We’ve written before about Honors Colleges, and what a great option they can be. They offer significant scholarship opportunities, tight-knit communities, and extensive opportunities for networking. Frequently, they provide all of the benefits of a liberal arts college while you still attend a major research university.
Of course, these programs generally have their own admissions requirements, over and above those of the colleges they are attached to. Generally, these include additional essays you must write, and it is these we are going to focus on today. You see, the prompts used by honors colleges tend to be far removed from those you normally see in college applications, which often leaves students uncertain how to approach them. In this article we’ll cover the kinds of questions they ask, why they ask them, and how you can write excellent honors college essays. Let’s get started!
What Questions do Honors Colleges Ask?
This is the heart of the problem. Colleges generally only have a few different essay prompts that they use over and over (we cover this in more detail here), and these tend to be fairly straightforward in what they’re looking for. There are some exceptions of course, but most college essays you write follow standard forms.
This is not the case for honors colleges. There are some prompts they have in common, but others are more creative. Here are some sample essays requested by various honors colleges and programs:
- Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. Your essay must be between 500 and 700 words. It will be evaluated on a combination of style, grammar, imagination, and substance. (Ole Miss)
- New technologies perennially occasion both optimism and anxiety on the part of their human developers. Although the idea of artificial intelligence has speculative precursors extending back to antiquity, the coining of the term in the mid 1950s and the emergence of the field of research attached to it has produced spirited rumination about its impact on humanity. Taking into consideration the range of different attitudes toward artificial intelligence you’ve encountered, how do you think AI will impact the specific future–personal, social, professional–you’ve imagined for yourself? (University of Alabama)
- One of our values is Empowered Growth. What values, beliefs or experiences have empowered you to grow intellectually and/or personally? (Penn State)
This is a small sample, but gives a sense of the breadth of these questions. Note that not every program has essay requirements like these; some simply evaluate students for honors programs using their standard application. Those that do ask for essays, however, often ask questions such as these.
Why do Honors Colleges Ask Weird Essay Questions?
In general, honors colleges are looking for particular kinds of students. What exactly they’re looking for varies a fair amount from school to school and program to program, There are certain commonalities however. In general they want students who are smart, curious, and who are looking to explore intellectually. You may notice these are the exact same things top tier colleges are looking for in students; this isn’t an accident.
Honors colleges often compete with top tier universities for the same pool of students, and look to set themselves apart through their identity and their willingness to award significant merit-based scholarships (which the Ivy League does not). Part of the reason for these essay questions is to find students who enjoy this kind of mental work, and make them realize that honors colleges may be the right place for them.
Next, honors colleges want to make sure you will fit in with the atmosphere they are trying to create. If you don’t like writing essays like this, then you probably won’t enjoy their other offerings either. This is especially the case for schools which ask the most outlandish questions. This is akin to how UChicago asks their notoriously weird essay questions, for much the same reason.
Finally, they want to see how you think and process information. Honors colleges are primarily academic, and they want to admit students capable of thinking and processing information at a high level. Unconventional essay questions are a great way to gain insight into your thought process.
How to Write Honors Essays
Generally, writing an essay for an honors college is the same as any other college essay; you brainstorm ideas, work out an outline, and determine what you’re trying to say in your essay. The biggest challenge comes in responding to the prompts, which can often cause consternation.
Here we have the same advice we give when discussing how to respond to UChicago’s weird essay: answer the question, and show off your values while doing so. The point of these prompts is to give you room to show off, and to demonstrate how you think and approach problems. Answering them directly is often the best way to do this.
In order to see what this looks like in practice, we’re going to share some honors college essays crafted by a past Ivy Scholars student, who saw significant admissions success. We’ll also analyze each, to show how and why they worked so well.
What question would you pose to prospective students on an application to explore their creativity and critical thinking skills and why? Now, answer your question. (Purdue)
I firmly believe that all prospective Boilermakers, regardless of background or major, should be asked the following question:
“A malware character has infected your network. You must create a communication to alert the system. How would you proceed?”
This admittedly strange prompt is a simplified version of a problem from Odyssey of the Mind. Odyssey is a competition that stimulates creativity and spontaneity through theatrics and engineering. I began participating in Odyssey in 8th grade, hoping to quicken my wit and sharpen my tongue when put on the spot. As I learned to work with others to invent solutions for outlandish, previously non-existent problems, I began to see the world through a more colorful lens: I learned to imagine soon-to-be sunglasses from a bag of plastic spoons, or a beetle antennae out of used Keurig coffee cups. While the engineer in me has learned to value feasibility, Odyssey’s open-ended questions have taught me the opposite: prioritize creativity; feasibility can always follow.
Two years ago, the same malware problem stared at me at the Odyssey World Finals. Conferring with my teammates, I racked my brain. Computer virus? Predictable. A novel disease? Too obvious. Maybe… an orchid? A virus of the forest, stealing nutrients from other plants. With the forest network solidified, I next devised a communication path and a pop-up ad to block it. Throwing a cloth over a zipline was too simple; what about a butterfly? Many iterations later, our butterfly spread its wings over the pathway, thanks to a pulley-like salad-spinner.
At a time when the world is rife with problems that are deemed “too complex to solve,” our imaginations are shrinking. This is dooming, especially in engineering. If we avoid risk-taking – instead chasing feasibility, proven solutions, shareholder value, easy success – our world will stagnate. I say: let’s embrace failure. Take risks. We would’ve never invented the telephone if we never stopped using telegraphs. I think we can all benefit from challenging ourselves to dream bigger. So whether I’m building an MRI machine out of dog food containers or designing a grandiose curved staircase, I first imagine the impossible before allowing my engineering brain to take over.
Analysis
This essay works quite well for a few reasons. First, it answers the question in an interesting way, posing a question that challenges the student while also revealing something about them. Second, when answering the question, the student is able to highlight one of their major activities, and what their participation therein taught them.
This student was specifically applying to an honors program in engineering, and this essay was assigned for that. This is why their response is so engineering centric; even though the prompt itself does not mention engineering, it is still going to be read with that discipline in mind. In your own response, you should consider your audience for these essays, and what the main goals of the program you are applying to are.
The final paragraph, where the student explains what they have learned and how these values relate to engineering, is key. Regardless of what you write about, you should demonstrate your specific skills and values, and show readers how they will help you within your chosen field.
Finally, this is a very creative, somewhat oddball essay. This works well, because the prompts it is responding to is also somewhat odd. Do not be afraid of being creative and taking risks with honors college essays. They ask these strange prompts for a reason, and they appreciate seeing your thought process as you answer them in interesting ways. You still have to make sure you answer the question of course, but you can have some fun while doing so, and show off your skills as a writer and thinker.
Example 2
We’re going to include another example, because these essays are so varied, and we want to highlight some of that variety.
Music has a way of offering us different perspectives on the world and ourselves. Choose a portion of a song or lyric and explain how it moves you and how it shows up in your life. (600) (UNC Chapel Hill)
6:45pm. I walk into my room, surrounded by silence for the first time since I left that morning. I’d been working on designs for technical theatre for the past 4 hours, for the 4th day in a row. Mentally drained, I grab my guitar and sit atop my bed, turning the cool metal pegs until they are just right; the strings ring out, harmonious, soothing, and in tune. I press play on my laptop, and the familiar riff of A Day to Remember’s “Have Faith in Me” resumes.
“Have faith in me.” I strum my guitar, trying to match the pitch of the first chord. Not E. Not F. Six weeks earlier, I stood before the crew, ecstatic to be officially announced as the lead set designer of “The Addams Family”. But as time wore on, trouble arose from my crew of six rowdy boys. Like the discordant chords I was playing, they seemed uninterested in collaborating on the design, and I found myself spending long hours working alone. Should I use triangular or rectangular platforms? Are bolts or screws more stable? I longed for a discussion partner, but my texts went unanswered. I strum again. Not F#.
“Have faith in me.” I try the minor chords. Not F#m. Not Gm. Weeks passed, but despite night after night of 5-hour sessions rendering designs in SketchUp, I had nothing to show for it. My motivation plummeted, but my director urged me on, confident in my abilities. Not G#m. I move up; though my Am chord is shaky, it works.
“Have faith in me.” I move to the next chords, determined to capture the melodic tones under the drumbeat. I tried to delegate tasks, to no effect. My quiet voice was often drowned out by their loud antics; they seemed to want a leader who was more aggressive than them. Exhausted, I gave up on attempting to be an authoritarian, once again working alone on the set. As the deadline drew nearer, I felt the hopes and efforts of the entire company rested solely on my shoulders. I find the melody: Am, C, F, G; now to integrate a heavy strumming pattern.
“Have faith in me.” I count the beats as I test different patterns. Two weeks ago, I needed input, and the Addams house needed a staircase. Time to try a new approach. I cornered my crewmates, showing them two possible renderings for the grand staircase. After discussion, we unanimously agreed on the angled stairs. Now clear on our ideas, we began to construct, finally making physical progress after weeks of development. I find my favorite strumming combination: DDU UDU with palm mutes.
“Have faith in me.” I replay the song again, integrating the chords while playing the palm mutes. After our first collaboration, I strove to create an environment where suggestions were welcomed. For the first time, the drills whirled in harmony with my voice. Two weeks later, the central staircase rose from the stage, marking the future site of the gothic mansion. As my team stepped back from the finished staircase for the first time, I could feel our collective sigh. Our styles have blended into one sonorous song. I strum the last chord of the song, satisfied with the fusion of the melodic and the aggressive.
I place my guitar back in its case. My mind is clear, no longer overpowered by thoughts of theatre. As I zip the case, I’m ready to get back to work. The show starts in two weeks. I have faith in us.
Analysis
This prompt is incredibly open, while being limited at the same time. You can write about almost anything, so long as you do so through the framing of music. This allows for a number of topics; in this case, the author chooses to explore one of her activities that shows how she learned leadership skills in an adverse scenario, while also showing off her passion for art and design.
This is a long essay at 600 words, which allows for significant space to explore themes and details. Honors essays vary somewhat in length, much like regular supplemental essays; most are 200-500 words in length.
In this example, the author uses music as a framing device to explore the struggles she had the first time she assumed a leadership position. The interplay of the discordant chords highlight her struggles; the song comes together on the guitar at the same time she finally gets her team in motion.
This is a great way for the author to highlight how she spent a significant period of time, and also to explore her experience with leadership. Not every program will ask about things like leadership, or your devotion to community (though some definitely will), but they will appreciate hearing about your experiences with leadership or giving back to your community. This is true of all college programs; honors programs included. They will have access to your other supplemental essays however, so make sure you use novel examples.
Finally, this essay does a good job of demonstrating growth and learning in the author, as she adapts to a situation that at first challenges and vexes her. SHowing this flexibility and resiliency in the face of a real challenge is excellent. You do not need to talk about overcoming a challenge in your own essays (especially if you don’t have one to talk about), but just as with your other college essays, it can be a great way to show off, and admissions officers love to see it.
Final Thoughts
Honors colleges offer a great many opportunities that students can take advantage of, and are an option we encourage many students to consider. Of course, these aren’t the right fit for everyone, but knowing they are an option, and what they can offer, can only increase your ability to choose the college that’s right for you.
We hope this article has helped you understand what honors colleges are looking for in application essays, and given you some workable tips on how to craft your own application essays for these programs. Of course, writing the perfect essay isn’t easy, regardless of whether it’s for an honors program or your personal statement. If you want advice on writing your own honors essays, or any other help with your application process, schedule a free consultation with us today. We have a long experience helping students with every aspect of their applications, and are always happy to hear from you.
