Interested students must apply for admission to the University at Buffalo.

If you’re submitting the Coalition for College application, you can apply to the Honors College in the Academics section.

If you’re submitting the Common Application (Common App), you can apply to the Honors College in the Academics section.

If you’re applying with the State University of New York (ApplySUNY) Application, please complete the Honors College supplemental application.

As part of the application process, we ask you to write an essay so we can learn more about you.

UB and the Honors College offer a number of programs that can help you earn multiple degrees, or get admitted to a specific program.

To be considered for a merit scholarship, the Office of Admissions encourages you to apply by November 1 for priority scholarship consideration.

Offers of admission to the Honors College are now being made on a rolling basis. Due to an exceptionally high number of inquiries and a record volume of highly qualified applicants to UB this year, only a small number of spots remain in the Honors College. We strongly encourage interested students to submit their materials as soon as possible. Outstanding students who apply after December 15th will continue to be reviewed only as space allows.

If you are transferring to UB from another college or university, or you're currently attending UB, we welcome you to apply for the Honors College. Transfer students and current UB students follow the same application process for the Honors College; the only difference is that transfer students must also be admitted to UB.

Oct. 1 for fall admission.

March 1 for spring admission.

• Completion of at least 30 credit hours (including transfer and alternative exam credits) and at least one full semester as a matriculated undergraduate student.
  • Transfer students: you must be already admitted to UB when applying.
• Overall GPA of 3.5 or higher.
• At least one year remaining of undergraduate studies (i.e., if a student is planning to graduate in spring 2026, the last semester they can apply for Honors is spring 2025)
• A completed Honors Program Application for Transfer Students and Current UB Students, which includes:
  • Current unofficial transcript(s)
  • Updated resume or CV
  • Two essays:
  1. There is more to being a UB Honors scholar than earning good grades. In 500 words or less, please share what you believe defines an Honors scholar outside of academic achievement and how your undergraduate activities, choices and plans align with that description.
  2. One of the hallmarks of the UB Honors College is our students' intellectual curiosity. In 500 words or less, discuss one current topic/issue that interests you and how it might be approached from multiple perspectives or disciplines.
  • One letter of reference from faculty submitted to honors@buffalo.edu. Letters from TAs, graduate students, academic advisors, employers and coaches will only be accepted supplementally in addition to the required faculty letter.

We welcome UB Singapore students to apply for the Honors College.

• No incoming first-semester students (including transfer students) will be admitted immediately in the fall.
• The application period will open after the end of spring semester to continuing students admitted in the Spring semester or prior. (For example, for Fall 2025 admissions, we will accept applications from students admitted in Spring 2025 or earlier.)

• Completion of at least 30 credit hours (including transfer and alternative exam credits) and at least one full semester as a matriculated undergraduate student.
  • Transfer credits are acceptable and students should submit a copy of their transfer work transcript with their application along with their UB transcript.
• At least one year remaining of undergraduate studies (i.e., if a student Is planning to graduate in spring 2027, the last semester they can apply for Honors is spring 2026).
• UB GPA of at least 3.5.
• A completed Honors Program Application for Singapore (UB-SIM) Students which includes:
  • One letter of reference from UB faculty, including local instructors teaching for the SIM-UB program, should submitted to honors@buffalo.edu. Letters from TAs, graduate students, academic advisors, employers and coaches will not be accepted.
  • Two short essays: 
    
    • There is much more to being a UB Honors Scholar than earning good grades. In 500 words or less, please share what you believe defines an Honors Scholar outside of academic achievement, and how your undergraduate activities, choices and plans align with that description.
    • One of the hallmarks of a UB Honors Scholar is our students’ intellectual curiosity. In 500 words or less, discuss one topic/issue today that interests you, and how it might be approached from multiple perspectives or disciplines.

SIM-UB Honors applications will be evaluated by a committee that includes Honors College and International Education staff. Students will be selected by:

• Overall GPA
• Strength of schedule
• Consistency, breadth, and depth of extracurricular activities
• Demonstration of leadership potential
• The quality of the essays

• June 1 – Spring grades can be taken into consideration
• Aug 1 –Releasing decision by early August will allow students to plan their Fall courses to include HON255 before the start of Fall semester.
  
• The Singapore application will be open from June 1 through July 1.