Essay Guide

Essay: In 500 to 600 words, write about one of the topics below.*

*An essay can tell us things about you beyond your academic background of grades, test scores, and courses taken in high school and/or college. Please consider this when choosing your essay prompt.

1) “I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” – Albert Einstein

Write about an experience or social/political issue that has piqued your curiosity. What questions has this subject inspired you to answer? What actions have you taken to become more knowledgeable about the subject? What strategies have you used to address answers that you find unsatisfying?

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2) Writing, painting, performing, debating, and designing solutions to complex equations are only a few of the media through which people convey their thoughts, emotions, and aspirations. How do you express the inner workings of your mind to the larger world? How does the world around you respond?


Tips for Completing Your Honors Essay

  • Length: Approximately 500 to 600 words
  • Your essay will be assessed on content as well as form (spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure). Take care when writing your essay; be sure to edit and proofread before you submit. It is an important element of your application to Honors.
  • Make sure that you have actually answered the essay question. Your essay will be evaluated on your ability to express your thoughts clearly and think creatively and critically.
    Write your essay in a word processing program (e.g. Microsoft Word) and save it as a PDF document to submit as part of the Honors application.