HONORS PROGRAM APPLICATIONS
Please read this page carefully to determine which
application is right for you and what is
required. If you have any questions, please contact the Honors
Office at (808) 956-8391 or honors@hawaii.edu.Rolling Admissions
The Honors Program accepts applications year-round and has no set deadline. The May 1st deadline you may see on various pages is ONLY in regards to those wishing to live in on-campus Honors Housing. If you want to live off-campus or on-campus but not in an Honors hall, then you can apply whenever you want!
The Honors Program has various entry points. The two most common are:
- First Year Admission into Selected Studies, the lower-division of the Honors Program, for incoming first-year students, primarily from high-school, but also from current UHM students.
- Junior Admission for students ending their sophomore year or juniors in their first semester, who are entering into Upper Division Honors.
However, any first-year or sophomore may apply for Selected Studies, and any upper division student with at least three semesters before graduation may apply for Upper Division Honors.
Also, Honors students from other institutions who are attending the
University of Hawai΄i at Mānoa on an exchange program are welcome to
take Honors courses at the appropriate level. Please provide a current
transcript and arrange a letter from your home institution affirming
that you are an Honors student in good standing.
Selected Studies
1. First-year admission
If you are a high school senior who has been accepted for admission to UHM, you can enter the Honors Program by invitation or by nomination.
- By invitation:
Minimum qualifications:
High School GPA of 3.0 and 1800 SAT composite or ACT 27 composite.
If you meet these requirements you should automatically receive an invitation in the mail during the spring semester, which may be as early as the end of March or as late as the beginning of June, depending on when you were admitted to the University of Hawaii at Mānoa.
- Self-initiative:
If you do not meet the minimum qualifications, you can still apply to join the Honors Program by nomination. Applications are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. You will need to find a teacher or counselor to provide a recommendation for you.
2. Current UHM Students
Minimum qualifications: undergraduate GPA of 3.0
If you are a first year student or first semester sophomore enrolled
at UHM and would like to apply to join the Honors Program, you can still
apply by nomination. These applications are reviewed on a case-by-case
basis. You will need to find one UHM instructor to provide a
recommendation for you.
3. Transfer Students
If you are still a sophomore and have general education requirements
to fulfill, you should probably apply to Selected Studies. If you have
declared a major and you are nearly finished with general education
requirements, or you will soon be a Junior, you should apply to Upper
Division Honors.
Upper Division Honors
You must be accepted into Upper Division Honors both by the Honors Program and by your major department. Some departments have Honors ‘tracks’ for their majors (e.g. Economics, English, and Psychology) and others have established close relations with Honors (e.g. GES, Engineering, Political Science).
Please check here.
1. Students in Selected Studies
If received Sophomore Honors while in the Selected Studies program,
you are automatically continued into Upper-Division Honors, subject to
the approval of your major department. You simply need to complete the
short essay (max. 500 words) on "My Future and the Honors Program."
2. Other UHM Students
If you are not in the Selected Studies program and you wish to join the Upper Division Program, we welcome your application.
Please note: you will need 2 recommendations, 1 of which
must be from UHM instructors.
3. Transfer Students
If you meet our requirements and wish to join Honors, you should apply at the appropriate level: if you are still a sophomore and have general education requirements to fulfill, you should probably apply to Selected Studies; if you have declared a major and you are nearly finished with general education requirements, or you will soon be a Junior, you should apply to Upper-Division Honors.
Please note: you will need 2 recommendations, 1 of which must be from an instructor at your current institution.
If you are transferring from a UH community college with an Associates Degree with Honors, you may be automatically admitted to Honors, subject to the approval of your major department. You simply need to complete the short essay (max. 500 words) on "My Future and the Honors Program."
If you are transferring from an honors program at another institution, you may be automatically admitted to Selected Studies or Honors (in the latter case, subject to the approval of your major department). You simply need to complete the short essay required (max. 500 words). We will also request a letter from your honors progress attesting that you are in good standing.
