Honors College Admissions

Students applying to the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College for Fall 2026 admission and beyond will first need to complete the University of Mississippi’s undergraduate admission application. Once a student is accepted to UM, they may complete and submit the SMBHC application, through the Competitive Academic Programs Application.

Early-Action Deadline: November 1, 2025
Final Deadline: January 10, 2026

The SMBHC admissions committee reviews applications holistically. Students are encouraged to share information about their high school experiences, including academic pursuits, extracurricular activities, leadership roles, community service, honors or awards, and work experience. The committee will also read your recommendation letters as well as your Academic Personal Statement (300-500 words), which prompts: Describe your academic interests and how the University of Mississippi will help you achieve your goals. How do you envision yourself contributing to the academic community?

The SMBHC essay prompt for this year’s application follows: Describe a piece of art, music, or writing you have found powerful, and explain how it has impacted you. Your essay must be between 500 and 700 words. It will be evaluated on a combination of style, grammar, imagination, and substance. Responses that appear to have been written in haste or generated by AI may affect the admission decision.

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 College as freshmen 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.

Honors Scholars Handbook  

Admission Requirements

• A minimum of a 3.50 overall GPA (combined UM resident and transfer GPA)
• At least 45 earned college credit hours
• Current UM students must complete 1 semester of college coursework post-graduation from high school to be eligible to apply

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 and Senior Thesis or Practicum
• Successful completion of at least one other 3 or more hour Honors course
• Successful completion of the Community Action Component while a member of the SMBHC

The Honors Capstone and Senior Thesis

The Honors Capstone and Senior Thesis requirements encourage 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, particularly with the thesis, will set you apart from other university students. The most common experience for these two requirements 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.

Honors Capstone

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.

The Honors Scholars Program is truly a rewarding experience.

Honors Scholars Program Application Requirements

• Demographic Information
• 3 Essays
• 1 Recommendation Form (no recommendation letter required)
• Applicants can save and return to their application prior to submission. 

The deadline to apply for Spring 2026 admission is December 15, 2025. 

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