Honors, Highest Honors). They average the English GPA and the two thesis grades for each honors candidate and rank them. The Honors Committee assesses the theses as a whole. They may also consider the student’s performance in the English major and the student’s overall transcript.

Effective Spring 2026: Any level of honors in English will translate to a degree of Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in English. The English honors designation is not equivalent to Latin honors levels.

Honors Thesis Format

• Approximately 50 pages of text (not including endnotes and bibliography), double-spaced, 12-point type.
• Use either the MLA or Chicago manuals of style for footnotes or endnotes, quotations, internal citations, bibliographical entries, etc. Handbooks are accessible online as well as in printed form which can be purchased or used in libraries. 
• There are no predetermined formats for the title page, dedication page, or table of contents.

Honors Thesis Archive

Copies of past theses are available to view in the English office (250 GSH, M-F 9AM-4PM). The previous year’s submissions are kept for one year. Winners of the M.H. Abrams Thesis Prize are kept for five years. Theses cannot be removed from the office.

Students explore the archive in order to see how previous theses were formatted and titled, or to see a sampling of past topics.

Humanities Scholars Program

The departmental honors thesis may be used as Conference Presentation for the Humanities Scholars Program  (HSP). Students present their projects at the annual Humanities Scholars Conference in May.

HSP is an undergraduate program of the Cornell University College of Arts & Sciences that fosters independent, interdisciplinary undergraduate research in the humanities, and provides a supportive community, through a series of curated courses, structured mentorship, special programming, and research opportunities and funding. The program is housed in the historic Andrew Dickson White House on central campus.

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Example National Honor Society Essay: Scholarship and Service

• Written by The Hello College Team
• Last Updated on June 14, 2024

Showcasing Scholarship, Leadership, and Service

If you’re a high school student with a stellar grade point average, a passion for community service, a positive attitude, and aspirations to become a member of the prestigious National Honor Society (NHS), you’re on the right path toward success. One crucial step in your journey is writing a compelling NHS essay that showcases your scholarship, leadership, service, and good character. In this blog post, we’ll delve into the key elements of an exemplary NHS essay and provide an example national honor society essay to help you craft your own outstanding essay.

Understanding the National Honor Society

The National Honor Society is a prestigious organization that recognizes and honors high school students who excel academically and demonstrate exceptional leadership skills, community service, and good character . Membership in the NHS is not only a testament to your achievements but also a commitment to continued excellence in scholarship, leadership, service, and character.

Components of an Outstanding NHS Essay

• Scholarship: Begin your essay by highlighting your academic accomplishments. Mention your high school, school year, and impressive grade point average (GPA). Emphasize how your dedication to academics has shaped your character and instilled a sense of discipline.
• Leadership: Describe your leadership skills and experiences. Share instances where you’ve taken initiative, assumed responsibilities, or been a role model to your peers. Leadership is a crucial aspect of NHS membership.
• Service: Discuss your community service activities and how they’ve impacted you and your community. Show how your commitment to service aligns with the NHS’s core values of scholarship, leadership, and character.
• Character: Showcase your good character by providing examples of your ethical behavior, integrity, and positive attitude. Explain how your character traits have positively influenced your high school and community.

Example National Honor Society Essay

Title: “A Journey of Scholarship, Leadership, and Service”

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Dear members of the National Honor Society,

My name is [your name], and I am a proud [school year] student at [your high school]. With a grade point average of [your GPA], I am deeply committed to academic excellence. Through my dedication to learning, I have achieved high grades and developed valuable study habits and a strong work ethic.

Leadership has always been a defining aspect of my personality. In my sophomore year, I took the initiative to start a tutoring program at our school to help struggling students. As the program coordinator, I organized study sessions, recruited peer tutors, and mentored those in need. This experience allowed me to sharpen my leadership skills and become a role model for my peers.

Community service is another core value I hold dear. Over the past three years, I have actively participated in various service activities, including volunteering at the local food bank, organizing charity fundraisers, and participating in environmental cleanup initiatives. These experiences have taught me the importance of giving back to my community and have strengthened my commitment to service.

My good character is something I take immense pride in. Integrity, honesty, and a positive attitude are essential qualities that not only define who we are but also influence those around us. I strive to be a source of positivity and inspiration for my classmates, aiming to create a harmonious and encouraging atmosphere within our school.

I am deeply honored to be considered for membership in the National Honor Society (NHS). My commitment to scholarship, leadership, service, and character aligns with the core values of this prestigious organization. If granted the opportunity, I am eager to contribute my skills and dedication to further the mission of the NHS and continue to grow as a student and a citizen.

Thank you for considering my application.

Sincerely, [Your Name]

Crafting a winning NHS essay requires careful consideration of your accomplishments, values, and aspirations. By focusing on scholarship, leadership, service, and character, you can create a compelling narrative that highlights your suitability for membership in the National Honor Society. Use the example provided above as a template to guide you in writing your own outstanding NHS essay. Best of luck on your journey to becoming a member of this prestigious organization!

For more essay examples, read these posts:

How important are personal statements in college applications?

Talking about Mental Health in Your College Admissions Essay

And remember, if you need any advice or assistance on the college process, we are here to help.  HelloCollege offers expert consulting in financial aid and college enrollment to students just like you. Reach out today to learn how we can help make your enrollment and application process easier!

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Ace Your National Honor Society Essay with These Tips

Entering the National Honor Society can be a student's dream and requires devotion, good grades and expanding your interests into social activities, sports, and volunteering in your community. The NHS application is a sumptuous procedure and you'll need to compose an appropriate national honor application essay to get accepted. This essay will generally work as a recapitulation of your academic history, your dreams, and aspirations and your future plans. It is a decisive part of the application and needs to be written super carefully, with flair and method.

In fact, most chapters of NHS require an essay as part of your application for membership. The philosophy behind the essay varies; it might be a broad overview description of your academic achievements so far or work as a response to a specific question set and then insert your personal touch. Difficult as it might sound, the essay is, in fact, an opportunity to develop your full personality and convince the committee that yes, you are worthy of their attention. This means that acing it is a big step towards your goal to be accepted at the NHS, and there are tips to help you in the process.

Understand the philosophy behind the essay

Before even starting to write the essay structure, it is important to fully understand the philosophy behind the essay. In general, the NHS concept is based on four pillars: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. Define the criteria and prepare your thesis to meet them all. Make sure you make some preparatory notes of all your scholarships and grants, activities that would show the leader in you (i.e. captain of the school football team) and list all volunteering work you have done in the past. Remember to explain why volunteering to the specific cause is important to you and makes you passionate in your side notes-you will need them as you proceed writing the essay.

Then tell your personal story-in writing

Your life story is what makes you unique and the NHS appreciates personal journeys that are built with dedication and passion at a young age. Think of the essay as an introduction of who you actually are, where to do aim to go and then try to communicate it efficiently. Building the essay around a general idea will also help you focus; for example, if your passion is getting to college to acquire a Math Ph.D. then focus your writing on jour personal journey with Math in high school-your Grades, extra work assignments, and awards. If animals are your passion, volunteering in an animal's shelter can show your devotion to later become a vet, so work your way around it.

Introduce yourself in a professional yet unique way

Perfection is a matter of balance-and your essay should be an example of both professionalism and flair in equal doses. Don't reinvent your writing style in the process or try to experiment with writing styles that are not you. Be clever yet professional. If you are generally a funny person, add your touch with a funny intro, if your style is more academic, and then keep it simple and clean. What is important is that the style expresses your personality as much as the content and that both assist your final goal-to be accepted in the NHS.

Talk in detail about your grants and scholarship achievements

The NHS aims to include the best of the best and provide them opportunities for the future so you have to convince them you belong to the elite. Again, make a list of your grades, awards, and scholarships. Then structure a big part of your writing around them-but in detail. Speak about the grants or scholarships you won, the Physics award or about being top your class in the first semester-in this process, the more the better. Excelling in activities outside school is also important but keep that separate-your academic life should be your primary focus here. You can also list prestigious classes you attended or name the teachers you have worked with and helped you obtain your top grades-in this section, the more is the better.

Include your non-academic achievements and activities

The next step in composing your essay is to include all your community or volunteer work, your activities and hobbies. Don't just list them-the idea here is to showcase your character traits and full personality. Again, the NHS is focusing on leadership, service, and character so structure them in order to meet those criteria. Where you the captain of a sports team? Did you do volunteering work at your city's animal shelter? Or participated in the theatre group at your school? Write them all down and then describe your character and qualities through them. Creativity, leadership and a collaborative manner within a team all work in your favor so don't be shy to mention your problem-solving qualities or focus on your best moments.

Acing the essay doesn't require you exaggerating on your achievements—the board members are well seasoned and can see past an essay whose focus is to impress. The key here is to be sincere-present your qualities and then mention your flaws. Make note that yes, you do have flaws but you are working to better yourself constantly. This is the kind of devotion that can make your flaws even work in favor of your application if presented correctly. Mentioning, for example, that you are a perfectionist but you are working to leave space for more creativity in what you do cannot do you harm—on the contrary.

Structure it appropriately

Writing a long essay is an arduous task—what makes a great one stand out and grasp the attention of the reader is structure. Decide what the focus of the essay should be and then structure all your information accordingly. The focus can be your love for a specific class or your future aspiration to be a lawyer and what you do to help you get there. Start from academic achievements, then pass to grants and scholarships, then mention your non-academic activities. Double-check you are following the structure in a way that your essay is clear, easy to be read and that communicates your message. This uniqueness will also make you stand out from the crowd and be remembered.

Introduce your paper in a clever and catchy way

Another great tip is to introduce your paper in a clever and catchy way; pick a life incident that you feel is important and then develop the whole essay around it. A trip with the boy scouts, a school incident or you starring at the school play can work well if you find the right angle, the one that will showcase your devotion and wit. You can also write about your experience working with a particular teacher or on a particular project that you loved. The introduction is where you can both catch the attention of the reader and evolve your full essay after it, so be creative. Again, balance is key, so never lose sight you are actually writing a well-structured NHS essay and not the intro of a novel so stay focused throughout your writing.

Write a killer conclusion

You have written all the boring stuff, elaborated on your academic qualities and presented your community work; now it's time to close the essay with a killer conclusion the board will remember. This, in fact, is the part where you can become more creative and show that you are also good at communicating your message so use whatever you feel best represents you. A school incident where you show your values or leadership qualities can work and so can your aspiration to enter college and get the job of your dreams. More of a creative type? This is the place where you can use a famous person's saying that best represents you and elaborate on it-or a moment in your school life that has defined you.

Proofread it, and then again!

Proofreading is key; you just can't convince your readers you are a straight-A student with spelling mistakes, and even the smallest of them can very well ruin an otherwise perfect essay so be focused and double-check everything. Then have a member of your family, your teacher, or a professional editor to check it again for mistakes you can spot by using automatic spell correctors. A crown is different from a crowd but it's hard for the spell checker to spot what you are trying to say, so be extra careful. Make sure the essay flows effortlessly and that you don't exaggerate on promoting yourself—this can be alienating and not work on your favor. Be perfect but be yourself along the way.

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Honors College Essay tips?

Hi friends!

I'm currently writing my essay for the honors college essay and am having some serious writing block when it comes to the part of the prompt that asks me to write about myself. I normally have no issues writing essays, but I'm just kind of lost on how to write the essay about myself. Does anyone have any tips for what I can do to write the essay about myself? This should be easy for me but I'm having a super difficult time with it for seemingly no reason.

Thanks so much and Roll Tide!

(The full prompt is "Write a short essay about yourself, your career goals, and the way in which you expect the Honors College to enrich your academic experience at The University of Alabama." if anyone needed that!)

How to Write a National Junior Honor Society Essay

National Honor Society Essay Ideas

The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) recognizes students that excel academically and that have demonstrated strong leadership and committed service to their communities. The NJHS is open to students in grades 6 through 9. To determine eligibility, the NJHS considers candidates' fitness based on the criteria of Scholarship, Leadership, Character, Service and Citizenship, in order to select students who have both a great academic performance, and also a well-rounded presence in their school community. Students who have a qualifying grade point average and are interesting in joining the NJHS can fill out an application set by their local chapter, which often includes an essay detailing their qualifications.

Plan Your Essay

Start by brainstorming the key ideas of your essay. For this step, think about what accomplishments show that you meet the criteria for the NJHS. Then, sketch out the structure of your essay before drafting so that it is organized and efficient. This way, you will have an easier time writing a balanced essay that substantially treats each of your important topics.

Highlight Your Academic Achievements

First, discuss your scholarly achievements. NJHS membership is offered only to students that have demonstrated academic excellence. List your grade point average, class rank and any awards, such as Honor Roll, that recognize your scholarly achievements. Also list honors, college prep or advanced placement courses that you have taken or in which you are currently enrolled. It is important to prove not only that you have succeeded academically, but also that you have challenged yourself academically.

Discuss Your Leadership

Next, highlight your leadership experience. For instance, if you have served as a class officer or in any leadership position in an extracurricular activity, include details of such experience. Also discuss your leadership in sports, if applicable. If you have served as a team captain, say so. Indicate whether you were elected or appointed. The NJHS looks for students that are involved in activities beyond the classroom and that stand out as leaders to adults and to their peers.

Show How You Have Been Of Service

To evaluate service, the NJHS looks for students who have given back to their communities without being paid, so this is a good place to highlight your volunteer experience. List all service organizations in which you are actively involved and detail your participation in community service, including church-related service projects.

Highlight Your Character

When evaluating character, the NJHS is looking for students who are cooperative, honest, reliable, courteous, concerned for others and respectful. Think of ways that you have shown these characteristics. Consider sharing a story that bespeaks your strong character and ethical integrity, but keep stories brief. Stay focused on the essay.

Show You Are A Good Citizen

The NJHS looks for students that understand the importance of civic engagement, shown through their involvement in groups both inside and outside school. Detail your participation in extracurricular activities such as Scouts or community-focused groups. Demonstrate that you care about being involved in efforts that advance society.

Edit Your Essay

Before you submit your essay, read it again to make sure that it is your best work, accurately describes you, and is free from typos or errors. Ask a teacher or parent to read your essay for grammar and content before submitting it with your application.

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Audrey Farley began writing professionally in 2007. She has been featured in various issues of "The Mountain Echo" and "The Messenger." Farley has a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Richmond and a Master of Arts in English literature from Virginia Commonwealth University. She teaches English composition at a community college.

The Admissions Criteria That Top Schools Really Care About

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Harvard College Admissions

When navigating the competitive college admissions process at Ivy League and other top schools, it’s easy to get lost in a sea of advice, myths, and speculation. Parents, school counselors, and successful applicants are often eager to share their opinions about what truly matters to admissions officers, and weeding through this plethora of information can quickly become overwhelming. While prospective students cannot know for certain what admissions committees’ deliberations look like, there are ways to gain insight into what schools value most in their admissions considerations. For instance, the lawsuit against Harvard revealed that admissions officers rate students on a scale of 1–6 (with 1 being the most desirable score) on the basis of their academic, extracurricular, athletic, and personal skill sets. While the lawsuit offered unique insight into Harvard’s admissions process that isn’t readily available for all other institutions, there are still ways to determine institutions’ primary considerations—the most accessible being the Common Data Sets (CDS).

The CDS is a detailed report compiled by colleges and universities to share their institutional data, including admission statistics and criteria. Each school’s report includes a lengthy list of admissions considerations from class rank to interviews, talent, legacy status, state residency, essays, and extracurriculars. Colleges indicate the level of importance that each item bears in their admissions process (ranging from “very important,” to “important,” “considered,” and “not considered”). While the information is not comprehensive—for instance, understanding that a school values extracurricular activities does not tell us what kind of involvement the school looks for—it can be a helpful starting point for students as they strategize for the admissions process.

Here’s what the most recent CDS tells us about the admissions criteria top colleges care the most about:

Rigor of Secondary Record

Very Important At Schools Such As : Berkeley , Johns Hopkins , Tulane , UCLA

While many students focus their energy on upping their GPA, it is critical to note that top schools care just as much about the caliber of classes students enroll in. Having a 4.0 means nothing if a student is simply acing the easiest classes available to them. Almost every Ivy League and top school lists the rigor of a student’s academic record as “very important” in their CDS report. As such, students should start enrolling in the most challenging courses available at their school early in their high school careers—whether APs, IBs, or Honors classes. This is particularly important for coursework related to a student’s intended area of study.

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Application Essay

Very Important At Schools Such As : Stanford , Princeton , Brown

The application essay is an important element of a student’s application because it showcases multiple facets of their candidacy—not only can it demonstrate their academic skills through their strong command of language, but it is also an opportunity for students to share the intangible elements of their candidacy such as their talents, personal qualities, and character (all factors that are listed as “very important” alongside the application essay at all of the schools listed above). Students should strive to compose essays that stand out through their creativity and originality, and that authentically represent their distinct voices.

Extracurricular Activities

Very Important At Schools Such As : Dartmouth , Vanderbilt , Yale

For many Ivy League and top schools, what students accomplish outside of the classroom is equally important as what they accomplish in it. Though not explicitly stated in their Common Data Sets, we know from experience that top schools look for students who demonstrate significant involvement in a few key activities rather than superficial participation in many. This depth of commitment indicates that students can balance multiple responsibilities and contribute meaningfully to campus life. Therefore, students should start to hone their passions and identify opportunities for leadership in activities that they are passionate about early in their high school careers.

Character / Personal Qualities

Very Important At Schools Such As : NYU , Notre Dame , Carnegie Mellon

As a part of the holistic application review process, schools evaluate more than students’ on-paper accomplishments—they also care about how a student’s values, personality, and defining characteristics make them a unique fit for their campus community. What intangible qualities are colleges looking for? This largely depends on the school to which students are applying, but the best way to determine which characteristics to highlight is to read about the college’s mission and values and determine where their own personal qualities align. For example, Carnegie Mellon looks for students who demonstrate “leadership, motivation, passion and perseverance, concern and advocacy for others.”

Recommendations

Very Important At Schools Such As : Northeastern , Emory , Amherst

Letters of recommendation offer qualitative information about students’ academic skills and character, whereas numerical values such as GPA, test scores, and class rank provide quantitative information. They are particularly important because they are the only element of a student’s application that offers a third-party evaluation of students’ skill sets. As such, students should approach these letters with as much strategy and thoughtfulness as other elements of their applications. Every student should select teachers who have thorough knowledge of their academic skills (ideally in the discipline they intend to pursue) and who they have established relationships with over the course of their high school career. Students can also use these recommendations strategically to fill in gaps in their other materials—for instance, if a student struggled academically their junior year, a teacher can attest to their growth and progress over time; or, if a student had a challenging family circumstance, a school counselor can share how they overcame personal difficulties and flourished as a community member and scholar.

Every college has its own unique campus character and institutional values, and thus places emphasis on different elements of students’ applications. Understanding which criteria are particularly important to the schools to which they are applying will help students prepare thoughtfully and strategically throughout their high school careers, ensuring that they enter the application season with confidence and preparation.

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How to Write the University at Buffalo Honors Essay 2023-2024

The State University of New York at Buffalo (University at Buffalo) is a public university located in Buffalo, New York. It boasts a large, suburban campus and consistently ranks in the top 100 national universities. 

When it comes to admissions, UB is moderately competitive. While there’s no supplement for all applicants, there is one for the Honors College. Here’s how to write a standout response to their prompt.

Want to know your chances at UB? Calculate your chances for free right now . 

UB Honors Supplemental Essay Prompt

Ub honors scholars are characterized by intellectual curiosity, a broad range of interests, and a commitment to a diverse and inclusive society. what experiences have helped to broaden your perspectives academically, socially and culturally what experiences do you hope to have that will enlarge your understanding of the cultural richness of america and the world please be as specific as possible in your answer. (650 words), understanding the prompt.

This prompt allows the admissions committee to get a sense of your values–and what you will contribute to the UB community. A prompt like this has no one “right answer”; your aim should be to find detailed, compelling examples that show : 

• Your understanding and appreciation of intellectual curiosity, diversity, and inclusivity
• What you will contribute to the UB Honors college community’s intellectually curious, diverse, and inclusive community

This means that the only “wrong” answer would be one that shows a lack of understanding of the values that the UB Honors College expressly prioritizes.

With this in mind, let’s take a minute to understand what each of these values means:

1. Intellectual curiosity

Most basically, intellectual curiosity means a desire to ask and answer questions—to learn. “Intellectual curiosity” is a broad enough term that it can fit many different kinds of people. For example:

• You can be intellectually curious by always having questions about everything you encounter in the world around you. Maybe you’re the person who is always eager to ask “why,” whether at a theater performance or in biology class.
• Or you can be intellectually curious by being passionate about a particular set of issues or questions. Maybe you care deeply about how humans can improve the standard of living of the poorest among us, and you are passionate about asking questions in many disciplines—economics, politics, agricultural sciences, sociology—to begin to solve this problem.

2. A broad range of interests

Though many programs encourage specialization (academically and professionally), the UB Honors College is not one such program. The honors college sees itself as a small liberal arts college within the large UB university. A liberal arts education fundamentally is centered on the idea of giving students a varied educational experience, exposing them to different areas of knowledge and inquiry. “A broad range of interests” does not have to mean that you’re interested in everything; it should, however, involve interests that go beyond one set professional or academic path. Consider these two cases:

• Narrow interests: Imagine that you are passionate about math and want to take as many math courses as possible and do as many math-related activities as possible, with the long-term goal of being an academic mathematician. If this is the case, you might not be a good fit for the Honors Program’s “broad range of interests.”
• Broad interests: Imagine that you are passionate about math (and plan to become a mathematician) but also want to understand history, economics, and the arts in order to be a more informed citizen. If you have these interests—and, ideally, a track record of participating in and exploring these non-math areas—then you might be a great fit for the Honors Program.

3. A diverse and inclusive society 

Diversity and inclusivity have become buzzwords; we all think that we know what they mean—and, to an extent, your understanding of these terms is probably right. Fundamentally, diversity and inclusivity have to do with valuing and celebrating the different backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences that come with being part of a multicultural, multi-religious, multiethnic society. Inclusivity places particular emphasis on finding ways to draw in and celebrate those who have historically been excluded from or oppressed by society. 

However, keep in mind that diversity and inclusivity can also have to do with:

• Economic diversity: Including students from different economic backgrounds in an intellectual community.
• Intellectual diversity: Including students with varied political or ideological beliefs in an intellectual community. 
• Geographic diversity within the US: Though international students provide the most vibrant and obvious diversity at many US Universities, students from under-represented areas of the US can also contribute to a school’s diversity. 

Choosing Past Experiences to Write About

The key part of the prompt asks: 

What experiences have helped to broaden your perspectives academically, socially and culturally? 

In an essay like this, it can be tempting to go for quantity over quantity—if you have many experiences that seem to fit the prompt, including as many of them as possible can seem like the right way to go. However, the strongest responses to a prompt like this will focus on just one or two (three at the most) related experience to weave a detailed, compelling picture of how your values fit with those of UB.

When writing about your experiences, your aim should be to show not tell . This means picking specific “moments” from each experience to bring the experience to life. Here’s a mini example:

Telling: During my exchange trip to Italy, I spent as much time as I could talking with the locals and learning about their cultural practices. 

Note that this is a very general summary of the writer’s experience; vivid details do not shine through, and the reader does not get much of a sense of what the writer saw, felt, or did. 

Showing: One morning, I looked up from my customary espresso to find a friendly, wrinkled face across the table from me. My new friend, patient with my imperfect Italian comprehension, told me stories about her farm where she had lived as a child, before poor economic conditions forced her family to sell their land and move to the city.

This little anecdote puts the reader “in the moment”; it clearly conveys that the writer spoke with locals and learned their stories, but it does so through one engaging story, rather than through general summary.

With this point in mind (about “showing not telling”), consider these examples of experiences someone might write about. They demonstrate the variety of experiences that could fit this part of the essay prompt:

A student who did an exchange trip to Japan and also worked at a Mexican restaurant could write about these two very different experiences. 

• The student could pick a “moment” from their experience in Japan that shows how they encountered different academic and social norms in Japan.
• Then, they could describe different specific aspects of their work in a Mexican restaurant, showing what they learned about food and culture. 
• Zooming out, the student could give examples of how these experiences have helped them connect with those who are different from them in their daily life. 

A student whose parents got divorced while she was in middle school could write about this experience and about how, around the same time, she began volunteering at a nursing home in her community. 

• Using vivid, detailed “moments” (for example, a specific moment when she could not focus), the student could explain how her parents’ divorce was socially and academically difficult for her, since it distracted her from friends and school. 
• Then, she could show how this experience motivated her to develop specific new study habits and social skills, and to volunteer at the local nursing home. 
• Next, the student could describe how this volunteering experience exposed her to elderly people of varied cultural and economic backgrounds, allowing her to put aside her own personal turmoil and focus on listening and learning. The writer could pick one or two specific friends from the nursing home to write about in detail.

Choosing Future Experience to Write About

The second part of the prompt asks:

What experiences do you hope to have that will enlarge your understanding of the cultural richness of America and the world? 

This is what we call a “forward-looking” question. By asking both this question and one about your past experiences, the admissions committee is trying to understand not only who you are now, but how your past experiences have shaped your future goals. 

This part of the prompt is a key place to pivot to think specifically about the Honors College and your goals for college. In other words, college is a great time to enlarge your understanding of the country or world’s cultural richness. Here, your goal should be to still stay specific and to create continuity between the past- and forward-looking parts of your essay. 

What to Avoid

Writing about very vague or generic experiences (meeting other students, talking with your peers)

Engaging with other students in college is a critical and fruitful part of the college experience; however, you should do your best to identify a forum for engagement that will show the specificity and sincerity of your hopes. This could mean extracurriculars, discussion groups, or even just shared, informal activities like cooking or game nights.

Writing about the exact same experiences that you’ve already had

If you’ve done an exchange in Japan in high school, writing that you want to go back through a similar program in college will likely not show growth or a desire to push your understanding further.

However, you could instead write about how you want to pursue an internship in Japan or go there for research or another experience that is meaningfully different (presumably more in-depth) than the experiences you’ve already had.

Writing about experiences just because they seem “impressive”

Many college applicants feel pressure to express interest in activities that are competitive or come with high prestige. However, a prompt like this one is all about understanding your values and how you connect with other people. This means your priority should be authenticity. 

For example, you have not demonstrated any interest in Model UN or international relations more generally, it would not feel cohesive if you wrote about how you plan to broaden your cultural perspective by joining Model UN in college (unless you are able to come up with a compelling, personal reason for branching out into this entirely new field). 

Aside from these common pitfalls, there is, again, no one “right” way to answer this prompt. However, here are two ways that the examples above could answer the second question in the prompt:

• The student who wrote about his experiences in Japan and working in a Mexican restaurant could write about how he hopes to get involved in the UB Honors College’s international cafe, which exposes students to food and practice from different cultures. 
• He could also write about how he hopes to travel back to Japan to learn more about Japanese culinary traditions, which were not his focus during his first (academically-focused) visit.
• The student who wrote about her parents’ divorce and her work in a nursing home could write about how she hopes to study different models for caring for the aging in different cultures.
• The writer could explain how her experiences have showed her that how a society treats its oldest citizens offers key insight into social and cultural values and norms. 
• She could cite specific UB courses and resources opportunities that would allow her to study this topic, such as the Gerontology minor, which focuses on the study of aging.

Where to Get Your UB Essay Edited

Do you want feedback on your UB essay? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

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Nicholas Kristof

What Have We Liberals Done to the West Coast?

By Nicholas Kristof

Opinion Columnist, reporting from Portland, Ore.

As Democrats make their case to voters around the country this fall, one challenge is that some of the bluest parts of the country — cities on the West Coast — are a mess.

Centrist voters can reasonably ask: Why put liberals in charge nationally when the places where they have greatest control are plagued by homelessness, crime and dysfunction?

I’ll try to answer that question in a moment, but liberals like me do need to face the painful fact that something has gone badly wrong where we’re in charge, from San Diego to Seattle. I’m an Oregonian who bores people at cocktail parties by singing the praises of the West, but the truth is that too often we offer a version of progressivism that doesn’t result in progress.

We are more likely to believe that “housing is a human right” than conservatives in Florida or Texas, but less likely to actually get people housed. We accept a yawning gulf between our values and our outcomes.

Conservatives argue that the problem is simply the left. Michael Shellenberger wrote a tough book denouncing what he called “San Fransicko” with the subtitle “Why Progressives Ruin Cities.” Yet that doesn’t ring true to me.

Democratic states enjoy a life expectancy two years longer than Republican states. Per capita G.D.P. in Democratic states is 29 percent higher than in G.O.P. states, and child poverty is lower. Education is generally better in blue states, with more kids graduating from high school and college. The gulf in well-being between blue states and red states is growing wider, not narrower.

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Japan study downplays complex grammar in improving English writing skills

English learners may improve their writing skills in the language if they focus on making good arguments rather than mastering complex grammar and vocabulary, according to new Japanese research.

In 2023, Yasuda conducted an experiment in which she had 102 students at a public secondary school in Japan write an argumentative essay on an assigned topic in English. She then let two writing experts — who did not know the purpose of the experiment — grade their essays.

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