Preparing Citizen Scholars
The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College is open to students in all undergraduate majors, as long as they enjoy intellectual novelty and courses that focus on critical thinking through reading, writing, and discussion. Our college emphasizes public service in addition to academic achievement, and we requirement involvement in community action each semester. For more information about the SMBHC and the opportunities we provide, explore our website.
The deadline to apply for Fall 2025 admission has passed.
Prior to applying to the Honors College, students need to apply for admission to the University of Mississippi. The online application to the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College for Fall 2026 entering freshmen is part of the Special Programs & Scholarship Application for the University of Mississippi, which becomes available September 1 or after you have applied for admission to the University (whichever is later).
Through the Special Programs & Scholarship Application, you will also be able to apply for financial aid and other programs on campus. The Honors College Early-Action deadline is November 1 (applicants will be informed of our decision by December 20). For Early-Action, we will accept recommendation letters through November 15th. Our regular deadline is 11:59 PM (CST) January 10, 2026. We will accept recommendation letters through January 24th for all regular deadline submissions. Students applying by the regular deadline will be notified by the first week of March. All admitted students have until May 1 to accept or decline the offer of admission.
The Special Programs & Scholarship Application must be completed in the order that the tabs appear. The Honors College portion of the Special Programs application includes the following information:
1. Academics: GPA, rank, etc.
2. Recommenders: One should be one of your teachers; one should be a counselor or principal; and the third should be someone you have a responsibility to, such as another teacher, a coach, or an employer. Applicants will enter in the names, positions, and email addresses of their recommenders; the recommenders will receive an email notification with instructions on how to proceed. If your recommender does not receive an email, then ask them to check their clutter/junk email folders. If they still do not receive the email, they can email your letter as an attachment to umrecltr@olemiss.edu.
3. Your Résumé
4. A personal statement describing your educational aspirations and future career goals
5. The general essay: Describe a problem you've solved or a problem you'd like to solve – anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution. Your essay must be between 500 and 700 words. It will be evaluated on a combination of style, grammar, imagination, and substance.
6. The prompt for Fall 2026 SMBHC admission is pending. Your essay must be between 500 and 700 words. It will be evaluated on a combination of style, grammar, imagination, and substance. Do not use the same essay you submitted for the Shared Information portion of the application.
Please note that the Honors College admissions committee will have access to both your scholarship application essay AND the essay you submit for the Honors College application. Please do not use the same essay for both prompts.
If you have any questions or problems with the application process, please call 662-915-7294 or email honors@olemiss.edu. You may also contact our Coordinator of Recruitment and Admissions, Ms. Timera Rodgers, at tdrodger@olemiss.edu.
The Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College at the University of Mississippi invites students who did not enter the SMBHC as a freshman to join through the Honors Scholars Program. This program welcomes both transfer and current UM students. Through the Honors Scholars Program, students will become involved in research in their majors, take honors courses, and contribute to the larger society through community action.
Admission Requirements
- A minimum of a 3.50 undergraduate GPA
- At least 45 earned college credit hours
Honors College Requirements
The Honors College has set forth challenging and beneficial requirements meant to encourage talented students to serve their communities, develop their own scholarly interests, and become more involved with the research pursuits of University faculty. Specifically, the requirements are:
- Successful completion of the Honors Capstone
- Successful completion of at least one other Honors course
- Successful completion of the Community Action Component while a member of the SMBHC
The Honors Capstone
The Honors Capstone requirement encourages students either to develop their own scholarly interests or to become more involved with the research pursuits of University faculty. The completion of this independent work will set you apart from other university students. The most common Capstone experience is to do independent research with a faculty mentor in the junior year, and then write the results of that research as your thesis in the senior year.
Benefits
Participants in the Honors Scholars Program have 24-hour access to the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors Center, which houses a computer lab, lounge, kitchen, study rooms, and classrooms. With twenty-four hour access to the building, many students see the Honors Center as a place to socialize and as their “home away from home.” They also have the advantage of priority registration.
Upon graduation, students who successfully complete the Honors Scholars Program will graduate as an Honors Scholar in his or her major (e.g. Honors Scholar in Biochemistry). The student will participate in the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College commissioning ceremony, and the distinction of being an Honors Scholar will be noted on the student’s transcript.
Completed applications must be emailed to honors@olemiss.edu by 5:00pm the Monday prior to the first week of either the Fall or Spring semester.
Access the Honors Scholars application and Honors Scholars handbook here.
Fall 2025 application deadline: August 18, 2025
Spring 2026 application deadline: January 12, 2026
Questions?
For questions related to the Honors Scholars Program, please contact Rebecca Oliver at rsoliver@olemiss.edu.
We're here to help!
If you have questions about the admissions process, please reach out!
Timera Denise Rodgers
Coordinator of Admissions