Transfer students interested in becoming members of the Patrick Leahy Honors College must apply both to the University of Vermont and to the UVM Patrick Leahy Honors College (PLHC). Please note that the PLHC admission process for transfer students is separate from the UVM admission process. Students may work on both applications concurrently, but no action will be taken on the PLHC application until the student is admitted to the University of Vermont.
The deadline for admission to the Patrick Leahy Honors College is June 1.
As a part of your application to the PLHC, you will be asked to upload a copy of your academic transcript for the institution you are applying from. You will also submit an essay of 750 words or less in response to the following question:
During their first year of coursework in the Patrick Leahy Honors College, students take seminars that address contemporary social and ecological problems, which they explore through multiple disciplinary perspectives. As a part of your application for the PLHC, please respond to the following three-part question in an essay of 750 words or less:
If you could take a class like this on any possible topic of your choosing, what would the seminar be about? How did your concern with this topic emerge in the context of your personal and intellectual biography? Finally, if you were able to pursue independent research in relation to this issue, what question or questions would you want to explore?
The use of generative AI for any part of writing this application essay is strictly prohibited.
If accepted into the Patrick Leahy Honors College, students complete a rigorous 13-16-credit curriculum that complements and enhances their undergraduate degree with multidisciplinary seminars, research and scholarly work in their field, and a capstone project or thesis. Students who successfully complete these curricular requirements graduate as Patrick Leahy Honors College Scholars. This distinction is noted on a student’s diploma and final transcript.
Honors students also receive the following benefits:
- An assigned PLHC advisor, who can help with academic and co-curricular planning throughout their undergraduate career.
- Priority registration, and the ability to register for classes first in their class.
- Honors funding opportunities for research and internships.
- The option to live in Honors housing (on a space-available basis).