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This is not your AP English essay.  This isn’t your activities summary portion on this application.  This is the writing portion.  We want to get to know the real you!  Write something super creative, or analytical…whatever fits you best. Don’t take these questions literally, or do…really it’s up to you.  Who are you? What do you believe?  What are your big dreams?  All we ask is that you are real and authentic.  Our goal at The Mahurin Honors College is to help each scholar achieve their big dreams…and this is the start.  You have our permission to think outside the box and have fun!

ESSAY PROMPTS FOR FALL 2024 APPLICANTS

Discuss two (2) separate prompts from the following list succinctly, but with enough detail for the selection committee to fully evaluate your writing ability (4,000 characters max, including spaces and punctuation for each essay). It is recommended that you write and edit your essays in a text editor (like Microsoft Word) and paste them into the appropriate text boxes.  The web form times out after 10 minutes.

1. We are interested in getting to know where you are educationally today and where you aspire to be. Let’s imagine you are entering The Mahurin Honors College (MHC) in the Fall of 2024, and a fictional grant is awarded to you for the amount of $100,000 for costs toward a singular passion project that occurs outside of the four walls of the classroom. This grant is not allowed to be used on tuition, meals, and housing.How would you utilize the grant to further develop your future self and your passion project?  Please be detailed in both the allocation of money (estimated) and what it would help you achieve.
2. With essay prompts, many times we cannot see who you truly are. How does one show they are a talented cook or musician in words alone?  They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but if you are the next world famous photographer or reporter, we would not be able to actually see your work. That is why we have a video prompt!  Create a short video (maximum of 5 minutes) that shows us who you are. Show us those parts of your world that cannot be seen through the writing of an essay. In the essay box, please include not only your YouTube link, but also a short description (maximum of 300 words) of what is in your video.
3. Ascend Toward Excellence. These three simple words describe what we believe each MHC scholar is capable of during their time at WKU.  It also reflects the mission of our College as we strive to help scholars each day. Let’s imagine you are talking to our Executive Director Dr. Craig T. Cobane four years from now at graduation. Dr. Cobane comes to you and asks “So, what have you done the last four years while in the MHC and at WKU that have furthered your ascent toward excellence?” How do you respond? What did you take advantage of during your time at WKU?   
4. One of the advantages of being a part of the MHC is that, as upperclassmen, scholars have the option of enrolling in one of our special courses: colloquium. These discussion-based, interdisciplinary courses combine two or more academic disciplines, or might even examine a topic like yoga, horse racing, or chess from an academic perspective.  If you were given the opportunity to request a colloquium, what would it be and what would you hope to gain from the experience?
5. During the next four years, each MHC scholar will be faced with different opportunities and challenges.  No two roads have been the same to get to The Mahurin Honors College, and no two roads will be the same leaving either. We want to get to know the real you. Here is your chance to let us know what challenges you have faced, what you have learned from overcoming said challenges, and how you will apply it to your career in the MHC and beyond. (We would ask that you please refrain from coronavirus responses, unless you had to overcome a unique adversity related to the virus.)
6. Ask any of our MHC alumni and they will tell you the MHC community was a big component of what they loved about their time at WKU.  Community makes us who we are, whether is through observing those around us or by being active participants in the growth and development of said community.  With that being said, tell us about a community to which you have been connected.  What have you observed from those in the community and what you added to the community through being an active participant in it’s growth and development?

You have 280 characters to complete the short answer prompt below.  As with the essays, we recommend working on the entry in a Microsoft Word document (or similar program) and copying and pasting the text into the box.  We want to see

SHORT ANSWER PROMPT

• Describe yourself in a tweet! This is your chance to be creative, but remember, you are limited to 280 CHARACTERS. Hashtags and URLs are welcome!

The Mahurin Honors College seeks applicants with a variety of interests and experiences, evaluating applicants into the following four areas:

• Activities
• Work Experiences
• Volunteer Services
• Honors & Awards

HELPFUL TIPS

• Summarize your activities, experiences, and awards. Maximum of 10 responses per component.
• Limit your responses to activities and awards completed within the past four years. If you were involved in more than 10 activities, list only those you feel are the most relevant and significant experiences.
• If you choose not to list any activities, simply return to the main menu. These components are not required. You may complete as many or as few as you choose.

At any point, you can save your application and continue the application at a later date.

Once all sections are completed to your satisfaction, you can click the Submit Application button.  Once submitted, you will not be able to go back and change any information.