Current Students
How to apply to Commonwealth Honors College as a current UMass Amherst student.
Current students may apply as early as in their first year at UMass Amherst. On-campus application require a minimum 3.4 GPA (based on your cumulative average) and at least twelve (12) graded UMass Amherst credits.
Important Notes:
Admission is highly competitive, as the College has many more applicants than available seats. Thus, meeting minimum eligibility requirements does not guarantee admission to Commonwealth Honors College.
- The on-campus application process is based and evaluated only on the current applicant’s UMass Amherst Academic experience.
- Students who were previously Commonwealth Honors College students do not need to reapply for reinstatement. Former CHC students should email records [at] honors [dot] umass [dot] edu (records[at]honors[dot]umass[dot]edu) to request reinstatement, if their cumulative GPA is at or above 3.4, which is required for CHC status.
Application Cycle
Application period: November 15, 2024 – January 4, 2025 Decision notification: The last week of January | Application period: April 15, 2025 – June 5, 2025 Decision notification: The last week of June |
If you are a current UMass Amherst student who meets the minimum eligibility requirements and would like to submit an on-campus Commonwealth Honors College application, please use your UMass Net ID to log in to CHC PATHS to complete the application.
APPLICATION OVERVIEW for Current UMass Amherst Students
Current UMass Amherst students who are ready to maximize their academic experience and who are intrigued about creating an Honors Thesis, are encouraged to apply to Commonwealth Honors College.
Application Criteria
Commonwealth Honors College seeks students who demonstrate outstanding academic performance at UMass Amherst, are prepared for the rigors of the Commonwealth Honors College curriculum and are interested in contributing to building a community of scholars.
The Commonwealth Honors College application process is holistic. Your application will be rated on the quality and content of your answers to application questions, your writing skills, and the strength of your overall application.
CHC Application Options by Academic Year
First-Year Students
Apply to the full curriculum with Advanced Scholarship in Multidisciplinary Honors
Sophomores and Juniors
You must decide among three options:
- The full curriculum with either Multidisciplinary Honors or Departmental Honors
- Depth of Scholarship curriculum option with Multidisciplinary Honors Only (MH)
- Depth of Scholarship curriculum option with Departmental Honors Only (DH).
See curriculum and requirements for details on each component of the Honors College curriculum. Depending on your academic status, you may choose to apply for entry into the full curriculum or into one of the Depth of Study options. Consider your options carefully. It may not be possible to switch options without reapplying to Commonwealth Honors College.
Departmental Honors
If you are applying for Departmental Honors, you must contact the Honors Program Director in your department to confirm your eligibility and carefully read the Departmental Requirements prior to applying for the DH track. You will need to explain your plan for completing DH in your department as part of your application.
Application Instructions
The Commonwealth Honors College application asks questions about your academic history at UMass Amherst, your academic plans, and your interest in becoming an Honors College student.
Your answers should articulate your commitment to the pursuit of academic excellence as a UMass Amherst student and are the only example of your formal writing provided to the application review committee. The review committee expects clear, well-developed writing with compelling examples, structured in cohesive sentences and paragraphs, and proofread carefully.
The application is available and must be submitted through the Commonwealth Honors College PATHS portal.
All applications are reviewed by a committee of Commonwealth Honors College Faculty and Deans.
Acceptance
Decisions will be sent to your official UMass email (name [at] umass [dot] edu). Once accepted, you must attend a Commonwealth Honors College Orientation Session to learn more about curriculum requirements and advantages as well as sign the Commonwealth Honors College Terms of Agreement contract. The Commonwealth Honors College Fee will be assessed for every semester in which you are enrolled in Commonwealth Honors College.