University Honors Program

Prospective Student Requirements

Honors students studying in the Jischke Honors Building

Freshman Honors Program

To be invited to apply, you need an ACT English score of at least 24 (SAT Verbal score of 550), and you should meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Be in the upper 5% of your high school graduating class
• Have an ACT composite score of at least 30 (or 1320 M/V SAT score)
• Be a National Merit or National Achievement Finalist

Interested students who do not meet at least one of the above criteria can call 1-800-262-3810 or e-mail the Honors Program at honors@iastate.edu to request an application.

Application to the Freshman Honors Program

If you have been offered admission to Iowa State University and would like to apply to Iowa State University's Freshman Honors Program, please download the Class of 2008 FHP Application. The application form for the Freshman Honors Program includes sections requesting contact information, high school activities and other involvement, senior year coursework, and a brief creative writing essay.

The application must be signed by the applicant and then submitted in HARD COPY (not by email or fax). Mail your completed application and written essay to:

Freshman Honors Program
Iowa State University
2130 Jischke Honors Building
Ames, IA 50011‑1150

Students are admitted on a rolling basis, with priority given to applications that are received first. The final application deadline is a postmark date of April 4, 2008.

Transfer Students

Students transferring into Iowa State University from other post-secondary institutions are eligible to partake in the Iowa State University Honors Program. The level of honors program membership that transfer students are eligible for depends on how much post-secondary schooling he or she has completed before coming to Iowa State.

Transfer students who have completed less than a year of coursework prior to coming to Iowa State and are entering Iowa State during the fall semester may apply for the Freshman Honors Program. The admission requirements for transfer students applying for the Freshman Honors Program will be the same as those for students entering directly from high school.

Transfer students who have completed at least a year of coursework prior to coming to Iowa State are eligible to apply for University Honors Program membership after completing a semester of coursework at Iowa State University. The requirements for these levels of membership are the same as the requirements for any other student. If a student is transferring from a 4-year college or university and was a member of that institution's Honors program, he or she may come directly into the University Honors Program after filling out an application and submitting a letter from the Director of the previous institution's Honors Program. Please contact the Honors Program Office for more information.