University of Mary Washington

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You are here: UMW / Academics / Admissions / Undergraduate Admissions / First-Year Admission / Admission to Special Programs

Admission to Special Programs

Students reviewing admission to special programs in james farmer hall.

Students interested in the following programs Honors, Pre-Nursing, or STP, Presidential Emerging Leadership Program (PELP) should respond affirmatively to questions within the application for admission to special programs.

Student 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. A specific application to participate in this program will open in January 2022.

Admission to the Honors Program

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.

Admission as a First-Year Pre-Nursing Student

UMW partners with Germanna Community College to provide a unique dual degree program for graduates to become nurses.

  • Admission is determined with the first-year application for admission.
  • First-year applicants must indicate pre-nursing as their primary academic interest within the application to be considered.
  • Students proceed as a cohort and are not admitted to the program as new transfer students or continuing sophomores or juniors. (Please visit the BSN Program for details regarding admission as a transfer student)
  • Admission to the program is competitive.
  • Pre-nursing applicants must apply early under Early Decision (binding admission) or Early Action (non-binding admission) application processes for consideration.  Regular decision applicants will only be considered if space allows.
  • Competitive applicants should have earned at least a “B” in high school math and science coursework, including Algebra, Geometry, Biology, and Chemistry.
  • Students may not apply test choice for pre-nursing consideration. Minimum scores of 520 on Evidence-Based Critical Reading and 520 on the Math sections of the new SAT are required to continue on track within the cohort. Similar ACT scores of 22 will be considered.
  • Students with a minimum unweighted GPA of 3.5 may be considered for pre-nursing without test scores.
  • Students offered admission may be considered for the Student Transition Program but are not eligible to participate in the Honors Program.
  • Students who are offered admission and wish to enroll are encouraged to deposit early to reserve space.  Spaces in this program are limited to 25 enrolling students each fall and have filled as early as March 1.
  • For additional 1+2+1 Partnership Plan details, visit the BSN Academic Partnership Plan.

Admission to the Student Transition Program

Nearly 60 students participate in the Student Transition Program (STP), which begins with a twoe-week summer session between high school graduation and the first semester at UMW and continues through the first year of enrollment.

  • Admission to STP is determined through the first-year application.
  • Students wishing to be considered for STP should indicate so within the application.
  • Primary consideration for admission to STP is given to underrepresented populations.
  • Students may be considered for both the Honors Program and STP or the Pre-Nursing plan and STP.
  • All first-year applicants may be considered for STP regardless of residency.

Have Questions about The Admission to Special Programs Page?

Please contact UMW Admissions at (540) 654-2000 or Email us at admit@umw.edu, or you can fill out our Request for More Information Form. Feel free to Tweet at us @marywash.