Admission to Special Programs

The UMW Honors Program is an interdisciplinary and intellectually rewarding educational experience. Students who excelled academically throughout high school and want to enhance their college experience with engaging academic and co-curricular experiences, individualized learning, community involvement, and leadership development should apply to the program within the application for admission to special programs.

Application to the Honors Program involves completion of the supplemental Honors Program application in the Common Application. UMW reviews all applications to the Honors Program to enroll 80-100 first-year students in the program each year. Consideration for the program involves reviewing the records of students who have completed the most rigorous high school curriculum available to them, earned a high school GPA of 3.9 on a 4.0 GPA scale or higher, and completed the supplemental essay on the Common Application. Standardized test scores are not required for consideration. Students not admitted to the Honors Program as a new first-year students may apply directly to the program after their first semester at UMW. For additional details, please visit the Honors Program page.

Nearly 60 students participate in the Summer Transition Program (STP), which begins with a two-week summer session between high school graduation and the first semester at UMW and continues through the first year of enrollment. Students wishing to be considered for STP should complete the application available on the STP website. Students may be considered for both the Honors Program and STP. All first-year applicants may be considered for STP regardless of residency.

The Presidential Emerging Leaders Program (PELP) is a one-year leadership development program designed to help first-year students create lasting friendships, make meaningful connections across campus, and develop their leadership profiles. Selected students participate in personal leadership development, team building, skill-building sessions, and networking with campus influencers, including University President Troy Paino.

Participants spend the year immersed in various learning opportunities to explore what kind of leader they aspire to be.  Participation in this program will serve as a solid springboard to future engagement opportunities on and off-campus. This program is open to all majors and requires no prior leadership experience or knowledge. Participants will receive a $500 ($250 at the start of each semester) monetary award to their student account to assist with covering their student bill. There are no academic credits associated with the program, but we ask that students do not schedule classes on Tuesday evenings as the sessions are held Tuesdays from 6:30-8pm.

Students interested in community and civic engagement might consider applying to the Impact Program which supports student learning through a specialized curriculum, co-curricular activities, and engagement with our broader Fredericksburg community.