When you apply to UMBC through the Common Application, complete the Writing Supplement for the Honors College. Or, if you’re also applying to a Scholars Program at UMBC, check the box on your Scholars Program application to have it considered as your application to the Honors College as well. If you decide to apply for the Honors College after you’ve submitted your UMBC application, you can download an application here and submit it to the Honors College via email.
If you’re already an established student at UMBC, you can apply to the Honors College at any time by submitting a downloaded application to us via email.
Fall Deadlines for Honors College applicants:
- Freshmen (Priority Decision): November 1
- Freshmen (Regular Decision): February 1
- Transfer (Priority): March 1
- Transfer (Regular): June 1
Spring Deadlines:
- Transfer (Priority): October 15
- Transfer (Regular): December 1
Members of the Honors College take an active, even passionate interest in their education. They not only excel in academics; they find joy in learning for its own sake. They’re hungry for courses that challenge them to read and think widely and deeply, and they’re excited by ideas. They come to class prepared to listen, contribute, and respect the opinions of others. They’re eager for educational experiences outside the classroom, including service, internships, and independent research. Even if they don’t know what they want to do after they graduate, they know they want to keep learning. They reflect the diversity of backgrounds and interests of UMBC students as a whole. They like books.
If this sounds like you, we’d love to see your application.
We review applications holistically, but place special emphasis on the quality of the written material you submit as part of your application. The strength of your high school curriculum, GPA, and standardized test scores are also very important. Grades aren’t everything, though: we’re interested in what interests you, and what kind of mark you want to make on the world.
Freshman applicants to the Honors College should have a minimum unweighted high school GPA of 3.5 or better (on a 4.0 scale) and strong standardized test scores.
For transfer applicants and established UMBC students, we look for a strong record of academic success in college. Transfer students who have completed honors-level coursework at other institutions are especially encouraged to apply.
You’ll hear back from us only after you’ve been admitted to UMBC. Expect to receive your decision letter according to this schedule:
- Freshmen Early Action: late January
- Freshmen Regular Decision: between February and March
- Transfer applicants: between April and July for the fall semester; December or January for the spring semester
- Established students: at the end of each of semester
No. Admission to the Honors College has no impact on your admission to UMBC or any scholarships you may have been awarded when you received your university admission packet. If you’re denied admission to the Honors College as an incoming student, you are welcome to apply again as an established student.
No. For best consideration for university merit scholarships, prospective students should apply to UMBC by the Early Action deadline. Each of UMBC’s Scholars Programs also offers its own scholarships.
Absolutely! Many members of UMBC’s Scholars Programs (Meyerhoff, Linehan, Sondheim, Humanities, Center for Women in Technology, Cyber Scholars, and Sherman Teachers) are also members of the Honors College. While membership in a Scholars Program gives you access to opportunities focusing on a specific area of study, the Honors College provides additional opportunities for courses, service, internships, and research across disciplines. Read more about the Scholars Programs at UMBC here.
If it’s honors-designated coursework, then yes. Previous honors coursework can fulfill up to 9 credits of the Honors Elective requirement of our curriculum, and transfer students are exempt from HONR 100.
Transfer students are an integral part of the Honors College community, but applicants should look carefully at our curriculum requirements. The commitment of time and of interest required to complete our coursework in full may not fit well with the academic plans of students who want to graduate from UMBC in only a few semesters.
Read more about transferring coursework to UMBC here.
As our vision states, UMBC “redefines excellence in higher education through an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement.” It’s that blend that gives UMBC its distinction within the University System of Maryland (USM) as an “Honors University” — an institution with exceptional opportunities for students of all backgrounds and aspirations.
The Honors College is an interdisciplinary academic program at UMBC with its own staff and faculty. It is separate from but in constant collaboration with academic departments, scholars programs, and other campus partners.
Feel free to send us an email at honorscollege@umbc.edu or call us at (410) 455 3720. Honors College staff also participate in UMBC’s Undergraduate Admissions Preview Days, half-day programs that include opportunities to visit the campus, learn about academic programs, and meet with faculty and students.