University Honors College Application for Transfer Students and Current UB Students

The University Honors College invites transfer students and current UB students to join the Honors community.

To be eligible for admission, all applicants must meet the following criteria:

  • 30 or more completed credit hours (including transfer and alternative exam credits).
  • At least one completed semester as a matriculated undergraduate student.
  • An overall institutional GPA of at least 3.500 at the time of application.
  • Have 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).
  • Transfer student applicants: You must already be admitted to UB when applying.

Admission Application Instructions for Transfer Students and Current UB Students

Complete and submit the application form below by the admission cycle's deadline: Oct. 1 for fall admission, or March 1 for spring admission. Please be prepared to complete the form at one time as you will be unable to save and resume this application. The following file uploads are required:

  • Current unofficial transcript(s).
  • Updated resume or CV.
  • Two essay responses (combined into 1 document for upload):
    1. "There is more to being a UB Honors scholar than earning good grades." In 500 words or less, describe 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 and specific topic or issue that is of interest to you and how you would approach it from multiple perspectives or disciplines.

In addition, we require one faculty letter of reference for each application. The letter must be submitted by the recommender (not the applicant) via email to honors@buffalo.edu.

While we accept up to three letters, please note that at least one letter must come from a faculty member. Letters from teaching assistants (TAs), academic advisors, employers, coaches and other staff will not fulfill this requirement.

You will receive a confirmation email following the submission of your portion of the application, and a second email once your faculty letter of reference has been received and your application has been completed.

If you have any questions regarding the admissions process or difficulties completing this application, please send an email to honors@buffalo.edu.