How to Apply
Thank you for your interest in the William O. Douglas Honors College (DHC). All students are welcome and invited to apply to the Honors College. See below to select which application process is appropriate for you.
Current and Incoming CWU Students
It's seamless. First, apply and get admitted to Central Washington University. Second, apply to the Honors College using the email and password you used to apply to CWU.
There is no application deadline. All applications are processed on a rolling admission basis. However, applications received by May 1 are prioritized for admission and LLC placement in the following autumn.
Admission is essay-based. Honors College admission is determined by your ability to meet our minimum writing requirements. Test scores (ACT/SAT) and GPA are not used in determining admission to the DHC.
Our mission is to promote an inclusive and accessible learning environment. If we identify opportunities for improvement in an admission essay, applicants receive specific notes to revise their essay. Resubmissions should be emailed to DHC@cwu.edu with the subject line DHC Essay Resubmission.
Preparing Your Essay
The essay is your opportunity to introduce yourself to the DHC Application Review Committee. Be authentic and thoughtful in your response—letting your unique lived experiences guide you. As your admission to the Honors College is wholly based on your essay, use it as an opportunity to demonstrate writing ability, critical thinking, and individuality. A compelling essay exhibits proficiency of the following criteria:
- correct spelling and thoughtful word choice
- appropriate punctuation
- logical grammar and sentence structure
- parsing ideas by paragraph
- cohesiveness and flow of response
- effective answering of the prompt
Your essay must be double-spaced, in a 12 pt. font, and a minimum of 500 words. Essays not meeting the formatting, word count, and listed criteria are sent back for revision.
Essay Prompt
We are all members of many communities, such as where we live, work, or go to school, cultural/ethnic identities, and shared interests and affinities. How do you define community? Within your community, you can change one thing, what are you changing and why? What are the positive and negative consequences of your change? Who benefits? How is the change sustained over time?
Running Start Students - Ellensburg and Sammamish
Running Start students, please use the link below to view the Running Start application requirements and apply to the Honors College. At this time, the Honors College is only available to students at the Sammamish or Ellensburg campus.
Apply Now - Running Start Students Only
You will need your CWU email address to access the web form linked above. Please direct questions to DHC@cwu.edu.
Sapere Aude