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Apply to the Honors College

Students in class working on a group project

Apply to the John V. Roach Honors College

Any student wishing to join the honors college must complete the supplemental honors application after submitting their application to TCU. The supplement includes two essays, one required and one of your choice. 

Question #1: Common Question

Please respond to this essay prompt using no more than 500 words. 

In The New Education, Dr. Cathy Davidson writes “The new education must prepare our students to thrive in a world of flux, to be ready no matter what comes next. It must empower them to be leaders of innovation and to be able not only to adapt to a changing world but also to change the world” (255).

In the midst of a complex time shaped by complicated problems and issues, you made the decision to pursue a university education, to engage a course of study, and to now apply to the John V. Roach Honors College. Underpinning these decisions are two simple questions: What matters most to you and why?  Please answer these questions and then address how your answer shapes your desire to attend TCU as an Honors student in the Roach Honors College? Be as specific as space allows.

Question #2: Candidate Choice

Please respond to one of the following three essay prompts using no more than 500 words.

  1. John V. Roach Honors College students are expected to live in Milton Daniel Hall during their first year. There they meet and become friends with an array of students with diverse experiences and talents. Many of these students become leaders across campus, and this high-impact community is key to the Honors College experience. Write a note to your future roommate (someone you have yet to meet) that reveals your “DNA”—what makes you you—and will help your friend—and us—know you and your motivations better. If you choose this question, please note that it must not repeat information shared in the required question. Be as specific as space allows.
  2. The “LEAD ON” campaign on TCU’s campus identifies three key themes, and one of these is building a university that fosters an appreciation and awareness of diversity, inclusion, equity, access, and social justice for all. Please describe how your unique experiences, backgrounds, and/or social identities would enhance TCU and contribute to a diverse range of perspectives in the John V. Roach Honors College. Conversely, how would you benefit from an Honors community in which diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and social justice are fundamental to everything we do as a college? Be as specific as space allows.
  3. The John V. Roach Honors College has hosted guest speakers such as NBA legend and civil rights activist Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, education innovator Cathy Davidson, Bill Nye the Science Guy, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta, and Serial podcast hosts Julie Snyder and Sarah Koenig. Honors students have conversed with these guests and learned from their experiences and perspectives. What person or persons, past or present, would you invite to speak at TCU? Why? What questions would you ask? What impact would you want your guest speaker(s) to have on an audience of Honors students? Be as specific as space allows.