Application Requirements
Honors College Admissions
Admission to WWU Honors is completed through a supplemental application process and is selective. Competitive Honors applicants clearly demonstrate a passion for challenging themselves in the classroom. All applications completed by the regular deadline will be thoroughly reviewed, and applications completed by the priority deadline will receive priority consideration.
The Honors College admits students at all levels:
- High School Students (including direct transfer (DTA) Running Start students)
- Transfer Students from other colleges and universities
- Current WWU Students
We recommend that students connect with us if they have any questions about the WWU Honors experience. New, incoming students to Western can sign up for a new student info session, and current Western students interested in joining Honors can sign up for academic advising with Dr. Linneman or Dr. Goldman to see how the Honors requirements will work with their current curriculum.
Honors Application Materials
Submit a sample of your best, analytical academic written work. Honors is interested in a student's ability to analyze issues, books, and so on, to frame and develop an argument. The writing sample should be an academic writing piece that provides an analysis or logical reasoning response for the committee to review. Most commonly these kinds of papers come from English and history classes. Although we do not need to see the graded work, we do ask that you refrain from updating your writing sample and submit your original work for the committee’s review.
Submit a personal essay answering both of the below prompts in a single document. This may be written as a single essay, in which the word count does not exceed 600 words. Or you may answer the prompts separately (but in the same document) keeping to a 300-word limit per prompt.
- At WWU Honors, our motto is to cultivate community by striving compassionately for knowledge. How do you see yourself upholding these community values while at Western and beyond?
- The Honors College curriculum is a combination of interdisciplinary study (the First-Year Sequence and Senior Seminars) and disciplinary study (Colloquia). Our courses unite around common conceptual pursuits, such as the nature of justice, power, and love; the processes by which humans make decisions and determine values; and the relationships between individuals and the communities they inhabit. Reflecting on your lived experiences, in what ways will/should these types of discussions contribute to your college experience and your future goals?
Letter(s) of recommendation from a teacher or counselor are highly recommended but not required.
The Honors admissions team has access and will review all materials you submit to WWU - including letters of recommendation submitted with your general application. With that in mind, it is more beneficial for you to submit different letters of recommendation than the ones you have already sent to WWU.
Letters of recommendation can also be submitted by emailing them to honors@wwu.edu.
Rolling Admissions
The Honors College at WWU uses rolling admissions to evaluate and admit students as applications are received. While uncommon, we may fill our cohort prior to the regular admissions deadline, so it is advised to apply early.
Priority Deadline
December 13, 2023
The priority deadline for the 2024 Honors application is December 13, 2023, at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).
All on-time, complete applications received by the priority deadline will be reviewed for a final decision or rolled into regular admissions review by early February.
Regular Deadline
February 13, 2024
The regular deadline for the 2024 Honors application is February 13, 2024, at 11:59 PM (Pacific Time).
All on-time, complete applications will receive a final decision no later than mid-March.