February 26, 2025

Ava Michler’s Path to Honors

For this week’s Community Spotlight, we wanted to highlight Ava Michler, a UW Honors student who entered the program through second-year admissions. Continue reading as she shares how she was introduced to the Honors Program and her experiences within it:

What made you apply to Honors through second-year admissions? “I applied for Honors second-year admissions because my roommate was in Honors and encouraged me to apply. I was looking for community at the UW and I knew Honors would give me an opportunity to connect with other students in smaller group settings.”

What has been the most surprising part of Honors? Your favorite part? “Something I didn’t expect when joining Honors was how much support is available to Honors students, in terms of academic advising, scholarships, and event opportunities. My favorite part of Honors so far has been the coursework. You have the chance to explore academic topics beyond the traditional ways they are taught. For example, by taking an Honors computer science seminar, we were able to dive into ethical issues in computer science.”

What would you say to someone who is one the fence about applying? “Since I have many degree requirements as a STEM major, I was not sure if I could finish Honors requirements, especially starting the program in my second year. This made me initially hesitant about applying. However, I think Honors requirements are doable because there are ad-hoc options and Honors coursework gives you general education credits.”

With the deadline for second-year admissions approaching, take the time to encourage your first-year friends, roommates, and peers to apply to the UW Honors Program!