This year, a few honor societies have decided to share their application questions or application tips ahead of the official application opening date of Friday, January 9, 2026. By providing early access to application information, we hope to give prospective applicants valuable time over winter break to reflect, plan, and thoughtfully prepare their responses without the pressure of a condensed timeline. We encourage students to review the content provided in advance and use this time to consider their experiences, involvement, and goals. Please see the application insight below.
For more information about the participating honor societies, visit the Honor Societies website.
Anderson Society
The Anderson Society application is designed for students to highlight their leadership, impact, and personal growth. The key to an outstanding application is to be specific, reflective, and authentic. Here are some practical tips:
- Use specific examples rather than general statements.
- Keep a balance of action and reflection—what you did and what you learned.
- If possible, include quantifiable results (e.g., “increased participation by 30%”).
- Stay within character limits but make every sentence count.
The Carl A. Elliott Honor Society
- The Elliott Society’s namesake, former Congressman Carl A. Elliott, dedicated his career to providing assistance to the needy, promoting racial equity, and bettering educational opportunities for all. How do you identify with these values? (2500 characters)
- In what ways do you see yourself contributing to The Elliott Society and its commitment to service? (2500 characters)
- If you had 10 minutes with your 8th grade self, what would you tell yourself? (2500 characters)
- In what ways would you foster diversity and inclusion within the Elliott Society? (2500 characters)
Mortar Board Honor Society
- Pertaining to leadership, scholarship, and service (the core values of Mortar Board), what significant skills or experiences would you bring to Mortar Board if selected? Mortar Board recognizes there are many ways to show scholarship, leadership and service on and off campus and we welcome applicants to contribute to this diversity of experience. For example, students who work while enrolled can show significant leadership skills; students can serve by caring for family members; or students can demonstrate scholastic excellence by showing how they overcame adversity to succeed academically.
- What has been your most significant contribution to the University and/or the Tuscaloosa community during your undergraduate career? Why?
- The college experience is more than just being in class. How have you spent your time outside of class and how has that impacted your scholarship, leadership and/or service skills?