High School Applicants
Apply to TU and the Honors College through the Common App!
University AdmissionsComplete your TU Application and miss Honors?
The Honors College accepts applications from prospective first-year students on the schedule of deadlines established by University Admissions.
- Prospective first-year students must complete the Honors College Application as part of the 缅北禁地 University Admissions Application. The Early Action deadline for fall entry and regular deadline for spring entry is November 1. The Regular Decision deadline for fall entry is February 1.
- First-year applicants who miss submitting the Honors application materials initially through the general 缅北禁地 University Admissions Application may still apply for admission to the Honors College through this . Please note: applicants using this method will need their TU Admissions portal login credentials to gain access. If you experience any problems using this method, please contact University Admissions.
About Admission to the Honors College
Admission to the Honors College is competitive. Honors College students make up less than five percent of the incoming freshman class each year, and the approximately 800 active Honors students represent just under four percent of all undergraduate students at 缅北禁地 University. Our application looks holistically at an applicant's experiences and considers quality of engagement over sheer quantity, self-awareness and reflection of involvement, and authenticity.
To be considered, an applicant must complete the Honors College application for admission. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Students must complete Honors seminars at the main 缅北禁地 University campus in 缅北禁地, MD.
High-School Applicant Admission Requirements
While the Honors College attracts top-performing high school seniors, there are no minimum criteria that a student must meet in order to apply to Honors. Since 缅北禁地 University and the Honors College are permanently test optional, students may submit their standardized testing scores through the Common App as part of their application materials, but are not required to do so. In terms of academic performance in high school, though first-year students admitted to the Honors College in the fall term have historically had these middle 50% ranges in their GPAs, any student whose performance falls outside these ranges is strongly encouraged to apply for admission:
| Year | Unweighted GPA | Weighted GPA | Standardized Test Scores |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.64鈥�3.96 | 4.08鈥�4.61 | Optional |
| 2024 | 3.75鈥�3.98 | 4.15鈥�4.66 | Optional |
| 2023 | 3.61鈥�3.95 | 4.16鈥�4.64 | Optional |
| 2022 | N/A | 4.18鈥�4.67 | N/A |
| 2021 | N/A | 4.1鈥�4.5 | N/A |
| 2020 | N/A | 4.08鈥�4.5 | N/A |
Applications from first-year students are evaluated through a comprehensive holistic review that also considers the following:
- Course selection and the rigor of the student鈥檚 high school curriculum
- Strength and clarity of ideas and writing demonstrated in an essay
- Engagement and demonstrated leadership in co-curricular and extracurricular involvement
- An optional letter of recommendation from a major subject teacher
Honors First-Year Admissions FAQs
Application Process
How will my Honors College application be reviewed?
A panel of Honors College faculty and staff review each application on the basis of a number of factors:
- essay
- list of activities
- secondary/post-secondary school GPA
- rigor of secondary school course load*
- standardized test scores (if provided)*
- class rank (if provided)*
- letter of recommendation (optional)
*Only for applicants from high school with fewer than 30 completed college credits
Applicants are assessed primarily on the basis of their ability to succeed in the Honors College curriculum. There is no absolute cutoff score for consideration or automatic admission.
Do I need to submit standardized test scores (e.g., SAT, SAT 2, ACT, etc.) as part of my application?
TU and the Honors College are test-optional, meaning the submission of standardized test scores is not required. Please review the University Admission FAQs for details on the application process.
Applicants who apply without SAT or ACT exam scores will not be at a competitive disadvantage to students who submit test scores. We welcome and encourage all applicants!
I want to apply to the Honors College but I have a low GPA. Should I still apply?
The Honors College strongly encourages potential applicants to apply. The Honors review process is holistic and considers a variety of aspects of the application and the applicant's likelihood for academic success in and community contributions to the Honors College. While high school GPA and class rank strong indicators of future academic success, we recognize they are only one piece of the puzzle.
I filled out the Honors section of my TU application but submitted it after November 1 / February 1. Will I be considered for Honors College admission?
While the Honors College encourages all of its applicants to submit their complete materials by the priority application deadlines set by University Admissions for entry in the both spring and fall terms, applications received after those deadlines have passed will be considered as long as spaces remain available within the Honors College.
I submitted an application and want to check to make sure you received all of my documents. Who should I contact?
High school applicants who applied through the 缅北禁地 University application should contact University Admissions at admissions@towson.edu or 410-704-2113 to ensure receipt of their completed applications.
Required Essay
Can I submit the same essay for my 缅北禁地 University application and my Honors College application?
The Honors essay is separate from the TU essay, as the two sets of prompts address different topics. You will need to submit a different essay for each.
How strict is the essay word count requirement?
The range between 500 and 750 words is fairly wide, and provides the appropriate amount of space to form and support a clear position in direct response to the essay prompts provided. Any essay much shorter than 500 words will likely have insufficient support for your argument, and anything much longer than 750 will likely be too unfocused.
Optional Letter of Recommendation
How do I know that my recommender received my letter request? When is their letter due?
Letter of recommendation requests are emailed to the recipient as soon as you click the send button in the recommendation section of the TU application, and can be sent out far in advance of your application submission. Recommendations can be submitted after the application deadline. The Honors College generally begins application reviews within one week of the application deadline, so any recommendations not received by then may not be included in the review process.
I have several teachers who want to write me letters of recommendation. How can I provide you contact information for multiple recommenders?
We will only consider one letter of recommendation in support of your Honors College application. Additional letters of recommendation will not be read.
My recommender/high school insists on mailing a physical copy of my recommendation or giving me a sealed recommendation in person. What do I do?
The Honors College strongly prefers letters of recommendation submitted through the online request portal to guarantee the recommendation is correctly attached to your application file. Physical letters can be mailed to:
- 缅北禁地 University Honors College
8000 York Road
缅北禁地, MD 21252-0001
Please ensure that your recommender includes your full name and the name of your high school in the letter. If your recommender gives you a sealed envelope, please write your name and high school on the exterior. This will help ensure the letter is added to your application file.
My recommender/high school only submits recommendations through Naviancece (or a similar service). What do I do?
As long as the letter is submitted by the recommender whose name you indicate on your application, it will be added to your application file and included in your Honors application review.
I provided contact information for my recommender, and now they can鈥檛/won鈥檛 write me a letter. Now what?
Contact the Honors College at honors AT_TOWSON or 410-704-4865 with your full name and the name and email of a replacement recommender,
and we will send them the relevant information to submit a letter of recommendation.
Can my boss/coach/family friend write my letter of recommendation?
Character references 鈥� those from individuals who are not teachers鈥攁re not useful for the Honors review process. We strongly suggest that your letter of recommendation writer be a primary subject teacher, as our recommendation prompt encourages submission of information regarding your presence in the classroom. If you would like someone who鈥檚 not a primary subject teacher to write your letter, you please provide a written justification to honors AT_TOWSON of why that person is equipped to assess your academic abilities.
Honors Admissions Decisions
I received notification in my TU Admissions Portal that I've been admitted to 缅北禁地 University, but there's nothing about admission to the Honors College yet. Why is that?
While applicants to the Honors College submit all their application materials through the Common App when applying both to 缅北禁地 University and to the Honors College, the decision making processes for those two applications are separate and conducted on different timelines. This is why you have been informed about your acceptance to 缅北禁地 University (congratulations on that!) but not the Honors College. Please be patient as we conduct our holistic review of your materials.
What do I need to do in order to accept an offer of admission to the Honors College?
In order to accept admission into the Honors College, all you have to do is submit your official 缅北禁地 University Enrollment Contract with deposit to University Admissions by the deadline for your term of entry as listed in your TU admission letter. If you plan to live on campus, you must submit your housing request and deposit to the Department of Housing & Residence life by their deadline, posted on their housing application page.
I was not admitted to the Honors College. Can I appeal my decision?
The Honors College does not consider appeals. Every applicant who was not admitted through the admissions process has had their application file considered through an extensive and thorough holistic review, therefore no appeals are accepted.
Can I apply to join the Honors College as a TU student once I matriculate to the university?
Yes, provided that you have demonstrated strong academic progress reflected in your cumulative GPA, a thriving involvement with the campus community (including and especially in leadership roles), and will have, at the end of the semester in which you apply, fewer than 60 completed college credits.
From September 1 to December 20 of each year, the Honors College accepts applications from current TU students wishing to join the Honors College in the spring semester. For those TU students interested in applying for fall entry, applications are accepted until March 1. Depending on application date and desired term of entry, TU students admitted through this process may join the Honors College for either the ensuing spring or fall semester and will receive most benefits of Honors status, although they will not receive a scholarship.