Application Process

Beginning Fall 2021, the Letters and Science Honors Program has changed how students will be eligible to be admitted to the program. 

All potential Honors students of any class year, whether incoming first years, continuing second years, or transfer students, will need to complete an application. This application will ask you to write two short responses that consider the Program’s core values: 1) What are you most excited to learn about, and how will being in Honors help you pursue that knowledge? 2) How do you want to use your experience in Honors to contribute to the UCSB and/or broader community? Detailed prompts will be available on the application link. See below for additional application details for each class year.

Note: admittance to the Honors Program will be made on a rolling basis. This means that we will admit eligible students in the order that we receive their completed applications. As such, we recommend that you submit your application in a timely manner. Last year, incoming first-year spots were filled within 8 days.

Incoming First Years

In mid-May the Honors Program will email all Letters and Science students who have submitted their Statement of Intent to Register, inviting them to apply for the program. 

Note to Fall 2023 Freshman: The application for incoming freshmen to join the Honors Program has now closed, as the number of submissions has exceeded the number of available spots. Applications and notifications will be sent within six weeks, though possibly sooner. All incoming freshmen received a “heads-up” email in advance of the application opening date, with the goal of giving students the opportunity to prepare the application essays ahead of time and submit them as soon as the application opened. 

If you missed the application window, you will be able to apply in Summer 2024 as a rising sophomore, as long as you have 36 letter-graded UC units with a 3.2 cumulative GPA or higher. The link for the rising sophomore application will be available on the website, and will not be emailed out to all sophomores.

Thank you for your understanding.

Continuing Second Years

Non-transfer students entering their second year at UCSB can apply to the Program beginning August 1st and will need to have a 3.2 GPA on 36 attempted letter-graded UC units. The application for Continuing Second Years (non-transfer) students will appear here in August when the application opens. We encourage you to apply soon after the application opens, as admissions are made on a rolling basis.

Transfer Students

During the summer, the Honors Program will email incoming Letters and Science transfer students who have submitted their Statement of Intent to Register, inviting them to apply for the program. Transfer students will need to have a 3.5 GPA  at their previous institutions or a 3.2 if transferring from another UC.