All students must first earn admission to Kennesaw State University for KSU Journey Honors College consideration. KSU Journey Honors College admissions decisions are released separately from Kennesaw State University admissions decisions. After earning admission to Kennesaw State University, honors applicants can expect to receive their honors admissions decision in 6 - 8 weeks. All honors admissions decisions are communicated via KSU student email. 

To ensure quality of experience, KSU Journey Honors College is unable to serve strictly online learners at this time.

Please direct honors admissions questions to: honorsadmissions@kennesaw.edu

Which Type of Student Are You?

  • First-year students applying for admission to KSU Journey Honors College must have a KSU-calculated high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.

    Admission to the KSU Journey Honors College is competitive. The essay portion of your application is given particular attention. The honors essay demonstrates your writing, your interests, and overall fit for the KSU Journey Honors College. Selection committee members are looking for:

    • Originality and creativity.
    • A strong argument.
    • Demonstration of curiosity and potential for engagement.
    • Evidence of care, effort, and clarity.
    • Appropriate essay organization, grammar, and language.

    The use of ChatGPT or any other AI technology is strictly prohibited. 

    How to Apply

    Incoming First-Year Students may apply directly through their application to Kennesaw State University in CommonApp. 

    Apply via CommonApp

    OR

    If you do not indicate interest in Honors via CommonApp, you may apply via the Honors internal application linked below:

    Honors Internal Application

    *First-year students who do not meet the minimum criteria for admission or who are not accepted based on their initial application may apply to KSU Journey Honors College after their first semester at KSU. See "Current KSU Students" eligibility tab below.

    **The Department of Psychological Science has specific eligibility criteria for honors students. Please review these criteria here.

  • Current KSU Dual Enrollment students who are graduating from high school  must have a KSU-calculated high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.

    Admission to the KSU Journey Honors College is competitive. The essay portion of your application is given particular attention. The honors essay demonstrates your writing, your interests, and overall fit for the KSU Journey Honors College. Selection committee members are looking for:

    • Originality and creativity.
    • A strong argument.
    • Demonstration of curiosity and potential for engagement.
    • Evidence of care, effort, and clarity.
      appropriate essay organization, grammar, and language.

    The use of ChatGPT or any other AI technology is strictly prohibited. 

    How to Apply

    Honors Internal Application

    *The Department of Psychological Science has specific eligibility criteria for Honors Students. Please review these criteria here.

  • High school junior and senior Dual Enrollment Program (DEP) students are eligible to apply to KSU Journey Honors College based on the following:

    • KSU-calculated high school GPA of 3.5 or higher.

    Admission to the KSU Journey Honors College is competitive. The essay portion of your application is given particular attention. The honors essay demonstrates your writing, your interests, and overall fit for the KSU Journey Honors College. Selection committee members are looking for:

    • Originality and creativity.
    • A strong argument.
    • demonstration of curiosity and potential for engagement.
    • Evidence of care, effort, and clarity.
    • Appropriate essay organization, grammar, and language.

    The use of ChatGPT or any other AI technology is strictly prohibited. 

    How to Apply

    Honors Internal Application

    *Please note:

    • All courses taken by DEP students must be approved by a DEP advisor and their high school counselor.
    • If an honors section of an approved course (e.g., ENGL 1101/H01 or HIST 1111/H01) is available, then the student may take the honors section rather than a regular section.
    • Honors sections are smaller and are typically seminar-style. (The "H" in the section number code designates that it's an honors section.)
    • Courses with a HON prefix (e.g., HON 3000: Honors Colloquium) and the HON 1100: Introduction to Honors courses are not covered by Dual Enrollment funding.
    • DEP students may participate in non-course related Honors Discoveries (book clubs, etc.) to meet the Honors Learning Experience requirements. Any associated fees are not covered by Dual Enrollment funding, and the student would need to pay these expenses out of pocket.

    *The Department of Psychological Science has specific eligibility criteria for honors Students. Please review these criteria here.

  • Transfer students are eligible to apply based on the following:

    • fewer than 70 credit hours.
    • transfer GPA of 3.5 or higher.

    Admission to the KSU Journey Honors College is competitive. The essay portion of your application is given particular attention. The honors essay demonstrates your writing, your interests, and overall fit for the KSU Journey Honors College. Selection committee members are looking for:

    • Originality and creativity.
    • A strong argument.
    • Demonstration of curiosity and potential for engagement.
    • Evidence of care, effort, and clarity.
    • Appropriate essay organization, grammar, and language.

    The use of ChatGPT or any other AI technology is strictly prohibited. 

    How to Apply

    Honors Internal Application

    *The Department of Psychological Science has specific eligibility criteria for honors students. Please review the criteria.

  • Current KSU students are eligible to apply based on the following:

    • fewer than 70 credit hours.
    • KSU Institutional GPA of 3.5 or higher.

    Admission to the KSU Journey Honors College is competitive. The essay portion of your application is given particular attention. The honors essay demonstrates your writing, your interests, and overall fit for the KSU Journey Honors College. Selection committee members are looking for:

    • Originality and creativity.
    • A strong argument.
    • Demonstration of curiosity and potential for engagement.
    • Evidence of care, effort, and clarity.
    • Appropriate essay organization, grammar, and language.

    The use of ChatGPT or any other AI technology is strictly prohibited. 

    How to Apply

    Honors Internal Application

    *The Department of Psychological Science has specific eligibility criteria for honors students. Please review these criteria here.

    Honors Reinstatement

    If you have previously been a KSU Journey Honors College student and have either withdrawn or been dismissed, you may apply for reinstatement.

Consider a First-Year Cohort!

First-year students from any academic major can apply to one of our prestigious cohorts, where communities of like-minded learners progress together through common coursework and rigorous learning experiences that foster collaboration, academic success, and professional aptitude. All cohorts students receive scholarships. 

2025 Honors Application Deadlines

 

STUDENT TYPE APPLICATION DEADLINE APPLICATION
First-Year Students            December 15, 2024 Apply here via CommonApp

OR

Apply via Honors Internal Application
Dual Enrollment Students December 15, 2024 Apply via Honors Internal Application
Transfer Students December 15, 2024 Apply via honors internal application
Current KSU Students December 15, 2024 Apply via honors internal application

 

STUDENT TYPE APPLICATION DEADLINE APPLICATION
First-Year Students     May 10, 2025 Apply here via CommonApp

OR

Apply via honors internal application

 

Dual Enrollment Students May 10, 2025 Apply via honors internal application

 

Transfer Students May 10, 2025 Apply via honors internal application

 

Current KSU Students May 10, 2025 Apply via honors internal application

Honors 2025 Essay Prompts

Honors General Essay

Please reflect upon the theme of inspiration. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. What actions were you inspired to take? How have you built upon your sense of inspiration? 


The suggested word count for this essay is 700 words.  

Ancient and Modern Classics 

Students applying to Ancient and Modern Classics will respond to the Honors General Essay with the addition of a cohort-specific question. The full essay question for consideration within this cohort is: 

Please reflect upon the theme of inspiration. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. What actions were you inspired to take? How have you built upon your sense of inspiration? Consider the theme of ancient and/or modern literature in your response for Ancient and Modern Classics (AMC) Cohort consideration. 


The suggested word count for this essay is 700 words.  

President's Emerging Global Scholars

Students applying to President's Emerging Global Scholars will respond to the Honors General Essay with the addition of a cohort-specific question. The full essay question for consideration within this cohort is: 

Please reflect upon the theme of inspiration. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. What actions were you inspired to take? How have you built upon your sense of inspiration? Focus your essay on examples of personal leadership and civic engagement for President’s Emerging Global Scholar (PEGS) Cohort consideration. 


The suggested word count for this essay is 700 words.  

 

WellStar Tom and Betty Philips Elite Honors Nursing Scholars

Students applying to the WellStar Tom and Betty Phillips Elite Honors Nursing Scholars cohort will respond to the Honors General Essay with the addition of a cohort-specific question. The full essay question for consideration within this cohort is: 

Please reflect upon the theme of inspiration. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others. What actions were you inspired to take? How have you built upon your sense of inspiration? Consider the theme of care and concern for others in your response for Wellstar-Phillips Elite Honors Nursing Cohort consideration.

 
The suggested word count for this essay is 700 words.  

Accepted to KSU Journey Honors College? 

Next-Steps