Letters & Science Honors Program Honors in the Liberal Arts Application

The College of Letters & Science Honors Program provides a community for many of UW-Madison’s most engaged and intellectually curious undergraduates. The Program offers three degree tracks: Honors in the Liberal Arts, Honors in the Major, and Comprehensive Honors (which includes Honors in the Liberal Arts).

The Honors in the Liberal Arts track can be a great fit for students who enjoy learning about new subjects and wish to embrace the benefits of a liberal arts education fully. Students do not need to decide on a major or have committed to attending UW to apply. There is no single Honors student profile; the L&S Honors Program values applicants from all backgrounds.

This application should only be completed by students hoping to complete Honors in the Liberal Arts. The Honors in the Major track can be declared after students begin their studies on campus and officially declare a major. If you would like to receive more information about an Honors in the Major track during the Fall semester, please plan on connecting with a major and/or Honors advisor once you arrive on campus.

Visit the L&S Honors Program for more information.

Eligibility:
Use this application if you would be a new first-year student in the College of Letters & Science in the upcoming Summer or Fall term. Please note that students with a major outside of L&S (including School of Business and College of Engineering majors) are generally not eligible to complete Honors in the Liberal Arts through the College of Letters & Science.

Current UW students and new transfer students can find information about an alternate application process on the L&S Honors Program website.

Deadlines (11:59 PM Central Time): Please apply as soon as possible since space in the program is limited. You may apply before receiving an admissions decision from UW. Applications are then reviewed once a student is admitted to UW’s College of Letters & Science.

Sunday, February 22, 2026: Receive a decision from the Honors Program in mid-March.
Sunday, March 15, 2026: Receive a decision from the Honors Program in mid-April (and before SOAR registration opens).
Sunday, April 26, 2026: Receive a decision from the Honors Program by mid-May.

Note: All applications received by Sunday, April 26, will receive full consideration. There is no preference given to students who submit applications by earlier deadlines. Applications submitted between April 27 and May 24 will be considered on a rolling basis if space in the incoming class is available.

Admission to the L&S Honors Program does not involve a scholarship or monetary award.

Award
$0.00
Organizations
L&S Honors Program
Deadline
04/26/2026
Supplemental Questions
  1. Confirm your interest in pursuing Honors in the Liberal Arts within the L&S Honors Program. Prior to selecting your response, review the information about the Honors in the Liberal Arts track on our Incoming High School Student Admissions page.
  2. Review the majors and certificates (similar to minors) available at UW. List up to three majors that you are most interested in right now. If you are currently interested in any of UW's undergraduate certificates, you can also list up to two potential certificates with the label "certificate."
  3. Like other information content and sources, generative artificial intelligence (AI) can support the development of original ideas but should not be used to write your essays and not be presented as your original work.

    As a prospective L&S Honors student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I agree to adhere to UW-Madison's conduct standards of honesty and integrity. Falsification would violate the core principles of the Honors mission. As such, I will properly credit the sources used in my written submission for this application.
  4. What do you hope to gain from completing the Honors in the Liberal Arts track within the L&S Honors Program? In your response, please address the following:

    (a) Why are you specifically interested in the Honors in the Liberal Arts track, which invites you to take Honors courses across different disciplines and dive more deeply into a wide range of subjects—from art history and biology to mathematics, psychology, and beyond?
    (b) Which elements (or benefits) of the L&S Honors Program make you feel most motivated to join, and why?
  5. What do you want to explore academically? Before writing your response, take a moment to reflect on subjects or ideas you haven’t yet had the chance to explore in a classroom setting. Then, invent two new classes you would want to take if they existed.

    TIP: Think creatively—what kinds of classes would excite your curiosity or connect different interests in unexpected ways?

    In your response, please include each of the following for each course:

    (a) A title
    (b) A brief description of course topics, outcomes, and/or activities
    (c) The impact of the course on you and/or the student body
  6. Are you interested in additional Honors tracks?
  7. Show 1 more