1. Honors College: How to Apply to the Honors College
After applying to the university, complete the Honors College application, which opens on September 15, 2024. In the Honors College, we look at the whole person and the experiences that compose the mosaic of who you are. A reflective essay, high school grade point average, and supplemental information will be evaluated to create an overall application score. This score determines if a student moves to the next stage of the application process.
Applicants who earn at least 50 points are eligible for admission to the Honors College. Please note that admission to the Honors College does not automatically accompany a scholarship offer. Some selected applicants will be invited to apply for scholarships of up to $4000 per year, renewable for four years.
The deadline for applications is January 25, 2025. Applications received after this date will be held for waitlist consideration.
Essay Prompts (choose one, up to 750 words)
1. Being an active member of a community can help people feel more connected to others and often provides a reliable support system. Reflect on your membership in a community – academic, civic, professional, or extracurricular. Why is this community meaningful to you? How has it shaped you into the person you are today? Describe how it has helped you in times of need and/or how you have supported others.
2. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.
3. Obstacles we face in life can often be the initial catapult to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience? Describe what you would do differently.
Section 1: Essay (0-45 pts)
Up to 45 points to be scored by Honors College faculty. Prompts can be found in the application. This is your chance to show us who you are!
Section 2: High School Grade Point Average (0-45)
Unweighted, 4.0 scale
| Rank | Points |
| 3.76-4.0 | 45 |
| 3.51-3.75 | 35 |
| 3.26-3.5 | 25 |
| 3.0-3.25 | 15 |
| Below 3.0 | 0 |
Section 3: Supplemental Assessment (0-10)
Anything that you feel best represents your ability to be successful in the Honors College. Including but not limited to:
- SAT/ACT Scores
- Dual Credit
- Transcripts
- Letters of Recommendation
- Resume
- Sample of Work
- Other
Up to 10 points earned by this section collectively.
Add point totals from all three sections.
50 points needed to qualify for the Honors College*
*Admission to the Honors College does not automatically guarantee a scholarship offer.
The Honors College Current/Transfer Student program allows you to reap the benefits of the honors experience and graduate with honors designation. You will take honors courses and complete a capstone experience, which might include a thesis, internship or project of your own design. Students should be eager to engage in meaningful coursework and make impactful contributions to their campus and local communities.
Benefits of the Program
- Honors funding: The Honors College offers Transformative Learning funds to support undergraduate research, travel to professional conferences, community-engaged projects, internships, and similar activities.
- Honors housing: All Honors College students have the option to live in Honors designated housing as space allows. Students coming in mid-semester who want to live on campus must have a housing application on file with Residential Living and Learning and notify Housing immediately if they desire to live in Honors housing.
- Priority registration: Honors students register at the same time as graduate students and student athletes, ensuring they can get the courses that they need.
- Small class sizes with dedicated faculty: The typical class has 25 or fewer students so that Honors students have an opportunity to get to know their faculty and their fellow students
- Completion of a capstone experience of your design and approved by the Honors College. Approved capstone experiences could include completion of an honors thesis or creative project, a study away experience, or a competitive internship option. As members of the Honors College, students are eligible to apply for funding to support these activities.
- Graduating with Honors: Students must have at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA at the time of graduation, complete required honors courses, and an honors approved capstone project.
Application Process
Students must first apply & be admitted to East Texas A&M University to be eligible to apply to the Honors College.
1. Apply to East Texas A&M University and submit all required documentation such as transcripts and test scores if needed.
2. Submit the Honors College application.
For more information about this program, contact [email protected]
The Honors College at East Texas A&M is changing, and we want you on our journey! To better meet the needs of students and families in Northeast Texas, we are making some changes to our application process and broadening access to our program.
Graduate with Honors through one of two programs available at East Texas A&M: the cohort program for entering freshmen, or the program for current and transfer students. Both programs offer the opportunity to take Honors-only courses, apply for Honors scholarships, engage in high-impact educational experiences and complete a capstone project with a faculty mentor.
Changes to the Honors College beginning with the Fall 2025 cohort
- No interviews will be required as part of the application process
- Admission to the Honors College will not automatically be accompanied by a scholarship offer. However, all Honors College students will be able to apply for grants to support specific projects.
- A select number of students will be invited to apply for a scholarship of up to $2000 per semester, renewable for up to 8 semesters.
- The Honors College housing requirement will mirror the university housing requirement. Thus, if a student lives within the commutable distance of 50 miles or less than one hour drive time from campus, they may apply for a waiver to the on-campus housing requirement through myLeo by clicking Apps > Residential Living & Learning > Commuter Request. The Commuter Request will open in March 2025.