vcu honors college supplemental essays

Virginia Commonwealth University | VCU

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Virginia Commonwealth University | VCU’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Honors college essay.

Submission of a personal education paper. The personal education paper should address the following question: How will membership in the VCU Honors College assist you in pursuing your academic and career goals while also helping you become an active citizen in the community? The paper should be 2-3 pages double spaced. Essays may include, but are not limited to the following: Major influences on your intellectual and personal development, such as curricular and extracurricular experiences, community service or important people, events or ideas Your immediate educational goals and plans for achieving them Your goals and dreams for the future

Common App Personal Essay

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

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Application portal

Welcome to the Honors College application portal. You will need to create a log-in to begin the application process. Current VCU students will use their VCU eID and password.

If you have not yet done so, please review our admissions and application procedure for incoming freshmen, transfer students and continuing VCU students. Students applying for a Guaranteed Admission Program should begin the incoming freshmen application and select the corresponding program when prompted.

We look forward to reviewing your application. If you have additional questions, please contact the Honors College at 804-828-1803 or [email protected] .

Prospective students

Vcu community.

National Scholarship Office

Honors college.

The National Scholarship Office (NSO) supports all VCU students and alumni who are interested in applying for prestigious national and international scholarships. 

NSO Services

Information sessions.

We hold information sessions throughout the year to inform the VCU community of scholarship and fellowship opportunities.

Initial Consultations

We meet with individuals to explore scholarship or fellowship opportunities that are a good fit for them.

Recommender Advice and Coordination

We consult with candidates about the choice of recommenders and coordinate the submission of letters of recommendation, when appropriate.

We offer scholarship-specific workshops as well as an ongoing How to Apply Workshop Series.

Cohort Activities

We organize groups of applicants to share and receive feedback as well as facilitate other activities to foster peer support and community.

Writing Support

We work closely with applicants to help them craft the strongest possible scholarship essays and personal statements. 

Mock Interviews

We organize practice interviews to help prepare applicants for interviews required for some awards. 

Campus Endorsements and Nominations

We coordinate the process by which VCU students and alumni receive endorsements or nominations for those awards that require them.

Final Submission of Application Materials

We assist applicants with the final submission of their application materials. 

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This is the preliminary (or launch) version of the 2024-2025 VCU Bulletin. We may add courses that expose our students to cutting-edge content and transformative learning. We may also add content to the general education program that focuses on racial literacy and a racial literacy graduation requirement, and may receive notification of additional program approvals after the launch. The final edition and full PDF version will include these updates and will be available in August prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

HONR 150. Flourishing. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Restricted to freshmen in The Honors College. Transitioning from high school to college is a major developmental task. The challenges include independence from adult supervision, new friendships, exposure to a unique culture of academic pressure, relative freedom with access to leisure time activities that include both positive and negative elements. Anxiety/depression, problems with substance use and mental illness often make their presence known in this period. It can be a time of high stress and tension but also a time for unprecedented opportunity to discover strength and resilience that sets students on a positive trajectory on the stage of life. Both professors and students have discovered that self-doubt, tension and stress not only impede knowledge acquisition but also the capacity to flourish, i.e. to actualize one’s innate capacity for resilience and growth. This course examines the state of college student mental health and wellness on a personal and systems level. It provides an opportunity for students to re-evaluate their beliefs, values and assumptions, and to do so in the context of learning about the science behind health and wellness. Key findings from the fields of positive psychology and the study of mental illness will inform students’ understanding of the biopsychosocial underpinnings of well-being.

HONR 160. Introduction to Community Engagement. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Enrollment is restricted to juniors and seniors in The Honors College. Contemporary communities are diverse and interconnected. To impact positive social changes, leaders in these communities must understand critical theories of community engagement. This course surveys critical theories and models of community engagement, including but not limited to theories of citizenship, social movements, civic leadership, social justice, civil discourse and social capital. Students will use an interdisciplinary lens to analyze principles and practices of community engagement.

HONR 170. Humans of RVA and VCU. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Enrollment restricted to students in the Honors College. Students will study the nature of community, especially the Richmond community, as well as community engagement and their role in it. They will study the differences among the terms community engagement, community service and service learning, as well as their relationship to social justice and social change. In the style of the website Humans of New York, students will work in cohorts to interview Richmond residents and post stories and photos to social media, with an eye toward better understanding the many aspects of community.

HONR 171. Investigative Inquiry in RVA. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Prerequisite: HONR 170 . Enrollment is restricted to students in the Honors College. Utilizing "City as Text," this experiential learning course provides students with an opportunity to work in diverse cohorts to experience activities and events in the Richmond community.

HONR 190. Freshman Seminar. 1 Hour.

Semester course; 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Restricted to freshmen in The Honors College. This course develops a learning paradigm for students appropriate to university education. Students are expected to gain a willingness to take intellectual risks, to engage in their own learning actively and to take responsibility for their own education. A thorough orientation to the library and other university resources is included. The students will hone critical-thinking skills while examining selected topics from a perspective that emphasizes critical interpretation rather than mastery of information. Students will engage in collaborative projects on specified topics. Attendance at certain Honors College events is required.

HONR 198. Freshman Honors. 1-4 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. Variable credit. Maximum total of 8 credits. May be repeated once under different topic. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of The Honors College. An interdisciplinary course that will provide an intensive study of selected topics.

HONR 200. Research Writing. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Enrollment is restricted to honors students. In-depth study of principles of rhetoric and argumentation in both written and oral formats. Emphasis is on research-based expository writing and debate, with skills development in technological applications for information retrieval. Students may not receive credit for both HONR 200 and UNIV 200 .

HONR 250. Writing in Cultural Conversation. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. In-depth study of principles of expository writing focusing on purpose and audience. Particular emphasis on critically engaging with texts and writing about original ideas informed by the thinking of others. Develops a number of writing strategies and skills including narration, description and figuration, as well as the art of persuasion.

HONR 298. Sophomore Honors. 1-4 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. Variable credit. Maximum total of 8 credits. May be repeated once under different topic. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of The Honors College. Appropriate prerequisite or corequisites may be demanded. An interdisciplinary course that will provide an intensive study of selected topics.

HONR 300. Qatar Honors Experiential Learning Project. 3 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing and approval of Honors College dean. Restricted to honors students. Experiential learning is a project-based and student-led experience utilizing hands-on learning, academic research and personal reflection to increase knowledge, develop skills, clarify values and make worthwhile contributions to communities, organizations or groups. This course provides honors students with opportunities to collaborate with local, regional and/or international communities and organizations to engage in meaningful projects and initiatives that enhance academic enrichment, foster personal growth and practice social responsibility.

HONR 398. Honors Topics. 1-4 Hours.

Semester course; 3 lecture hours. Variable credit. May be repeated with different topics. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of The Honors College. Appropriate prerequisite or corequisites may be demanded. An in-depth study of selected topics. May be cross listed with departmental courses. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.

HONR 399. Honors Module. 1.5 Hour.

Five-week course; 3 lecture hours. 1.5 credits per module. Prerequisite: permission of the dean of The Honors College. Intensive studies of topics from a wide spectrum of disciplines are undertaken. Each module is a self-contained unit. See the Schedule of Classes for specific topics to be offered each semester.

HONR 492. Honors Independent Study. 0.5-4 Hours.

Semester course; variable hours. Variable credits. Maximum of 4 credits per semester. Maximum total of 9 credits over all semesters. Prerequisites: junior or senior standing, and approval of Honors College dean and instructor/tutor. Intensive study under supervision of a faculty member in an area not covered in depth or contained in the regular curriculum.

HONR 493. Honors College Internship. 1-3 Hours.

Semester course; 1-3 field experience hours. 1-3 credits (50 hours per credit). May be taken for a maximum of 3 credits per semester with a maximum of 6 credits total. Enrollment restricted to junior or senior students in the Honors College with approval of internship coordinator. Designed to provide students with real-world experience in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Graded as pass/fail.

HONR 494. Honors College Senior Capstone. 4 Hours.

Semester course; 4 independent study hours. 4 credits. Prerequisites: HONR 170 ; HONR 200 or UNIV 200 ; and HONR 250 . Enrollment is restricted to seniors in the Honors College with a 3.2 grade point average in honors courses. Each student will participate, either individually or as part of a cohort, in preparing a project proposal approved by the course coordinator. This course will entail the planning and execution of a scholarly project where understanding of research techniques, effective oral and written communication and knowledge of relevant literature and theories are clearly demonstrated.

HONR 495. Honors College Senior Capstone: Proposal Writing. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 independent study hours. 2 credits. Prerequisites: HONR 170 ; HONR 200 or UNIV 200 ; and HONR 250 . Enrollment is restricted to seniors in the Honors College with a cumulative 3.2 GPA in honors courses. This course is a part one of a two-semester sequence where each student will participate, either individually or as a part of a cohort, in preparing a project proposal approved by the course coordinator.

HONR 496. Honors College Senior Capstone: Practicum. 2 Hours.

Semester course; 2 independent study hours. 2 credits. Prerequisite: HONR 495 . Enrollment is restricted to seniors in the Honors College with a cumulative 3.2 GPA in honors courses. This course is part two of a two-semester sequence where each student will participate, either individually or as a part of a cohort, in implementing a project proposal approved by the course coordinator.

Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, Virginia 23284 Phone: (804) 828-0100 [email protected]

All Bulletins © 2024-2025 Virginia Commonwealth University Wed Aug 23 2023 10:21:59 GMT-0500 (CDT)

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Guaranteed University Admission

Review application requirements and frequently asked questions for Guaranteed University Admission. 

Introduction

VCU is proud to offer guaranteed university admission to first-year applicants who have a high school GPA of 3.5 or are among the top 10 percent of their high school graduating class! Apply today for your acceptance. The benefit to you is an admissions process without the stress that comes with uncertainty in the college selection process.

Frequently asked questions 

Learn more about Guaranteed University Admission . 

Just apply through the Common App, including the Common App required essay, and submit your high school transcript by VCU’s  first-year regular decision deadline, Jan. 16, 2024! Please note the regular decision deadline for guaranteed university admission has been extended to Feb. 15, 2024. Applications received after Feb. 15, 2024 will be considered for guaranteed university admission on a case-by-case basis. There are no additional application materials for guaranteed university admission.

Do you have a high school GPA of at least 3.5 or are you in the top 10% of your high school graduating class?  If so, you’ll qualify for VCU’s guaranteed university admission! 

VCU uses the weighted GPA, if shown on your high school transcript. 

No, the School of the Arts has major-specific requirements.   However, we welcome your application to the program and hope you will continue to consider VCU!

No, the College of Engineering has major-specific requirements . However, we welcome your application to the program and hope you will continue to consider VCU!

• First-year applicants with a high school GPA of 3.5 or in the top 10% of their high school graduating class are qualified for guaranteed university admission . 
• The Honors College Guaranteed Admission is for highly qualified students already admitted to the university who are interested in entering professional programs without competing via general admission at a later date. 
• Transfer students are not eligible for university guaranteed admission. VCU has transfer guaranteed admission agreements with the Virginia Community College System and other two-year colleges.

While your admission to the university may be guaranteed, your enrollment for Fall 2024 will be dependent upon (i) a post-admission/pre-enrollment criminal history inquiry that does not reveal criminal history information that is determined to pose a threat to the university community; (ii) review of disciplinary records that does not reveal behavior contrary to the university’s mission and values or in violation of VCU policies; (iii) satisfactory completion of in-progress coursework and graduation from high school; and (iv) responses on the VCU Offer Response Form.

For more information about guaranteed university admission to VCU, please contact our Office of Admissions at [email protected] or 804-828-1222.

First-year links

• Application overview
• Application checklist
• Student profile

Find answers in our  FAQs

Have questions about the application process? Explore our frequently asked questions.