As a new first-time college student, you can access the Honors programs application through your MyRed account, once you apply to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. The application is on the Admissions tab under "Important Links."
This application allows you to apply for the University Honors Program, the Engineering Honors Academy, the Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science & Management, and/or the Nebraska Business Honors Academy.
All students apply to the University Honors Program, a campus-wide program for high-ability students in any major that offers many customizable options for enhancing your college experience, both academically and professionally. You may also choose to apply to one or more of the three subject-specific cohort programs.
University Honors Program
The University Honors Program is a community of scholars for students in any major who are seeking to elevate their academic experience, build their network of professional and personal connections, and grow their leadership, communication, and problem solving skills. Through a range of unique learning opportunities, including bespoke Honors seminar courses, Honors-only study abroad programs and purpose-driven internships, we prepare students to be tomorrow's leaders, innovators, and changemakers.
Nebraska Business Honors Academy
This cohort program is for high-achieving students ready to become tomorrow’s business leaders. Students will complete core courses using action-based learning that builds critical thinking, technical, and communication skills. Through real-world problem-solving, corporate site visits, and case competitions, students will form the intellectual and social bonds that prepare you for an ever-changing business world.
Engineering Honors Academy
This cohort program is a new selective program in the College of Engineering for high-achieving students who want to challenge themselves academically, grow as leaders, and build strong connections within the engineering community. Rooted in the College’s Complete Engineer mission, the academy offers a cohort-based experience focused on academic excellence, leadership development, and meaningful engagement with peers and faculty.
Jeffrey S. Raikes School of Computer Science & Management
This cohort develops leaders for technology-driven industries through an interdisciplinary, project-oriented curriculum and an innovative two-year capstone experience in Design Studio. Students in the program have varied interests in the fields of business, computer science, data science, engineering, entrepreneurship, and mathematics.
General Tips
Honors Program applications undergo a comprehensive review. Most successful candidates for the University Honors Program present one or more of the following credentials:
- A record of academic excellence
- A desire to engage in rigorous and challenging courses
- Evidence of involvement and leadership in school and community activities
- The maturity necessary to succeed at a higher level in college
The Honors Application is plain text, meaning any formatting (bold, italics, bullet points, etc.) will be lost when submitting the application. As such, please format materials accordingly.
All applicants are required to submit transcripts to be considered for the Honors Program. Transcripts may be official or unofficial.
Essay
All applicants will complete an essay addressing the following prompt. The essay should be 400-650 words.
Please note that in this essay we are looking for authenticity, not perfection. In other words, we want to hear from the REAL you. Because of this, we strongly advise against the use of generative AI (ChatGPT and similar). Those AI programs can't authentically represent your experience or voice. We are confident that you are an exceptional and fascinating human; let us get to know you!
Choose one of these prompts:
- Nebraska Honors is designed to encourage students' academic and personal growth. Talk about an experience that pushed you outside of your comfort zone, intellectually, interpersonally, and/or emotionally. What did you learn about yourself when you challenged yourself to grow? How will these lessons influence your time in Nebraska Honors?
- Nebraska Honors offers a vibrant, robust community of leaders and learners, welcoming students from a rich tapestry of backgrounds and experiences. Tell us about a community, group, or organization in which you participate. How have you contributed to this community and what value did you add to it? What lessons about being a community member will you bring with you to Nebraska Honors?
- Every student in Nebraska Honors brings unique, interesting perspectives and experiences with them to college. Tell us what distinguishes you from everyone else. For example, you might talk about circumstances in your life that helped define your sense of self, you might share something about which you 'nerd out' that has significant influence on your life, or you might describe an experience that shifted the way you view the world, your values, your priorities, and/or your commitments. What makes you uniquely yourself, and what lessons have you learned from this aspect of your life that will follow you to Nebraska Honors?
Keep in mind that we already have your transcript and resume, but feel free to expand upon a particular experience from your resume if it is relevant to your response.
Short Answer
There are three short answer components on the resume.
All applicants are required to complete this prompt: Indicate your specific professional goals in 25 words or less.
All applicants have the opportunity to complete this optional prompt: Share anything unique about yourself or your experiences that would help faculty and staff to get to know you better. You may also use this space to elaborate on anything that needs further explanation, such as an academic deficiency.
Applicants to the Raikes School, the Nebraska Business Honors Academy, and/or the Engineering Honors Academy are required to complete these two prompts:
- In 400 words or less, tell us about your interest(s) in business, computing, and/or an area of engineering. Support your answer with examples of your past experience, interests, and future goals.
- In 250 words or less, select one service or extracurricular activity that has had the strongest influence on you and describe how it has impacted your development. The activity you choose to write about here should be different than any activities you reference in your longer essay response.
Resume
All applicants will be asked to submit a resume. Your resume is how you provide faculty and staff reviewers information about your academic interests, skills, and other relevant experiences that make you an appealing candidate for the Honors Programs. For the purpose of this application process, your resume should be comprehensive but brief. Be sure to include the following:
- High school unweighted GPA (out of a maximum of 4.0).
- Class Rank (if available).
- ACT/SAT score.
- Activities, including grades of involvement and leadership roles (example: Marching Band, grades 9-10; Trumpet Section Leader, grades 10-11; Drum Major, grade 12).
- Service or work experiences, including number of hours/week (example: Nursing Home volunteer, grade 10, 2 hrs/week).
- Optional: Awards and Honors
Be aware that the application form removes all formatting, so it's important to keep your text layout as simple as possible. You can use a dash or asterisk in place of bullets, all caps, and line breaks to indicate headings or to draw attention to important information.
To see how it will appear for faculty and staff reviewers, copy and paste your resume into a plain text editor (e.g., Notepad for Windows users, TextEdit in plain-text mode for Mac users).
Sample Resume 1:
Taylor Husker
Unweighted GPA: 3.972
Class Rank: 18/392
ACT Score: 33
Leadership and Involvement:
--Theatre, Stage Crew, grades 9-10; Stage Manager, grades 11-12
--Basketball, grades 10-12
--School Council, grades 9-12; Homecoming committee chair grade 11; president, grade 12
--Newspaper, grades 11-12
--High School LGBTQ+ Pride Club, grades 10-12; treasurer, grade 10
Service and Work Experience:
--Sunday School volunteer, grades 9-12, 1 hour/week
--Stocker and Cashier at Hy-Vee grocery store, grades 10-12, 15 hours/week
Awards and Honors:
--Best editorial in student newspaper, grade 11
--Regents Scholarship to UNL
--National Merit Semi-finalist
Sample Resume 2:
Jordan Husker
GPA: 3.76
Class Rank: Not available
ACT Score: 29
INVOLVEMENT/LEADERSHIP
Marching Band, grades 9-10; Trumpet Section Leader, grades 10-11; Drum Major, grade 12
National Spanish Honors Society member, grades 11-12; vice-president, grade 12
Speech and Debate, grades 10-12
Mock Trial, grades 9-12
SERVICE AND WORK EXPERIENCE
Food Pantry volunteer, grades 10-11, 3 hours/week
Nursing Home volunteer, grade 12, 2 hours/week
Cashier at Casey’s gas station, grades 9-12, 8-10 hours/week
AWARDS AND HONORS
3rd place in Nationals, Informative Speaking, grade 12
Senior Character award, grade 12