Apply to the Honors College

Incoming First-Year Honors Student Application

The Honors College welcomes applications from all students who feel like our distinctive interdisciplinary, seminar-style learning approach will enhance their experience at Westminster University. Because the Honors College classroom embraces multiple perspectives, the diversity of student voices is central to the success of this environment.

We examine applications holistically and do not use standardized test scores in the admissions process for the Honors College. There is no minimum ACT/SAT score nor GPA to apply to the Honors College and Westminster University is a test-optional institution. However, students who wish to include test scores in their general university application may do so.

While interviews are not required of applicants, we strongly encourage prospective students to visit campus, attend an Honors College seminar, and meet with the dean or assistant dean of the Honors College. Schedule a visit to campus or email Richard Badenhausen, Honors College recruiter, at rbadenhausen@westmisnteru.edu to discuss virtual visit options.

How to Apply

Step 1: Apply for admission to Westminster

Honors College applicants must first complete a Westminster University application. If you have not already completed a Westminster application, follow the steps to apply online.

If you have questions about your admissions status at Westminster University, call the Admissions Office at 801.832.2200 or toll-free at 800.748.4753, or email at admission@westminsteru.edu.

Step 2: Apply to the Honors College

Complete the Honors College application on your student portal. You also need to include an original, short, typed essay (1–3 pages) in your application that addresses 1 of the following topics:

1. Describe one of your quirks and how/why it is central to your identity.
2. Looking back on her own education, bell hooks recalled that “the classroom began to feel more like a prison, a place of punishment and confinement rather than a place of promise and possibility.” Thinking about your own identity and history as a learner, write an essay that specifies what a classroom that is a “place of promise and possibility” might look like for you.
3. Cultural critic Sara Ahmed notes that “where we find happiness teaches us what we value rather than simply what is of value.” Using this distinction as a jumping-off point, discuss where you find happiness and how that location reflects your values.

Application Deadlines

• Dec. 2, 2024: Priority Deadline
• April 1, 2025: Regular Deadline

Admission to the Honors College is offered on a rolling basis. Applicants who apply by the priority deadline will receive a decision by the December holidays.

APPLY TO THE HONORS COLLEGE

Honors Academic Excellence Scholarship

The Honors College awards a $5,000 scholarship annually to 4 incoming first-year students who show particular promise and interest in academic excellence, campus leadership and visibility, and the unique learning environment of the Honors College. Your Honors College application will not be affected in any way by whether or not you apply for this scholarship.

• Required Essay: The Honors College Academic Excellence Scholarship supports students who have the reflective capacity to excel in the unique honors learning environment and be active leaders in the honors community. Demonstrate your understanding of how one can grow as a leader by writing an essay (1–3 pages) that reflects on novelist Toni Morrison’s advice to those who hold influential positions — “If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else” (2003 Interview) — by discussing a past experience where you’ve witnessed this phenomenon.
• Optional Supplemental Video: In a 1977 speech to the students of Douglass College, poet Adrienne Rich encouraged students to "claim" their education rather than "receive" it. In a video of up to 2 minutes, discuss how you understand the difference between those 2 approaches to education and how you plan to "claim" your education in the Honors College at Westminster University.

Scholarship Application Deadline

February 4, 2025: First-Year Students

Learn more and apply

If you have questions about your admissions status at Westminster University, call the Admissions Office at 801.832.2200 or toll-free at 800.748.4753, or email the office at admission@westminsteru.edu.

There are a limited number of spots in the Honors College available for transfer students from other institutions through the lateral-entry pathway. Admitted students take 4 Honors College seminars and earn an Honors certificate while also satisfying all their Westminster general education requirements (WCore). Applicants must have successfully completed at least 2 general-education classes for which they receive WCore credit before starting classes in the Honors College.

How to Apply

Step 1: Apply for Admission to Westminster

Honors College applicants must first complete a Westminster University application. If you have not already completed a Westminster application, follow the steps to apply online.

If you have questions about your admissions status at Westminster University, call the Admissions Office at 801.832.2200 or toll-free at 800.748.4753, or email the office at admission@westminsteru.edu.

Step 2: Apply to the Honors College

Complete the Honors College application by uploading required materials to your student portal. You will need to include the following in your application:

• A short, typed 1–3 page essay which explains why you are a suitable candidate for the Honors College and how its classes and co-curricular programs will help you achieve your academic goals
• A separate graded, college-level essay

Additionally, confirm that a faculty member has submitted your Letter of Recommendation Form. This form will automatically be sent to your recommenders upon completion of your application.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application Deadline

June 2, 2025: Transfer Students

APPLY TO THE HONORS COLLEGE

Transfer Scholarship

The Honors College awards $2,500 scholarships annually to transfer students who show particular promise and interest in academic excellence, campus leadership and visibility, and the unique learning environment of the Honors College. Your Honors College application will not be affected in any way by whether or not you apply for this scholarship.

You will be able to include the following in your application:

• Required Essay: The Honors College Transfer Scholarship supports students who have the reflective capacity to excel in the unique honors learning environment and be active leaders in the honors community. Demonstrate your understanding of how one can grow as a leader by writing an essay (1–3 pages) that reflects on novelist Toni Morrison’s advice to those who hold influential positions — “If you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else” (2003 Interview) — by discussing a past experience where you’ve witnessed this phenomenon.
• Optional Supplemental Video: In a 1977 speech to the students of Douglass College, poet Adrienne Rich encouraged students to "claim" their education rather than "receive" it. In a video of up to 2 minutes, discuss how you understand the difference between those 2 approaches to education and how you plan to "claim" your education in the Honors College at Westminster University.

If you have questions about the scholarship, call the Admissions Office at 801.832.2200 or toll-free at 800.748.4753, or email the office at admission@westminsteru.edu.

Scholarship Application Deadline

June 2, 2025: Transfer Students

APPLY FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP

There are a limited number of spots in the Honors College available for current Westminster University students (typically in their first year) who are not yet members of the Honors College. Admitted students take 4 Honors seminars and earn an Honors certificate while also satisfying all their remaining Westminster University general education requirements (WCore). Applicants must have successfully completed at least 2 WCore courses before starting classes in the Honors College.

How to Apply

Complete the Honors College application. You will need to email the following application materials to Richard Badenhausen, Honors College dean, at rbadenhausen@westmisnteru.edu:

• A 1–3 page, typed honors essay (explains why you are a suitable candidate for the Honors College and how its classes and co-curricular programs will help you achieve your academic goals)
• A graded, college-level essay
• A letter of recommendation from a faculty member
• Current transcript

You will also need to schedule a visit to an Honors College seminar and a conversation with the Honors College dean or assistant dean. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Application Deadline

March 17, 2025: Current Westminster University Students