How to Apply

Students walk ast the Wildcat Wall in the Honors Village

APPLY TO THE W.A. FRANKE HONORS COLLEGE

We seek well-rounded, high-achieving students to join our community. In addition to considering GPA and course rigor, we also ask for an Honors essay and summary of student activities and honors achieved in high school. Our review process is holistic and thorough, and although admission is highly selective we welcome applications from all students looking to seek, connect, create, evolve, and celebrate!

Start Your Application

Application Process

  • Students interested in applying to the W.A. Franke Honors College will apply directly through their University of Arizona admissions application or the Common App by following these steps: · In order to apply to the W.A. Franke Honors College, you must complete the University of Arizona admissions application or the Common App.

    • When prompted, indicate your interest in Franke Honors. This will populate a new section of the admissions application for Honors materials.
    • Students are require to fill out the  Activities and Honors section for Honors consideration.
    • The W.A. Franke Honors College utilizes a holistic evaluation process when reviewing applicants for Honors admission. The following factors will be considered in evaluation:
      • Academic history (core coursework and academic rigor through the end of your sixth semester)
      • W.A. Franke Honors College essay (max. 500 words)
        • Prompt: 
          The W.A. Franke Honors College emphasizes five core values: We Seek, We Connect, We Create, We Evolve, and We Celebrate. Which of these values resonates the most with you, and how do you imagine pursuing that value/those values as a Franke Honors Wildcat? Please limit your response to 500 words. We encourage you to share information that is not reflected in other components of your application to the University of Arizona.
      • Up to three, optional supplements (ex: formal activities résumé, letter of recommendation, writing sample, portfolio of work, etc.) *Available on Main Campus application only.

    *We do not have a required, minimum GPA, and standardized test scores (SAT/ACT) are not considered in the holistic review process.

    *Admissibility to the Franke Honors College is conditional on admission to the University of Arizona.

Honors admission deadlines and processes vary slightly for incoming first-year students, transfer students, or current students at the University of Arizona interested in joining the Franke Honors College. 

Incoming First-Year Students

Preparing to graduate from high school? Recently earned your high school diploma or GED but not yet enrolled in college? You are an incoming first year student.

FIrst-Year Student DETAILS

Transfer Students

You are considered a transfer student if you have completed 12 or more units of coursework at a community college or university since graduating high school.

Transfer Student DETAILS

Current Wildcats

Are you currently studying at Arizona and interested in joining the W.A. Franke Honors College? Learn about the application process.

Current Wildcat DETAILS

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

International students apply to the Franke Honors College through the same process as domestic students. Simply follow the steps listed on the Incoming First-Year application process. International transfer students can find additional information on the Transfer Student application process page of our website.

The Franke Honors College admits international students based on a comprehensive review of all submitted materials. We consider your unweighted high school GPA, letter of recommendation, leadership experiences, writing ability, TOEFL scores or other indicators of English proficiency and a variety of other factors.

ADMISSIONS AVERAGES

To give you an idea of our typical admissions profile for an incoming W.A. Franke Honors College first-year student, below are the averages for admitted fall 2025 students:

  • 3.88 unweighted core high school GPA
  • 8-11 Honors/AP/IB classes taken in high school

However, please keep in mind that we look at a wide variety of factors in addition to GPA and course rigor in making admissions decisions, including extracurriculars, leadership, service, and other areas of involvement.

HONORS PROSPECTIVE STUDENT BROCHURE 2025-2026
Curious about what makes the University of Arizona Honors College distinct? Learn more about how you can receive an interdisciplinary education at a Tier One Research University. 

If you have trouble accessing the information in these documents for disability reasons, please contact honors@arizona.edu.