FAQs

Barrett, The Honors College is an umbrella college within ASU, meaning undergraduate students in any of ASU’s 400+ degree programs across the four Phoenix metropolitan campuses and ASU Online can potentially join the honors college.

Barrett is designed to complement and enhance, not replace, the overall ASU experience. Students complete a portion of the credits required for their university bachelor’s degree as honors credits, which can be earned in the classroom through required major courses or electives, and outside of the classroom through internships, research and study abroad. 

Additionally, Barrett offers three-pronged advising support, dedicated faculty mentorship, unique honors opportunities, and distinctive honors residential communities at each of ASU’s four Phoenix metropolitan campuses (Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, Tempe and West Valley).

Barrett students get the best of both worlds - access to the massive resources and opportunities of ASU, while enjoying the close, personal attention of the dedicated Barrett faculty and staff. The customizable honors college curriculum allows students to delve deeper into their interests and helps our graduates stand out when applying for jobs, graduate programs, medical, or law school.

It is impossible to list every benefit students with different goals for college who are in various majors will find with Barrett. Therefore, we encourage prospective students and their families to spend some time exploring this website, including the Benefits of Barrett page, and join us for an in-person visit or virtual session visit to learn about the nuanced and many benefits our students receive.

For students who plan to attend Barrett in person at one of ASU’s four Phoenix metropolitan campuses (Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, Tempe or West Valley):

• Entry Point 1: High school seniors apply for Barrett First-Year Entry consideration. First-Year Entry is a four-year honors college experience. Students who took time off after high school, did not attend another college or university, and are entering ASU for the first time are eligible for this entry point.
• Entry Point 2: Students in their first semester at ASU (or at another college or university) may join Barrett for their second semester via First-Year Entry application. Students must have at least three and a half academic years remaining in their ASU undergraduate degree program to be eligible for Barrett First-Year Entry consideration.
• Entry Point 3: Upper Level is the honors experience for undergraduate students starting after their first year of college. A student must have earned a minimum of 24 credits post high school graduation, have completed the ASU First-Year Composition requirement, and have approximately 60 credits and a minimum of four semesters remaining until intended ASU graduation to successfully complete the Barrett graduation requirements.

For students who plan to attend Barrett in person at one of ASU’s four Phoenix metropolitan campuses (Downtown Phoenix, Polytechnic, Tempe, or West Valley), find application information for your student type:

• First-year student
• Current ASU student
• Transfer student

For students who plan to attend Barrett as an ASU Online student:

• Barrett Online is for students in an ASU Online undergraduate degree who have completed at least 24 college credits after high school graduation, have met ASU’s first-year composition requirement, and have at least 60 credits remaining until intended ASU graduation.
• Find application information on the Barrett Online Student page.

Prospective students can visit Barrett, The Honors College in person or virtually. First, determine which campus houses your intended major. Then register for a visit that works with your schedule at that campus.

In-person visits are scheduled through the ASU visit site. Students are encouraged to include both a general ASU tour and Barrett-specific session in their campus visit.

Live-hosted virtual Barrett visits are offered periodically each month. Register for a virtual session.

Barrett strives for its students to be challenged in ways that enrich the ASU experience, as opposed to simply adding more work and calling it rigor. Rather than just adding classes, honors college students take honors options in place of other classes required for their ASU degree program.

Honors credits still count as ASU credits toward the undergraduate degree(s) a student is pursuing. Students can earn honors credits by opting for honors versions of classes, working closely with professors on special projects, participating in research, holding internships, studying abroad, and more. Attend a Barrett Information Session and explore the Academics tab of our website to learn about the ways Barrett students customize their academic experience.

Honors classes encourage faculty mentorship and a deeper investigation into the topics of the course. There are many different types of honors classes with varying structures. Some honors classes are smaller than their regular counterparts, others are discussion-based rather than lecture-style, and some will incorporate elevated topics into the curriculum. Learn more about the various types of honors classes in a Barrett Information Session.

Absolutely! It is common for Barrett students to pursue multiple majors, minors, and/or certificates at ASU. Priority class registration for all Barrett students makes it easier to create the perfect class schedule each semester. Students select their primary major when applying to ASU and can add a second major, minor or certificate through their academic advisor.

First-year ASU students 
First-year students first meet with their major advisor during New Student Orientation Experience, and will then meet with their honors advisor during their first semester of enrollment. Throughout their time at ASU, Barrett students will be contacted by both their major and honors advisors to schedule appointments appropriate to their progress towards degree completion. Prior to arriving on-campus, any questions should be directed to your ASU Admissions Representative or the Barrett Recruitment Office ([email protected]).

Transfer students
Transfer students to ASU are expected to complete the New Transfer Student Orientation Experience. The program guides new university students through their enrollment steps, essential tasks, and includes academic advising. Transfer students also attend a special Barrett orientation and welcome, with information about the program provided in their honors college admission materials.

ASU Online students
ASU Online students receive a Success Coach – part personal advisor and part motivator. Your Success Coach provides a one-to-one coaching experience to guide you through balancing life, work and school. There is a special honors college orientation and welcome for Barrett Online students, with information about the program provided in their honors college admission materials.

There are three Barrett enrollment options, each with a specific set of graduation requirements.

First-Year Entry Curriculum 
Barrett students at one of the four ASU campuses in the Phoenix metropolitan area, who are pursuing the 4-year (Lower Division) honors experience, must successfully complete:

• 36 honors credits
• The Human Event sequence of courses
• An honors thesis
• And have a 3.25+ cumulative GPA at the time of graduation

Upper Level Curriculum 
Barrett students at one of the four ASU campuses in the Phoenix metropolitan area, who are pursuing the 2-year (Upper Division) honors experience, must successfully complete:

• 21 honors credits
• The History of Ideas course
• An honors thesis
• And have a 3.25+ cumulative GPA at the time of graduation

Online Curriculum 
While the eligibility requirements are different for ASU Online students interested in Barrett enrollment, for those who apply and are accepted the graduation requirements currently mirror those of our physical campus Upper Division students.

Even if a student does not graduate from Barrett, they can still graduate from ASU.

First, students must apply to ASU. After receiving and activating their ASURITE ID, students can then access the separate and free Barrett application. ASU admission is not necessary to start the Barrett application, but a student’s Barrett application will not be considered complete until ASU admission is conferred. For this reason, we strongly encourage prospective students to apply to ASU 4 - 6 weeks before their preferred Barrett deadline. All complete Barrett applications will move into review at the next available deadline. Application deadlines vary based on fall or spring semester interest and student type:

• Incoming first-year students
• Current ASU students
• Transfer Students
• ASU Online students

With each incoming class, the Barrett admissions committee strives to create a dynamic and well-rounded group of students who will contribute to every aspect of the honors college experience and benefit from this strong community.

In addition to the academic record, the admissions committee looks for students who exhibit leadership qualities, have special talents (e.g. musical, athletic, scientific, artistic), pursue interesting hobbies or avocations, enjoy unique personal achievements, have unusual life experiences and/or display community involvement.

We also have a deep interest in knowing why each applicant is interested in Barrett, The Honors College, including the ways they will both benefit from and contribute to the honors college community.

Only high school seniors with a complete honors college application in the Early Action or Regular Decision pools may request a re-review of their released Barrett decision. (Many students refer to a re-review request as an “appeal.”)

Successful re-review requests - those that result in the change of the original Barrett admissions committee decision - are rare and almost always present substantive new information that was not a part of a student's initial application materials. For example: since applying, you have improved your grades, seriously committed to a new activity you plan to continue into college, received recognition for a noteworthy achievement, etc.

Additional information regarding the request for re-review process is provided in the student's decision letter.

There is no minimum GPA requirement for admission. The Barrett application is quite comprehensive, allowing many different facets of each individual to be considered. The average GPA for transfer or continuing ASU students admitted to Barrett is a 3.60. For high school seniors, the average unweighted high school GPA is 3.82. The Barrett admissions committee always considers GPAs in the context of the program of study in which they were earned. Applicants should take great care to articulate their educational background on the application. The numbers provided above are averages. A GPA or test score at or above the average is not a guarantee of admission, nor does a GPA or test score below the average necessarily preclude a student from receiving an admission offer.

Barrett is ACT/SAT test blind for current ASU students and transfer students. This means Barrett will not consider ACT or SAT scores for these students even if they have score results they would like to use.

Barrett is ACT/SAT test optional for incoming first-year students applying while in high school/home school. Scores reported to the university will not be considered. Instead, prospective students will have the opportunity to self-report results on their honors college application.

Students share their Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) test results on the Barrett application, as well as indicate instances where test-sitting cancellations impacted their plans to complete an AP or IB examination.

International students applying to Barrett whose native language is not English and who did not attend a high school where the language of instruction was English must self-report the results of an English Proficiency examination to ASU. The TOEFL, IELTS, PTE and the Duolingo English test all satisfy this requirement.  Once on file with ASU, the results will be shared with the Barrett admissions office for consideration during the review of a submitted honors college application.

The Barrett application essay allows you to address our admissions committee in your own voice. We have a deep interest in knowing why you are considering Barrett, The Honors College, and your essay will let us better see you as a future scholar in our community.

Your essay:

• may take creative and intellectual risks, but be sure to address and integrate all elements of the prompt
• should give the admissions committee insight into how you reason and what you value
• will be most impactful if it is informed by Barrett’s guiding values of Courage and Curiosity, Leadership and Agency, and Community and Belonging

The essay will also contribute to our assessment of your ability to communicate effectively and think critically, key skills for success in the honors curriculum. Essays that are general or impersonal are less successful. There is never a correct answer nor a preferred response to a prompt. The strongest essays are thoughtful, authentic, and distinctly your own.

Applicants choose from one of three prompts to compose a 300 - 500 word essay. AI should not be used.

Prompt 1
What is a question you find yourself returning to repeatedly? How does your pursuit of an answer, or even just the persistence of the question itself, suggest you are a strong fit for Barrett?

Prompt 2
Tell us about a time when something did not go according to plan. Focus less on the outcome and more on how the ways you responded in the moment suggest you are a strong fit for Barrett.

Prompt 3
What is an object that connects you to your family or community, and how or why does it do this? How does this connection make you a strong fit for Barrett?

Note: Barrett Upper Level Entry and Barrett Online applicants write one and two additional 250-word essays, respectively. These are posted to the application itself. You may also email [email protected] to request the prompts for the additional Online and Upper Division essays.

To apply for Barrett Online admission, students in an ASU Online undergraduate degree program must meet all three of the following criteria.

• 24 Credit Minimum – Earned a minimum of 24 credits post high school graduation and before Barrett enrollment. These can include in-progress credits at the time of Barrett application submission. The 24 credits can be a combination of ASU and transfer units.
• Composition Requirement – Completed the ASU first-year composition requirement before Barrett enrollment. Students may be currently enrolled in first-year composition classes at the time of their Barrett application. The requirement simply must be satisfied before Barrett enrollment.
• 60 Credits Remaining – Have a minimum of 60 credits remaining until intended ASU graduation at the time of Barrett enrollment. It is also required that applicants have a minimum of four semesters remaining until their intended ASU graduation. This time remaining can include summer semesters.

The Barrett Online application does NOT include letters of recommendation. Instead, Barrett Online applicants compose an additional essay, for a total of three short writing submissions.

There is only one required Barrett Online course called HON 370 History of Ideas. This course is a 15-week, live, synchronous class that requires Zoom attendance during a designated class time and is completed during your first semester in Barrett. All other credits required for Barrett Online can be completed asynchronously.

Yes! Barrett Online students are encouraged to take part in a wide range of activities specifically designed for our Online community. All Barrett Online students receive a biweekly email newsletter, the Honors Online Digest, with numerous updates and opportunities for Online students. There is also a Barrett Online Canvas page that shares resources, advertises upcoming events and helps you track your Barrett Bucks (the honors college currency you’ll collect by engaging with the Barrett community that can then be spent on Barrett merchandise). Additionally, Barrett Online students created The Forge, an official student organization that provides a relaxed environment for Barrett Online students to come together through conversations, games and virtual gatherings.

If you are interested in participating in Barrett events in-person, you are encouraged to do so! Some Barrett Online students choose to participate in Barrett travel programs for immersive learning experiences with peers, attend in-person Barrett activities if they happen to be in Arizona, and walk at graduation ceremonies on campus.

The Barrett fee is covered by military benefits for veterans and their dependents. Active members of the military are responsible for paying the Barrett fee, it is not covered by military benefits. All applicants affiliated with the military are encourage to connect with the Pat Tillman Veterans Center to discuss your individual benefits and what they covers.

The Barrett fee is currently covered by SCAP and Uber. Although no other corporate partners presently address the Barrett fee, you are encouraged to continue checking on fee coverage since this could change in the future.

ASU tuition is the same for Barrett students. Like most colleges at the university, Barrett charges a fee which goes directly toward developing and supporting the unique honors experience of each student. Currently, the Barrett fee is $1,100/semester for campus immersion students and $122/credit hour with a maximum charge of $1,098/semester for Barrett Online students. Your housing cost may differ as a Barrett student, based on your campus and choice of residence halls. Barrett offers a variety of scholarships, most of which have deadlines on February 1 for the following academic year (e.g. February 1, 2025 for 2025 - 2026). We do not want the additional cost of the Barrett fee to be a hindrance to any student with financial need, so be sure to carefully review all available funding opportunities and contact us for questions.

There are essentially three types of scholarships:

• Automatic consideration merit awards following ASU admission.
• Awards through academic units at ASU and third parties which require applications through Scholarship Universe.
• Awards through Barrett which require applications.

Barrett scholarships for the 2026-2027 academic year will open on November 1, 2025, and close on February 1, 2026. In addition to submitting the appropriate scholarship applications by the deadline, students must be admitted to Barrett by March 6, 2026 (not by February 1). Be sure to apply to Barrett accordingly to ensure an admission decision by March 6

Yes! ASU automatically awards many incoming students merit scholarships through the New American University (NAMU) scholarship program. These awards are available to students regardless of their participation in Barrett.

The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a tool that assesses a student’s financial need. ASU will offer students a combination of grants, work-study funding, and loans each year based on demonstrated need from the FAFSA. ASU’s priority filing date is Jan. 15 each year. However, students are encouraged to submit their FAFSA as soon as possible to increase the likelihood of prompt processing.

Barrett recommends all students to submit a FAFSA for each academic year. Some ASU scholarships require that a FAFSA is on file with the university for scholarship consideration. Students can always choose to decline funding offers.

Unless they receive a housing exception to live at home for a unique circumstance (financial, health, etc.), ASU first-year students live on campus regardless of whether they are in the honors college or not. Barrett offers a distinctive four-year residential experience. Barrett students live in the honors community at the ASU campus of their major for their first two years, and many choose to stay all four years to take advantage of the world-class amenities and on-campus convenience. 

Barrett students who enroll in the honors college through the Upper Level pathway (2-year honors experience) or who are ASU Online students have the option to live in the honors college community, space permitting. 

ASU guarantees housing for all incoming first-year students and for all second-year Barrett students, so long as the housing application is submitted by the posted priority deadline. On-campus housing is available on a first-come, first-served basis for Barrett students after their second year of college.

There is a unique Barrett residential community at all four of ASU’s Phoenix metropolitan campuses. Incoming first-year Barrett students live in the honors community at the ASU campus of their major for their first two years:

• Downtown
• Polytechnic
• Tempe
• West Valley

There are several housing options for Barrett students at each campus. Your housing costs may be different as a Barrett student, depending on which option you select within Barrett compared to the non-honors options available to your major.