Apply to Honors

Admission to the Simmons Honors Program is highly selective. The program is designed for students with strong analytical and writing skills who seek a rigorous intellectual community and challenging experiential learning opportunities.

Join the Honors Program

Interested students should complete the application for the Honors Program (online or via mail) and submit it to the Admission Office.

An Honors Steering Committee reviews each application and selects the entering class. Please apply for the Honors program by your application deadline, and no later than February 1st. The Honors Application is also part of the Common Application, so you can complete and submit it when you apply to Simmons.

How to apply

The application to the Honors Program requires two essays.

Essay 1: Please answer the following question in approximately 150 words:

As you can see from the Simmons website, leadership is central to our mission. Honors students in particular naturally gravitate toward leadership positions on campus and in the surrounding community. Pick one organization at Simmons or in the local Boston community that you would like to get involved in, and tell us how being of a member of the Honors Program will be beneficial to you in this role.

Essay 2: Please pick ONE of the following questions and respond to the question in approximately 400 words. Note that this essay should demonstrate your critical thinking and analytical skills, moving beyond a mere opinion statement.

  1. There has been a lot of recent publicity about Artificial Intelligence (AI), much of which concerns ChatGPT and the potential — both good and bad — for future uses of AI. Write an essay in which you weigh in on this debate, and suggest how you might constructively use AI as a college student.
  2. Increasingly, commentators have pointed out how polarized we have become as a society. Media scholars describe the "echo chamber" many of us inhabit, where we hear views we agree with amplified, and rarely hear opposing points of view. How do you get multiple perspectives on an issue? In what ways do you see your college experience as an opportunity to learn from people with different views from your own, and to hear competing points of view on controversial topics?
  3. What can older people learn from your generation?

Students should submit their essays here

On each page of the document please include your full name and date of birth.

Honors Program

The Simmons Honors Program is an interdisciplinary program that develops thought leaders for the 21st century through rigorous curricular and experiential programming.

Recent News

The Simmons academic quad, with students walking on the sidewalks

Simmons Named Among The Princeton Review’s Best Colleges 2025

The Princeton Review recently revealed The Best 390 Colleges: 2025 Edition. The overall list, which is unranked, is determined by student surveys that address campus life, academics, administration, personal experience, etc. Simmons University, as well as 25 other Massachusetts institutions, are recognized among the nation’s best colleges.


A lawn sign on the Simmons University campus that reads "Welcome Back to Simmons"

Incoming Simmons Undergrad Selected for Journalism Initiative

Incoming Simmons student Tristie-Mattea Ortiz ’28 was accepted into the Youth Arts Journalism Initiative Class of 2024, a project sponsored by the Arts Council of Greater New Haven, Connecticut.


The periodic table of elements.

STEM Student Receives Research Scholarship from American Chemical Society

Biochemistry major and Literature and Writing minor Reagan Cleversey ’26 received the competitive James Flack Norris / Theodore William Richards Summer Research Scholarship from the American Chemical Society. She spoke with us about her passion for medicinal chemistry and the importance of mentorship.


Annabelle Hannah ’25 seated by a waterfall

Chemistry/Physics Student Accepted into Research Experience at UPenn

Annabelle Hannah ’25, a double-major in Chemistry and Physics, was accepted into the 2024 summer Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) program at the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn). The 10-week program is funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF).


Abigail Bloom, Aria Cooper, and Adriana Lizeth Campuzano Martinez

Simmons Welcomes Passionate Leaders Project Scholars for Spring 2024

The Passionate Leaders Project (PLP) supports Simmons undergraduates by enriching their academic and professional interests beyond the boundaries of a conventional classroom. Students may request up to $4,000 to support their research, internships, and creative endeavors. This semester’s cohort comprises student-scholars producing original research on healthcare for seniors, fashion sustainability, and the intersection of the arts, social justice, and gender-expansive agency.


Headshots of the 2024 Senior Scholar Award winners

Congratulations to the 2024 Senior Scholars

The annual Senior Scholar Award is sponsored by the Provost's Office and the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. The award recognizes six graduating seniors for their outstanding scholarship and contribution to a field of study.


A side-by-side image of the 2023 Bonner Community Leaders: Megan Burgess ’27, Maya Kansky ’27, and Kathleen Dunn ’27

Simmons Welcomes 2023 Bonner Community Leaders

The Bonner Community Leaders Program at Simmons University is a unique opportunity for students who want to combine a strong commitment to service with personal growth, teamwork, leadership development, and scholarship. This fall, Simmons announced a new cohort of 11 Bonner Leaders. We spoke with three of them.


A photo composite of the nine students in the Passionate Leaders Project 2023 cohort

Simmons Announces Passionate Leaders Project Scholars for Fall 2023

The Passionate Leaders Project supports Simmons undergraduates by enriching their academic & professional interests beyond the classroom. Students may request up to $4,000 to support their research, internships, and creative endeavors. This semester’s students produced research related to human rights, documentary film, healthcare access, therapeutic care databases, the neurodevelopment of fruit flies, Muslims’ experiences with healthcare in Boston, and software that supports Simmons’ food pantry.