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Buttons for university Honors from the Honors Welcome Session during Big Orange Welcome 2026

Important Dates & Deadlines

University Honors Application Timeline

If you are thinking about applying to University Honors at the University of Tennessee, start by planning your UT application timeline.

Important reminder: Students must apply to the University of Tennessee, Knoxville before they can apply to University Honors.

Prospective first-year students should submit their UT application by the early action deadline. After you apply to the university, qualified students receive an email invitation to apply for University Honors. 

View Honors Application Process →

Key Dates for Incoming First-Year Students

  • November 1 – UT Early Action Deadline: Apply to University of Tennessee, Knoxville through the Go Vols Portal or Common App to be considered for University Honors.
  • November 15 – UT Early Action Materials Submission Deadline: Make sure your University of Tennessee application is fully completed.
  • November 18 – Chancellor’s Honors Program Application Deadline: Submit your University Honors application for the Chancellor’s Honors Program by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
  • November 20 – Haslam Leadership Scholars Application Deadline: Submit your application for Haslam Leadership Scholars by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

Notification Timeline

Students who submit a Chancellor’s Honors Program application by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 18 can expect to receive an admissions decision by mid-December. 

If you are denied admission to the Chancellor’s Honors Program, you may request additional consideration if new information has become available since your original application. This may include updated standardized test scores, a revised grade point average, or other meaningful academic updates. A secondary review does not automatically change an admission decision. 

Students who submit a Haslam Leadership Scholars application by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on November 20 will be notified during the spring semester if they are selected for a semi-finalist Zoom interview. 

Plan Ahead for a Strong Application

University Honors applications open only after a student applies to UT. Plan early so you have time to review the prompts, prepare thoughtful responses, and submit all required materials before the honors deadlines. 

University Honors Essay Prompts

Chancellor’s Honors Program Prompts

  1. Reflecting on your academic journey and personal experiences, why are you interested in applying to the Chancellor’s Honors Program, and which specific aspects of the program are you most excited about?  
    (maximum 300 words)
  2. Please identify a local community need or problem that holds particular importance to you. This may be a challenge you have experienced personally, observed in your community, or learned about through school, work, family responsibilities, service, or other experiences. Describe the nature of the problem and explain why it is meaningful to you personally or academically. What did you learn about yourself, others, or the issue through your experiences, observations, or exploration of this challenge? What questions remain unanswered for you, or what would you want to better understand?(maximum 400 word)
  3. Are you interested in any of the following health professions: medicine, physician assistant, pathologist assistant, dentistry, pharmacy, physical therapy, or occupational therapy? (your answer will have no impact on your University Honors admission decision)

Haslam Leadership Scholar Program (Video Prompt)

  1. Please describe how you have shown up as a leader in your community through extracurricular activities, jobs, sports, church, or other commitments. What characteristics did you bring? What did you learn? What, if anything, would you do differently? How has your leadership left a legacy up to this point? 

Video reminder 
Videos cannot exceed 5 minutes. Videos longer than 5 minutes will not be considered part of the application. Videos must be recorded directly in the Go Vols Portal and cannot be uploaded. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*For the most current application details, students should review the official University Honors application page and monitor their email for next steps.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


Yes. You must apply to UT before you can apply to University Honors.

After you apply to UT, qualified students receive an email invitation with instructions for the University Honors application, typically about two weeks after the UT application is submitted.

Students who submit the Chancellor’s Honors Program application by the November 18 deadline can expect an admissions decision by mid-December

Students who submit the Haslam Leadership Scholars application by the November 20 deadline will be notified during the spring semester if they are selected for a semi-finalist Zoom interview. Semi-Finalist Zoom Interviews are the week of January 11th. Finalist Selection weekend in Knoxville will be February 25-27th.