Students interested in applying to the W.A. Franke Honors College will apply directly through their University of Arizona admissions application by following these steps: · In order to apply to the W.A. Franke Honors College, you must complete the University of Arizona admissions application.
- When prompted, indicate your interest in Franke Honors. This will populate a new section of the admissions application for Honors materials.
- Add supplemental materials 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.
- Prompt:
- Activities and Honors section of University of Arizona admissions application
- Up to three optional supplements (ex: formal activities résumé, letter of recommendation, writing sample, portfolio of work, etc.)
*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 APPLICATION DEADLINES
FALL 2026 Admission
Early Action Deadline: November 1, 2025, 11:59 PM AZ time*
- Early Action Decision Release: January 15, 2026
- EA Honors decisions may be admitted, denied, or deferred.
- *Honors EA dates are the same as University of Arizona EA dates.
Regular Decision Deadline: February 15, 2026, 11:59 PM AZ time
- RD decision release: TBD March 2026
- RD Decision Honors decisions may be admitted, denied, or waitlisted.
- *Honors RD dates may be different from University of Arizona RD dates.
*All Honors applications received after February 15 will only be denied or waitlisted.
*Applying for the Early Action Deadline does not require a commitment to attend the University of Arizona or the W.A. Franke Honors College if admitted.
HOW OUR REVIEW PROCESS WORKS
We consider students holistically for admission to Franke Honors and that decision is based on several criteria. Factors include your core unweighted high school GPA, the rigor of your high school schedule (to include honors/AP/IB/dual enrollment classes taken, if offered at your high school), your personal statement, and extracurricular, service, and leadership experiences.
Please note that we only look at core unweighted GPAs – if your school has weighted grades, we will unweight them to calculate your GPA for honors and university admission, and focus on your core 16 classes.
IF YOU ARE ADMITTED…
You will be notified with next steps via mail and/or email. To finalize your enrollment, log into the Next Steps Center.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
Check out our list of Frequently Asked Questions for additional details about the Franke Honors College.