If you are curious about the world, love to learn, engage in everything, and take risks, then the Honors College at West Virginia University is the place for you.
Combining the attention of a small college environment with the resources of a world-class research institution, the Honors College provides opportunities to enhance their curriculum for students in every undergraduate major across the campus.
- Admissions Benchmarks
- Applying to the Honors College
- The Program
- Program Requirements
- Academic Support
- Advising
- Beyond the Classroom
- Community
- Honors Housing
- Visit
- Contact Us
- Meet Our Ambassadors
Honors Foundations Program
For first time freshmen, this innovative two-year Honors program is designed
to enrich students’ first years on campus, particularly in their general education
courses and introductory courses in their major.
Learn more about the Honors Foundations Program on its academic page.
Fall 2021 Admission Benchmarks
Fall 2021 admission to the Honors College is now closed. Admissions for Fall 2022 will open mid-fall.
Standard Admission
Most eligible students applying for admission for Fall 2021 met the following
benchmarks:
- 3.7 High School GPA (weighted or unweighted) AND
- 26 ACT or 1230 Redesigned SAT (M/EBRW)
Invitation letters for this process are mailed to qualified WVU admits approximately 1-3 weeks after receiving their admissions decision from WVU.
Students invited through standard admissions will submit an application that consists of one short admissions essay. Applications submitted through standard admissions will be evaluated on a rolling basis. The Fall 2021 admissions deadline for Honors College standard admissions essays was Wednesday, May 5, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. The admission process for Fall 2021 is now closed.
Test Blind Admission
Test blind invitations are based on meeting a qualifying GPA:
-
3.7+ on a 4.0 scale OR
-
4.0+ on a 5.0 scale.
Students should apply by the application deadline indicated in their invitation email. Applications will be considered by the Honors Admissions Committee once the deadline has passed.
- January Admissions Deadline: January 6, 2021
- Decision Received By: January 31, 2021
- March Admissions Deadline: March 3, 2021
- Decision Received By: March 31, 2021
- May Admissions Deadline: May 7, 2021
- Decision Received By: May 31, 2021
Impacts of Updates to Your WVU Application
Invitations to apply to the Honors College were sent to students based on their applications to West Virginia University. Invitations were sent through April 1, 2021.All additional GPA and test score submissions to WVU Admissions will trigger the review of your WVU application for Honors College eligibility by the Honors College. The last ACT and SAT dates potentially considered for Fall admission to the Honors College were the February ACT and March SAT. Updates to cumulative GPAs were accepted through the Fall 2020 semester, as calculated by your high school.
Requesting an Honors College Application
Students who request an application through this process will have their applications and files fully reviewed and considered holistically by the Honors Admissions Committee.
Applying to the Honors College
Incoming First-Time Freshmen
The process for admission to the Honors College begins when you complete the WVU Application.
The Honors College will review every WVU application for eligibility to the Honors College, and will send eligible students an invitation to join the Honors College. This invitation letter will be sent by email and contains instructions on how students can apply.
Current WVU Freshmen and Transfer Students
First-semester freshmen and freshmen transfer students with a 3.7 cumulative GPA may also qualify to apply for admission.
Learn more about all of these options on our
Apply page.
Transfer students who are not freshmen should look into the Honors EXCEL Program for upperclassmen to see if they may be eligible to apply.
The Program
The Honors Foundations Program provides ample support to encourage you to take
intellectual risks, make discoveries, explore the world around you, participate
in exciting cutting-edge research projects, engage in community-based learning,
and find your passion.
The Honors College is an interdisciplinary college that offers customized learning
pathways for students who seek to enhance their education with academically
“different” types of experiences.
Our courses are active, hands-on learning laboratories where students can enhance their skills. Students should select Honors courses that will challenge them and inspire them to ask questions, seek impossible answers, and delve into the unknown.
Program Requirements
Honors Foundations Program students must complete a minimum of five Honors courses
and 13 Honors credits. Students must also maintain a high GPA. For more information
on requirements, maintaining good standing, and completing the program, visit
the
Honors Foundations Program Academic page.
As Honors College students, students have access to innovative courses, smaller
class sizes, and leadership development.
Academic Support
Honors College students can take advantage of testWELL Tutoring, a free tutoring service provided by trained upperclass Honors College students. Tutoring is available at both Honors Hall and Lincoln Hall. All testWELL Learning Center tutors are certified members of the National Tutoring Association.
First-time freshmen also receive guidance from Honors peer mentors. Peer mentors are upperclass students at the Honors College who help facilitate the HONR 102: Introduction to Honors course each fall.
Advising
Honors College students are assigned an Honors advisor in their major. These advisors know both the Honors College program requirements and the requirements of the student’s major of study, and can advise the student on how to best take advantage of all the opportunities available to them.
While actively enrolled in the Honors Foundations program, Honors students also receive priority registration, registering before all non-Honors undergraduate students at WVU.
Beyond the Classroom
Honors College students are also encouraged to explore opportunities to enrich their education across campus, and plan for what comes next after graduating from WVU.
Opportunities include undergraduate research, help applying to nationally competitive scholarships for graduate school and study abroad, and preparation planning for healthcare career paths. See our Student Resources & Opportunities page for more.
Community
Honors Housing
Visit
Please note that all in-person college campus visits are currently suspended. However,
students can still visit us virtually at this time. Students wanting to visit
WVU should check the
WVU Visitors Center website for the most up-to-date information on available
options.
If you are a prospective student, please see
Planning Your Visit
to schedule your visit with us. Students can schedule a hall tour, an academic
appointment to learn more about the program, or even shadow a current Honors student
in their major!
The Honors College offices are located on WVU Downtown Campus in the first floor of Honors Hall at 250 Second Street.
Lincoln Hall, the Honors residence hall for WVU Evansdale Campus, is located
at 1014 Rawley Ave.
Contact us at 304-293-2100 with any questions.