Honors College to Implement Temporary Admissions Requirements for Fall 2021

Philip Thomas

In response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Honors College has temporarily changed the standards for admission to the college.

In response to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Honors College will implement temporary admissions requirements for high school seniors who are applying for fall 2021 admission. 

"We realize this has been a difficult time for high school students and their families," said Noah Pittman, Honors College associate dean of enrollment. "We hope these changes will help make the honors experience here at the U of A more accessible to top students across the state and beyond."

To apply to the Honors College, high school seniors must first apply to the University of Arkansas. Once admitted to the university, those meeting requirements for Option 1 or Option 2, noted below, will be invited to apply for automatic admission to the Honors College:

Option 1: Student must have at least a 28 ACT Composite Score (1310 SAT) and required GPA for academic college (3.50 GPA required for College of Education & Health Professions, Fay Jones School of Architecture + Design, and Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences; 3.75 GPA required for the College of Engineering, the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, or the Sam M. Walton College of Business).

Option 2: Student must have at least a 26 ACT Composite Score (1240 SAT) and 3.90 GPA.

There is a third option available for students who do not meet the admissions requirements noted above; this option is subject to application review:

Option 3: Students who have achieved a 3.90 high school GPA but do not have the necessary ACT/SAT score for automatic admission will be invited to complete an application in the spring of their senior year. This application will include submission of an essay and academic resume. Students will be notified of their honors admission decision before the end of March of their senior year.

Students who don't meet the requirements for honors when they enter the University of Arkansas, or choose not to join at that time, may join as a current student. For more information, please visit Admissions Requirements on the Honors College website.