Honors Short Essays

The cornerstone of the Honors application is the Honors Short Essay Section. In this section Honors Program applicants are required to submit two short essays (one mandatory, one of your choosing), which are separate from the Writing Section of the UW application. Your responses will be evaluated on content as well as form (spelling, grammar, and punctuation). Your essays should be original, thoughtful, and concise. Do not repeat a previous essay or materials found on the UW Honors Program web site. Draw on your best qualities as a writer and thinker; academic risk-taking is a core value of the Honors Program, so take some risks and have fun. Tell us who you are and how your story is unique. Work on the essays early, remembering that concise and eloquent writing is both difficult and powerful. Have someone edit them but don't let an editor erase your unique voice.
Essay Prompts

All applicants must answer Essay Prompt 1 and then must answer either Essay Prompt 2a or 2b, using no more than 300 words per response:
1. "Good citizenship comes from good scholarship." What does this statement mean to you? 2. a. As an Honors student you'll be asked to participate in two of the four following experiential learning areas: international engagement, service learning, research, and leadership. Please outline the kind of project within one of these areas that you might consider pursuing and explain how such a project would fit into your broader academic vision. b. What do you wonder about, ponder, or wish you knew more about that isn't within your intended field of study? Would you ever be willing to put all else on hold to satisfy your curiosity? Tips for the Honors Essay

Read the essay prompts carefully and respond to the question directly. If you are applying online, write, edit, and proofread your essay in a separate word-processing program before you are ready to complete the application. Remember your audience. The UW is a large and diverse public institution. The people evaluating your application may not have the same political, moral, or religious beliefs you do. This is acceptable and desired in the academic world. Consider this as you frame your essay. PROOFREAD! The UW uses a holistic application review process, as do we - your writing ability is no less important than your grades and scores.

Finally, have fun! This is your opportunity to introduce yourself to us. Let us see who you are and what makes you tick. Demonstrate what qualities you would contribute to the Honors Program. Be creative!

1. To me, the statement Good citizenship comes from good scholarship means that having a good education helps make someone a better citizen. In my opinion, good scholarship leads to good citizenship in two important ways. Firstly, educated people can make more informed decisions in their personal lives and in society. Scholars who have a good understanding of history and current events can make educated decisions when voting and choosing their political views. They are more likely to be aware of government corruption, hidden agendas, and world issues. Therefore, they can vote and act in a way that will benefit and protect themselves and other citizens. Secondly, scholarship allows people to contribute to and give back to society. People who are educated can get better jobs to provide for their families and avoid needing government help. Also, although people often forget the facts they learn in school, their education teaches them the processes of critical thinking and problem solving. These are important skills in every aspect of life, from solving math problems to tackling real world dilemmas. Scholarship provides people with the background to make improvements in research, methods, and applications in a variety of fields. Scholars can also contribute to society by being good role models and acting as mentors to students of the next generation. I agree with the statement Good citizenship comes from good scholarship, and that is part of the reason why I encourage myself and my peers to pursue an education. 2b. I wish I knew more about musical composition. After years of listening to and playing a variety of music, I began to compose my own songs a few years ago. I started by writing songs that can be sung. I would come up with the words and the tune as I was walking home from school, and then when I got home I would write down the lyrics and use a keyboard to figure out the notes. Since I started, I have written five complete songs, and I have partially developed about fifteen more. For my senior project this school year, I decided to compose a piece of music for my school orchestra to perform at our winter fundraising concert. I had never written an orchestral song before, but I used my background in classical music to help me figure it out. Once I finished my composition, I worked with musicians who played the instruments that I didnt play to make sure that the parts for those instruments were correct. I was nervous the first time our orchestra tried to play the song, but it actually turned out well, and I received many positive comments from the players. My experiences as a musical composer have made me want to learn more about music theory and learn how to play more instruments. I definitely plan to continue to develop my interest in music as a hobby while I pursue a career in biology. If I maintain my involvement in music and an intriguing opportunity suddenly presents itself, under the right circumstances I would be willing to take a break from other activities to pursue it.