Frequently Asked Questions
What you might be wondering right now...
Do I have to take only Honors classes?
No, in fact you definitely won’t be taking only Honors courses. We encourage our students to take, on average, one Honors course each quarter, but there is flexibility with this recommendation. In autumn quarter of your first-year year, you are required to enroll in HONORS 100 (a 1 credit, introductory seminar), but you’re welcome and encouraged to take a 5 credit Honors course in addition to that as well. You will also register for two other courses, which may be wider UW requirements, major requirements, or electives.
What if I am having trouble fitting the Honors classes into my schedule?
The Interdisciplinary Honors curriculum is designed to be taken alongside requirements for your major, minor or other academic programs, and as such is purposefully flexible. Although we recommend students take one Honors course per quarter, you may find that some quarters you can’t fit in an Honors course. That’s fine! Just be aware that may necessitate you “making up” that Honors class at a later date, perhaps by taking two Honors classes during one quarter, studying abroad with Honors, or pursuing ad hoc Honors credits (ad hoc Honors is available for students who have completed their first quarter in Honors and would like to enhance a regular UW course to receive Honors credit. You must apply to earn ad hoc Honors credit).
How much will I study?
The UW standard is that for every hour you spend in class, you should spend two hours outside of class completing homework. Some weeks you may spend at least that much time or more on homework; other weeks you will spend less. Honors classes are no different. We fully expect that you will have time for an active social life; if you don’t, please schedule an appointment with an adviser so that we can evaluate your course selection.
Will doing Honors delay my graduation?
No – Honors courses (with the exception of the 1-credit HONORS 100 and HONORS 496 courses) are designed to overlap with your UW Areas of Inquiry requirements. Thus, you aren’t completing any more credits than you would be required to complete as a non-Honors student; you are simply substituting Honors coursework where you might otherwise be taking non-Honors coursework.
Will doing Honors lower my GPA?
We have found that as a general rule, Honors students’ grade point averages are virtually the same in Honors courses and their regular UW coursework. Honors courses are not intended to overload you with busy work but rather to allow you to engage more deeply in the subject. However, you should expect to be challenged in your Honors courses, and we expect a high level of investment and participation in our courses. If you find your grades are drastically lower in your Honors courses, please see an Honors adviser to evaluate your course selection.
If I am in the Honors Program, will studying abroad keep me from graduating on time?
Please consult with the advisers in the Honors Program, as study abroad should not hinder your graduation. The experiences you have abroad are just as valuable as the experiences you have on campus. There are several Honors study abroad options, as well as hundreds of study abroad options at the UW at large. You may also apply to pursue ad hoc work in a non-Honors study abroad program to earn Honors credit – consult with your advisers before applying! For more information on study abroad opportunities both through Honors and through the UW, browse our Honors Study Abroad opportunities and the UW Study Abroad website.
I received an offer of admission from Honors. Are there merit scholarships I can apply for?
All students who applied to the UW Honors program are considered for the small number of merit-based scholarships. Typically those offers are included with our offer of admissions to the Honors Program but in 2024 scholarship offers were sent separately from our offer of admissions to the Honors Program, due to the delay in access to FAFSA information. These scholarship offers were made via email by May 22, 2024 and we will not be able to make additional offers before June 1.
While we occasionally offer additional scholarships to incoming Honors students, we won’t make those notifications until after May 1, 2024. Should you choose to join the UW Honors Program you will be able to apply for our continuing student scholarships which current students can apply for each spring as first-year, sophomores, and juniors.
Outside of the Honors Program, there is an office on campus called the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards that serves to help students find and apply for scholarships once they are a current student. You can find more information about applying for financial aid at the UW here. Departments also sometimes have additional scholarships they award to students majoring in their given field. Outside of UW, some private institutions award scholarships as well, so that could be something else to look into. None of these options are guaranteed to provide funding, of course, but we encourage you to look investigate all of them.
Will completing a degree with Honors help me get into medical/law/grad school?
Our experience tells us that admissions committees at various post-graduate programs are fully aware of the value of having completed work at the most challenging level that an institution provides. There are a number of factors that govern admission to graduate programs, including overall grade point, qualification tests (e.g. MCAT, LSAT, GRE), the quality of an applicant’s personal statement, internships, appropriate experience, etc. An Honors program can help demonstrate that a student is invested in their education, but cannot by itself determine one’s future success. The Honors Program will challenge you to pursue experiences and opportunities which encourage academic and personal growth, but it will be up to the you to articulate the significance of their experiences and preparedness. That articulation is far more valuable than the Honors designation on your diploma.