byu hawaii essay examples

Application Help

Maybe you’re going to college for the first time, or maybe you’re transferring from another university, either way, you probably have some questions about applying! This page breaks down our application section by section so that you know what to expect and documents you might need as you fill out your application.

Application Breakdown

Begin your application here ! Certain portions of the application can take some time to complete so the sooner you start, the better.

In order to start an application you must have a BYU account. Below is a video that explains how you can discover if you already have an account, and if not, how you can create one.

Make sure you read the instructions in the right-hand column of the application as you go. These instructions update depending on which section of the application you are working on to provide relevant and helpful information.

You may be required to submit an English Proficiency Exam . After filling out the profile section of the application, refer to the status section to see if an English Proficiency Exam is required.

BYU , BYU-Hawaii , BYU-Idaho , BYU-Pathway and Ensign College all require different application materials. Complete the application for each school to which you would like to apply.

We ask you to select your major , but if you're not sure what you want to study just yet, simply select "Open Major (Undecided or exploring students)".

If you're a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and you did not sign in with your church account, you will be required to link your Church account to your application. If you're having trouble with this, view the instructions in the right-hand column of the religion page. By linking your church account, your application will automatically update seminary and institute records. We provide a space for you to comment on your seminary and institute experience, and encourage you to do so if you would like to clarify anything about your experience.

To be considered for admission, you must agree to live by the Honor Code , Related Policies , and will be required to begin the Ecclesiastical Endorsement process. *Don't start the Ecclesiastical Endorsement before the admission application opens. To see when the application opens click here.

To read more about the Ecclesiastical Endorsement click here.

If you have completed any secondary education or received any college credit outside of the United States, that is not U.S. accredited, your work must be evaluated by an approved international credential evaluation agency. View requirements here .

You will be required to identify all U.S. and international colleges through which you have earned credit, including any college credit earned during high school. You may also be required to submit a copy of your official college transcript(s). The application will let you know if one is needed. Please be aware that it can take a couple of weeks for BYU to receive and process your transcript once you have requested it from your school, so please make sure to order your transcripts early. Keep checking your application to see if your college transcripts have been received.

You'll need to self-report your high school transcript on the application. You will be required to provide an official high school transcript if you are admitted, so make sure what you self-report matches what's on your transcript.

• Have a copy of your official transcript on hand when completing this section
• Make sure the information you enter matches your official transcript
• Know how your school lists your grades (semester, trimester, quarter/term, or full year)
• Know your schools grading system (letter grades A-F or 100-point system)
• Indicate courses that are AP, IB, Honors, and concurrent or dual enrollment

Most applicants will not be required to submit a standardized test score to be considered for admission to BYU for spring 2021 through winter 2026. Applicants may choose to submit a test score if they feel it would strengthen their application. If a test score is required or the applicant chooses to include a test score, the score must be included at the time of submission.

We email a recommendation form with specific questions to your recommenders, so you will need to supply the email address for your high school teacher and non-relative recommender (and possibly your seminary teacher) in your application. Let your recommender know that the recommendation form will come from [email protected]. No other forms/letters of recommendation that are sent to us will be accepted.

Freshman applicants may be required to have up to three recommendations submitted on their behalf, depending on individual circumstances:

• Current seminary teacher (if applicable)
• High school teacher (any teacher that taught a class that counted towards the completion of either a math, English, science or social science requirement in your junior or senior year of high school)
• Non-relative of your choosing

Transfer applicants are required to have one recommendation from a non-relative submitted on their behalf.

Keep checking your application to see if your recommendations have been received. For more information about recommendations click here.

The essays are an important part of your application. Please remember that we can only evaluate information you choose to share with us in your application; make sure you read the prompt and answer what's being asked. If there’s something about you we should know, make sure to include it in your essay responses.

• Freshmen applicants are required to submit five essays.
• Transfer applicants are required to submit six essays. 

Become familiar with the Mission and Aims of BYU . Your application, including your essays and activities, should demonstrate your preparation and alignment with the Mission and Aims of BYU.

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Benefits of Exercise

       It can be difficult to find time to exercise. This is because there are many demands on our time. We have work, school, family, and leisure activities that we want to do. Sometimes because of these demands, we do not have very much time to work out. However, making time for exercise brings unique benefits to our lives that are difficult to get in other ways. Exercise is essential because it improves our overall physical and mental health.

       Because it makes your body healthier, exercise is extremely important. One of the physical benefits of exercise is having stronger muscles. The only way to make your muscles stronger is to use them, and exercises like crunches, squats, push-ups, and weightlifting are good examples of exercises that strengthen your muscles. Another health benefit of exercise is that it lowers your heart rate. A slow heart rate shows that our hearts are working more efficiently and they don’t have to pump as quickly to get blood to our organs. Related to our heart beating more efficiently, our blood pressure decreases. These are just some of the incredible health benefits of exercise.

       Another compelling reason that exercise is crucial is that it improves your mental health. First, exercise is the healthiest way to deal with stress. When we have too much stress, our mental and emotional health is affected negatively. Exercise can reduce this impact. Exercise can also influence the balance of chemicals we have inside our bodies. Exercise releases endorphins into our bodies and that can help us feel better or not be depressed. These emotional benefits are very helpful. Exercise also helps us think more clearly because it brings more oxygen to the brain. If you watch how you feel when you exercise, you will notice that your mood and mental clarity improve.

       Due to the mental and physical health benefits of exercise, it is absolutely crucial for our bodies. There is not a good substitute for exercise, so spending our time exercising is very valuable. While people have many demands on their time, the other activities we do cannot replace exercise in our lives. People should make exercise a priority in their daily schedules. If they do, their body and mind will thank them.

Exercise 1: Analyze an essay.

Read one of the two Process Example Essays on the following pages to complete this exercise.

• Label the introduction paragraph, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion paragraph.
• Circle the hook.
• What is the general topic of the essay?
• Underline the thesis.
• Underline each of the topic sentences.
• Do each of the topic sentences support the thesis?
• Does the conclusion paragraph start by restating the thesis?

This content is provided to you freely by BYU Open Learning Network.

Access it online or download it at https://open.byu.edu/academic_a_writing/example_essay_1 .

Brigham Young University | BYU

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Want to see your chances of admission at Brigham Young University | BYU?

We take every aspect of your personal profile into consideration when calculating your admissions chances.

Brigham Young University | BYU’s 2023-24 Essay Prompts

Common app personal essay.

The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response. Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don‘t feel obligated to do so.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you‘ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

What will first-time readers think of your college essay?

Mission and Vision

The mission of BYU–Hawaii is to prepare students of Oceania and the Asian Rim to be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ and leaders in their families, communities, chosen fields, and in building the kingdom of God.

To be an example to the world of intercultural peace and unity through living the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Institutional Learning Outcomes

A set of institutional learning outcomes was developed to assess the acquisition of academic characteristics necessary to fulfill this mission and vision. Accordingly, a BYU–Hawaii graduate’s preparation for a lifetime of service is demonstrated by:

• Breadth and depth of knowledge
• The thinking skills and character of a servant-leader, which are the ability to inquire, analyze, and communicate with the disposition to act with integrity, stewardship, and service.

Admissions and Aid

Financial Aid & Scholarships

Application Deadlines and Decisions Schedule

Country Criteria

Thanks to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the cost of attending BYU–Hawaii is drastically lower than other liberal arts colleges. While the tuition of other colleges averages at $35,000 a semester, a semester here at BYU–Hawaii is approximately $5,000.

Full-Time Tuition

12+ credits during fall and winter semesters, 8+ credits during spring semester.

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How to Write BYU Provo’s 2016-2017 Essays

Founded in 1875, Brigham Young University is the flagship school of the BYU system. Established with the intention of educating members of the Church of Latter Day Saints and preparing them for success, BYU Provo tends to draw many applicants from religious backgrounds.

In fact, 99% percent of the student population identifies as Mormon, demonstrating the strong influence of religion on this campus. Religion permeates most aspects of BYU life, from academics to day-to-day life; the latter is expected to follow the guidelines listed in BYU’s LDS-inspired Honor Code.

However, despite the influence of religion on this campus, you do not necessarily need to be a member of the LDS church to attend BYU. Potential applicants only need to be endorsed by an ecclesiastical leader in order to be eligible for admission.

BYU Provo also has the distinction of being the nation’s largest religious university, and with a student population of 29,672 on-campus students, it is the third largest university in the United States. Although it attracts students from across the country and beyond, it tends to be particularly attractive to in-state students; approximately one-third of the student population at the university hails from Utah.

In addition to cultivating a rich religious identity, BYU also offers fantastic academic opportunities . The school is comprised of 11 colleges, each specializing in different areas: education; engineering and technology; family, home, and social sciences; fine arts and communications; humanities; law; life sciences; business management; nursing; physical and mathematical sciences; and religious education.

Cummatively, these colleges offer 194 bachelor’s degree programs. Keep in mind that each school may have different application requirements, and it is important to check the guidelines for the specific BYU Provo college to which you choose to apply.

However, the general BYU application provides applicants with the opportunity to answer one short-answer question in 100 words, in addition to three short essays in 250 words. These questions apply to all BYU applicants, regardless of what school they are applying to. In this blog post, we’ll break down the BYU essay questions and give you the insights, tips, and tricks you need to wow BYU admissions officers and help make your application stand out.

Brigham Young University Application Essay Prompts

List and describe (in 100 words) up to five of your most meaningful and significant activities, awards, and/or experiences you have had since beginning high school.

Let’s start with the short answer question. In this part of the application, you are allowed to highlight some of your most important high school accomplishments . Because the word limit is rather restrictive — you have approximately 20 words per item — it is important that you are succinct, but still communicate your accomplishments effectively.

The first step is to identify which activities, awards, or experiences you want to list. When deciding, you should think about which activities will help you distinguish yourself. Remember, BYU received approximately 13,408 applicants in the last admissions cycle, so you want to stand out. For instance, listing an award that many other applicants in the pool have also earned is unlikely to significantly benefit your chance of admission.

In addition, it is important to consider BYU’s identity as an LDS school. While you do not have to be a member of the LDS church in order to be accepted (BYU states that “non-LDS applicants will only be required to meet with one of the following: an LDS bishop, branch president, or mission president”) it can be extremely beneficial to highlight your connection to the LDS church, if you have one.

Additionally, you should keep in mind BYU’s admissions criteria. It evaluates students based on their “seminary attendance, service, leadership, personal essays, individual talents, creativity, AP/IB courses taken, unique or special circumstances, and other factors showing a student’s ability to strengthen the BYU community.” You’ll notice that many of these qualities can be directly demonstrated through your extracurricular activities and other high school experiences .

For instance, BYU appreciates applicants who have demonstrated a commitment to service. If you have spent your high school career engaging in meaningful community service, you should certainly prioritize this activity when listing your relevant experiences. Or, if you were the president of your school’s French Club, you should emphasize your strong leadership abilities and background to impress admissions officers who are looking for student leaders.

Finally, consider the types of activities and awards current students have listed on their applications. 96.6% of successful applicants were four-year seminary graduates; 84.2% received Duty to God or Young Women Recognition; 82.2% were employed during high school; 78.3% were involved in the performing arts; and 71.1% participated in high school sports.

While it is not wholly necessary that you match this profile perfectly, it is helpful to know what has impressed admissions officers in the past and to highlight these kinds of awards and activities in your own application. Keep in mind, however, that you should still try to distinguish yourself even when describing experiences that are more typical of the applicant pool. For instance, if you were involved with your high school’s track and field team and earned the position of captain, you should emphasize your leadership position in order to give yourself more of an edge.

What is one of the most difficult things you have ever done or experienced? What did you learn from it?

This essay has a 250-word limit, so as always, it is important to be concise and get your message across as clearly and effectively as possible.

This essay question can, initially, seem a little difficult to tackle because it is so broad. There is some ambiguity in the language; BYU uses the word “thing” as opposed to directly naming a type of difficulty, and allows students to elaborate on things that they have either “done or experienced,” leaving the door wide open for interpretation.

However, there’s no need to balk at this question. In actuality, the relative ambiguity of the prompt just means that you have all the more room to be creative and truly help the admissions officers understand you on a deeper level. In many ways, how you choose to attack this question says a lot about you as an individual and as an applicant.

The most straightforward way to approach this essay would be to talk about a tangible challenge you have had to address. This could be a difficulty you had in school, in your community, or in your personal life. These kinds of challenges could range from family tragedies to academic setbacks to extracurricular obstacles.

A more subtle, but still effective way to answer this question is to think about a moral or ethical dilemma you have faced. While not as obvious of a choice for this essay, this can still be extremely powerful,  because at its core, this question seeks to help BYU understand how you tackle problems and how you grow from those experiences.

No matter what kind of challenge or problem you choose to discuss, the focus should not be on describing the problem itself. Rather, the majority of your essay should revolve around your particular approach to this challenge and, most importantly, what you have learned as a result. BYU admissions officers want to see that not only can you handle challenges, but that you welcome them and indeed grow from them.

There are some caveats to keep in mind when answering this question. If you do decide to focus on a personal challenge, you want to ensure that this is not a challenge that may cast doubt on your ability to succeed at BYU. For this reason, it can be safer to choose a problem that has long since been resolved and no longer affects you.

Additionally, be wary of coming across as unnecessarily lamentful. It can be dangerous if your essay bears the tone of “woe is me.” Although the essay is about a difficulty, it should still be positive. Remember, you should focus on 1) your problem solving abilities and 2) your growth in the face of difficulties. These are inherently positive subjects, so as long as your essay is centered around these two angles, you should be in the clear.

Given the choice, which CES school would you most like to attend, and why? Please be specific.

This question is relatively straightforward, in that it is essentially a “Why this major?” essay. In these types of essays, passion is key. You need to convey your deep interest in a given field, or in this case, BYU school.

The first step is to identify which school you are planning to apply to, which is simple enough. You do not need to have identified a specific major within that school, but if you already have an idea of what you intend to study, it can be helpful to include.

This part of your essay should be relatively brief. The bulk of the content needs to be oriented around why that specific school is perfect for you as a student, and more subtly, why you would be a valuable contributor to that school.

As BYU stipulates in the prompt itself, specificity is crucial. The easiest way to convey passion is to identify key, direct reasons why you are choosing that particular school. For instance, if you are intending to pursue law, you can talk about how your early interest in law started when you watched a particularly fascinating trial early on in life.

Then, you should connect it back to your high school extracurricular career and show the admissions officers how your passion for a given field has impacted your secondary studies. Continuing with our law example, perhaps you participated in Mock Trial to gain trial experience and helped lead the Model UN team to improve your public speaking skills.

Beyond highlighting extracurricular activities that help convey your commitment to a discipline, it is also helpful to point to your academic record . For instance, if you are applying to BYU’s physical sciences school, you should highlight the fact that you have chosen to take all of your school’s honors and AP physical science courses. This is particularly effective as it not only demonstrates your strong interest in the field, but also shows admissions officers that you can be successful in that specific subject as well.

That being said, you shouldn’t simply rehash your extracurricular and academic accomplishments in this essay.

Remember that these aspects are already explored in other sections of your application. This essay should be centered around your passion for a field, and while citing examples can help demonstrate this, you should make sure that this essay is personal to you and reveals important information about who you are as a person. Bring in relevant anecdotes, past experiences, and personal characteristics to show admissions officers why you are a perfect fit for a given BYU school.

“Tell us anything else you want us to know about yourself that you haven’t had the opportunity to describe elsewhere in the application. Include any special circumstances, experiences, talents, skills, etc. that you think would have a positive impact on the Admission Committee.”

If you thought that the first essay question was daunting in its breadth, this prompt may seem unthinkably difficult! However, this is just another opportunity to help admissions officers get to know you on a deeper level. The wide scope of the prompt is actually helpful, as it allows you to focus on any subject that 1) demonstrates who you as an individual and 2) adds a new dimension to your application.

With that in mind, you should focus on elucidating something that is otherwise absent from your application. If you choose to write about an experience, it should not be one of the experiences you listed in the short answer question; if you choose to write about a special circumstance, it should not be connected to the challenge you described in the second essay. You get the picture: this essay is supposed to bring something new to the table.

That being said, there aren’t many limits as to what you can write about. The only wrong answers here are things that would detract from your overall application or place you in a negative light, such as mentioning drug or alcohol abuse. Apart from these obviously poor choices, anything is fair game.

There are a few ways you can really take advantage of this prompt. For one thing, because it is so open-ended, this is a fantastic opportunity to help distinguish yourself from the rest of the applicant pool. It is helpful to focus on something that is memorable and unique to you, so that you stand out in the minds of admissions officers. Discussing a quirky skill, unique talent, or another distinguishing attribute or experience is one way to go about this.

This essay can also provide a forum through which you can explain any gaps in your application, or answer any questions that may be lingering  in admissions officers’ minds. For instance, if a significant personal circumstance impacted your application — and this was not the circumstance you described in Essay Two — this would be a good time to elaborate on that. Bear in mind, however, that the essay should still end on a positive note and leave no doubt that you are fully capable of succeeding at BYU, should you be accepted.

With these tips and tricks in mind, you are ready to begin writing essays that are sure to impress the Brigham Young University admissions officers. Best of luck from the CollegeVine team!

Want help with your college essays to improve your admissions chances? Sign up for your free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. You can also get your essay peer-reviewed and improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.

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Brigham Young University Undergraduate College Application Essays

These Brigham Young University college application essays were written by students accepted at Brigham Young University. All of our sample college essays include the question prompt and the year written. Please use these sample admission essays responsibly.

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College Application Essays accepted by Brigham Young University

Valued success michael scott robison, brigham young university.

Albert Einstein said, "Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value." I only truly began to understand this quote over the course of the last school year. Until this year, success in high school was never difficult...

Picture This Anonymous

I just cannot help it -- I see the world around me like I am looking through a camera lens. Everywhere I go I see perfect photo opportunities. Whenever I stumble upon beautiful lighting, contrast, shape, color or texture, I am compelled to take a...

Moving For The Eighteenth Time Anonymous

We moved to a different house again. For the eighteenth time.

It had been a Saturday when my father made his grand announcement that we were moving again. I had been eating at the dinner table with my six siblings, and I almost choked. Grinning,...

Who Needs Hogwarts When You've Got a Book? Elizabeth P Rampton

Alice has her rabbit hole; Lucy has her wardrobe; Harry has Platform Nine and Three-quarters; as for me, I have my bookshelf. Reading is something I have always loved to do. It allows me to escape to another world from the comfort of my fuzzy...

The Lake Anonymous

My mother is a refugee from Cambodia who witnessed the murder of her father by the Khmer Rouge at age 2. Her response to her trauma was to put pressure on her kids to be the best. Growing up I remember writing out the ABC’s hundreds of times a...

Recent Questions about Brigham Young University

The Question and Answer section for Brigham Young University is a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss the novel.

what is the theme of Barrio Boy?

The theme is being accepted by society the main character is accepted and feels accepted because his teacher made him understand English and helped him become more confident with himself

what are two words to describe the short story no gumption and why??

Just two words?

Motivation and Expectations

Can you tell me if this is a good 200 word essay for my application?

Whether or not this is a good essay is partly dependent on the question that was asked. You might want to use the essay services of Gradesaver to get some strong input about how this can be "beefed up." The essay does make a point and it...

BYU–Hawaii Mission and Vision

The mission of BYU–Hawaii is to prepare students of Oceania and the Asian Rim to be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ and leaders in their families, communities, chosen fields, and in building the kingdom of God.

To be an example to the world of intercultural peace and unity through living the teachings of Jesus Christ.

Institutional Learning Outcomes

A set of institutional learning outcomes was developed to assess acquisition of the necessary academic characteristics necessary to fulfill this mission and vision. Accordingly, a BYU–Hawaii graduate’s preparation for a lifetime of service is demonstrated by:

• Breadth and depth of knowledge.
• Communicate.
• Stewardship.

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Why BYU Hawaii? Essay Example

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When I first visited the BYU Hawaii campus, I felt that I was welcomed by the campus, the friendly students, and the overall atmosphere. As an individual that has been a member of the church for just over three years, I’m looking for a college that will challenge me not only academically, but spiritually as well. Being given the opportunity to attend BYU will allow me to form strong friendships with other college students that are lifelong members of the church. Being immersed in a student body that shares the same values and belief will allow me to expand my knowledge and understanding of the gospel. My mother is from Puerto Rico and I believe that having the opportunity to live on an island will allow me to better understand my mother’s upbringing and the hard work that she has put forth to get me where I am today. Although my mom is the only member of the church on her side of the family, I am looking forward to the opportunity to increase the size of my “ohana” by talking to my family member about the church and by forming bonds with the other students on campus. As a potential business management major, I feel that BYU Hawaii’s program and facilities will help me achieve my academic goals. Although I prefer to attend the BYU Hawaii campus for these aforementioned reasons, I feel highly connected to BYU’s mission and would feel satisfied to attend any campus.

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Speeches > Cecil O. Samuelson > Integrity

Cecil O. Samuelson

President of Brigham Young University

September 14, 2004

It is my great pleasure and privilege to welcome you to the fall semester. Although many of you are new to BYU, there are also those who have returned following missions and other prolonged absences. Some of you have been with us throughout the summer. To all I say that we are very glad to have you here. We anticipate that this will be a wonderful year for all of us.

At the outset, I want to declare my admiration for so many of you who are doing the things that you should in exemplary ways. For example, we have talked about improving our sportsmanship, and most of you are demonstrating tremendous consideration for others as well as for yourselves. Some of you incur debt while in school, and we expect and know you will not borrow more money than is absolutely necessary. Our default rate on student loans is very low—among the lowest rates in the country. So few of you really misbehave in significant ways, and yet it is still newsworthy when one of our students stubs his or her toe. Let me just say that we are almost always proud of you and are almost uniformly grateful for your obvious goodness.

You might guess that I receive lots of mail, e-mail, and phone calls. You would be right. Most of it is positive and uplifting. Some letters express concerns or suggestions or even criticisms. Those making various requests are not rare—and some few, happily the minority, come close to evoking tears. I’ll not read any of these letters to you for obvious reasons. I will share with you the thrust of some of the several that report personal distress on the part of the writers—which in some cases has persisted for many years.

These letters are confidential, uncoordinated with each other, and therefore unique. What they do have in common, however, is a strong thread of regret. The regret is often matched with a pervasive sense of guilt and usually an effort to make things right as part of the person’s sincere repentance process. The specifics are fairly varied but the theme is consistent. Each has given an account of a particular violation of his or her integrity or the Honor Code. Examples include seemingly small things like failure to pay parking fines or receiving without correction too much change at the Bookstore. Larger issues like the destruction or theft of university property, cheating on examinations or term papers, misrepresenting credentials for admission or on job applications and the like are only a sample of the burdens people have carried needlessly for years because of their lack of judgment and the thought that these things would just go away. They do not.

By now you might think that this is a talk about repentance. In a way it is, but not the one you might suspect. I will say little about the repentance process itself. I will say that we all need to repent regularly, and I suspect that some might find an increased urgency should they listen carefully today. You may ask the question the Savior’s apostles asked when He informed them that a traitor was in their circle. Their sincere query was, “Is it I?” (Mark 14:19). I don’t think any of you are traitors. I do think that we have a number of temptations and errors in judgment that demand our serious attention.

Over the past many years, and particularly since our arrival at BYU last year, I have read several times the account of Karl G. Maeser and his chalk circle. Had I the time and compelling interest in Trivial Pursuit–like activities, I might have calculated the number of times preceding presidents have used this example in settings such as this devotional. Appropriately, it is very many, and I hope that you will think seriously about it today as I increase the telling by one.

Brother Maeser was asked about the meaning of the phrase word of honor, which he used frequently. This was his response:

Place me behind prison walls—walls of stone ever so high, ever so thick, reaching ever so far into the ground—there is a possibility that in some way or another I may be able to escape, but stand me on that floor and draw a chalk line around me and have me give my word of honor never to cross it. Can I get out of that circle? No, never! I’d die first! [In Alma P. Burton, Karl G. Maeser: Mormon Educator (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1953), 71]

I want to talk today about some of the chalk lines all of us should draw around ourselves with the same resolve expressed by Karl G. Maeser.

If this account of President Maeser is new to you, then I am very glad I have brought it to your attention. If you have heard or read it many times previously, then I hope you will consider it again with fresh eyes and open hearts as I attempt to share some counsel with you.

Because you as students are very able, you have great facility with words. You are able to define most common words and describe their meanings and contexts. I want to discuss a very ordinary word familiar to us all and even to those with much less experience and sophistication than most of you. Today I hope to speak also about some specific applications in addition to generalizations with which we expect you to be familiar and to endorse behaviorally and philosophically.

The word for today is integrity. I hope that you are not surprised, given my introductory statement by Brother Maeser. I hope also that you are not disappointed that I should choose this topic among the many deserving of our time and attention. At the outset, I believe that virtually everyone at Brigham Young University has a high level of integrity. I also believe that the attendant principles and practices of integrity are so important that all of us regularly need to think and act seriously on this topic. Although I am confident that you are in relatively high standing with respect to personal integrity, particularly when compared to the world around us, I am also persuaded that many of us overlook or fail to understand fully what it really means to have integrity in our lives. Because of where we are and who we are, I will frame my comments to the context of our university experience.

In my office I have a Merriam-Webster pocket dictionary that has been my friend and my guide for more than 30 years. I have larger, more complete, and more current dictionaries, but this little paperback edition has been my companion and helper all of this time. Let me tell you what it says about integrity. I’ll skip the part that describes it as a noun and also gives its relationships to other words with the same roots. There are three definitions given:

1. Soundness.

2. Adherence to a code of values: utter sincerity, honesty, and candor.

3. Completeness.

Other dictionaries and the thesaurus give additional words and nuances, but for my purposes today, these three definitions suffice nicely. Likewise, many Church leaders and others concerned with morals and ethics have delivered significant treatises on this topic. I recommend that you consider and study what others have taught as you target the applications to your own situation.

All of us are aware that we live in a general environment awash in moral relativism. Matters of honor, truthfulness, respect for others, and the like were often in the past understood to be hallmarks of an educated and cultured person—someone, for example, who might be viewed as a sterling example of a BYU student or graduate.

In more recent years—when we have had increasing examples of moral, ethical, and legal lapses in those of prominent status and stature—the basic values related to integrity apparently seem to some to be old-fashioned and perhaps even outmoded at the practical level. Although we—at least I—may be old-fashioned, the issue of integrity with all of its facets is not related to a particular age, time, place, or circumstance. Brother Maeser understood this, and we must as well.

I confess that I do not lose much sleep worrying about whether one of you might rob a bank or create a Ponzi scheme or become involved in any number of dishonest activities that plague our society. Please also understand that I do not believe you are immune to any temptations—even those most egregious such as I have mentioned and others that are similar. Sadly, some few who might have been counted as part of our number have done some silly and evil things of great seriousness. Happily, such examples of these things are extremely rare.

It does seem to me that the issues of integrity are particularly important in the university setting and all the more so at BYU. We are here to seek knowledge and wisdom. We make clear statements to ourselves and to the world that we live in an environment that not only encourages but demands that what we do is in the context of our faith and best efforts to live gospel principles. Indeed, our final article of faith begins by stating, “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men” (Article of Faith 1:13; see also HC 4:535–41). In other words, we believe in integrity and all of its meanings—particularly the three definitions I mentioned that include soundness, completeness, and adherence to a code of values. At BYU we believe in the Honor Code. We preach it, we teach it, and we must practice it with soundness and completeness.

The relationship between knowledge and integrity is an old and important one. Almost 250 years ago, Samuel Johnson said: “Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful” (“Rasselas” [1759], chapter 41). Since you are all acquiring knowledge, we don’t worry too much that you will be “weak and useless,” but we are concerned that without impeccable integrity, your knowledge can become “dangerous and dreadful.”

Let me mention some integrity issues that seem to be much more common in our university community than they should be and that do give me pause. Although less dramatic and superficially less serious than the reports of felonies that fill the news media, they do give me concern, and I hope they do you as well. Before I mention some specifics, let me share some dialogue from C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters that seems germane to this point. Screwtape, a senior and experienced devil, takes his role as a teacher very seriously. One of his students is his nephew, Wormwood, a young and inexperienced devil. Screwtape is trying very hard to help the young devil be more effective in his work. Now let me read part of a letter from Screwtape to Wormwood:

You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. But do remember, the only thing that matters is the extent to which you separate the man from the Enemy. It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is to edge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. Murder is no better than cards if cards can do the trick. Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts. [C. S. Lewis, book 12 of The Screwtape Letters (New York: Macmillan, 1961), 56]

Please think about Screwtape’s premise and any potential personal applications as I mention a few areas or problems of concern.

The definition is straightforward, but the practicalities seem to trip many people—including some of you. Basically, to plagiarize is to take or pass off someone else’s words, ideas, or work as your own. As with most infractions, there are both blatant and subtle examples of plagiarism. To lift pages or paragraphs from published works or from the efforts of a classmate or anyone else without permission or citation constitutes plagiarism. Of course it is appropriate and often helpful to quote the works of others, but it is always necessary to give clear and adequate attribution to your sources. Some believe that using materials from the Internet or obscure resources loosens the rules. It does not! Some consider it appropriate to change a few words or the sequence of a few sentences or paragraphs and then claim the product as original work. Again, think of the basic definition.

A recent survey reported that three-fourths of high school and college students admit to some cheating on examinations (see Michael Behar, “Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics,” Wired, March 2004, 60). Although we think of tests taken in school or the university, there are other dimensions of cheating as well. All are manifestations of the dishonest person. Certainly the faculty and other proctors of performance have a responsibility in this. It is important to realize that this is not a game and the definition of honorable success is not just that you were not caught. When you signed the Honor Code, you drew a chalk line around yourself.

Résumé Padding

Sadly, I believe résumé padding is a fairly recent term that is now widely understood. Some believe that it may be worth a calculated risk to suggest achievements not attained or other misrepresentations of a personal record. What is not always appreciated is that in doing so, a different record is being made that will follow the offender throughout life. Not only have people of prominence and others lost coveted jobs, they have been branded forever as people without integrity. That is a heavy but probably fair burden.

Downloading Music Illegally Online

One-fourth of Americans in one survey admitted to having downloaded music illegally, and the practice appears particularly common in the age group of high school and university students (see Behar, “Lies,” 60). A partial reason may be that older folks typically lack the technical expertise. It is also likely that “because everyone is doing it,” consciences may be soothed in ways described by Nephi—even though he probably was not thinking about CDs and DVDs specifically. You will remember from your reading that he generalized over many ways we might lose our integrity. Let me share this familiar verse:

And there shall also be many which shall say: Eat, drink, and be merry; nevertheless, fear God—he will justify in committing a little sin; yea, lie a little, take the advantage of one because of his words, dig a pit for thy neighbor; there is no harm in this; and do all these things, for tomorrow we die; and if it so be that we are guilty, God will beat us with a few stripes, and at last we shall be saved in the kingdom of God. [2 Nephi 28:8]

In one survey, 80 percent of workers admitted that at some time they had stolen supplies, material, or equipment from their employers or others (Behar, “Lies,” 61). This does not take into account the theft of time that occurs when we are late for appointments, class, or work or the time our thoughtlessness or selfishness may cost others. Some of our community who would never think of stealing a roommate’s watch or wallet occasionally find it convenient to leave unpaid phone bills or rent or other obligations for their associates to pay. You will all be aware of other small but important examples, should we take the time to catalog them.

Giving False Information

All of us misspeak on occasion. In our case, I hope it is because of an honest mistake or a faulty memory. When unintentional, we hope for correction or the opportunity to set the record straight as soon as we recognize the error. Of much, much greater concern is the intentional communication of false information. Most of you are regularly interviewed by your bishops and less formally, but often more directly, by your parents. Although it is tempting to misrepresent the truth in some circumstances, a lie is a lie. More than 30 years ago, President Dallin H. Oaks told a BYU devotional audience, “A lie is not always told in so many words. It may be a creature of concealment or a misrepresentation by action or a half-truth” (30 January 1973, “Be Honest in All Behavior,” Speeches of the Year, 1972–73 [Provo: BYU, 1973], 89). He then went on to quote Elder Richard L. Evans, who said:

Truth or untruth is not always altogether a matter of literal language, but often of implication, of inflection, of innuendo, of subtle suggestion. A clever person intent on being untruthful can give a false impression, even when his literal words can little be called into question. [The Spoken Word, “Neither Lie One to Another,” Improvement Era, November 1961, 854]

By the way, I learned from President Oaks’ talk that failure to register student automobiles on campus was a major problem way back then too. He felt, and I feel, that such behavior is just another form of lying.

Dress and Grooming Standards

As you know, I have spoken on this subject in significant detail. I do not propose to do so again except to certify that I believe adherence to the Honor Code, including the provisions related to dress and grooming, is a matter of integrity. Simply put, to sign your name in support of one standard and then to live another is just one more example of lying or promise breaking. Let me say how much I appreciate those of the tremendous majority who personally take this seriously and support others in making these sometimes difficult decisions.

All will recognize that this list of potential breaches of integrity is incomplete. In addition, there are multiple variations of those items I did mention that could be considered and were not. Lest anyone feel any license to limit their personal integrity on the basis that a specific matter was not mentioned by me today, I will remind you of the words of King Benjamin:

And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them.

But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man [and woman], remember, and perish not. [Mosiah 4:29–30]

Let me mention our Honor Code briefly. It is often portrayed by the media and others as a set of rules. Although it does contain specifics with respect to honesty, appearance, and general conduct, it is really much more. It is an attitude. It is a personal commitment to live life in congruence with gospel principles. It is our recognition of the importance of others in our university circle and the respect we have for them and their sensibilities, as well as for their rights and property. It is the chalk line we draw around our conduct and our thinking.

I have shared the counsel of King Benjamin. Let me now share the counsel of Shakespeare’s Polonius, with which I suspect and expect you are all familiar. Although these lines found in the first act of Hamlet are directed to an audience of one, they apply to all, especially those of us privileged to be associated with Brigham Young University. Said Polonius:

This above all: to thine own self be true,

And it must follow, as the night the day,

Thou canst not then be false to any man.

[William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act 1, scene 3, lines 78–80]

In 1979 President Spencer W. Kimball addressed a devotional audience. Many of you, sadly, do not personally remember this great prophet leader, but many of the faculty and administration do recall his visits to our campus. He often spoke of the Honor Code and our unique responsibilities. On the occasion I reference, he again mentioned that he would speak about integrity even though he had addressed the same topic the year before. He said the following:

I make no apology for returning to that theme, because integrity (which includes the willingness and ability to live by our beliefs and commitments) is one of the foundation stones of good character, and without good character one cannot hope to enjoy the presence of God here or in the eternities. In this institution students and faculty commit themselves explicitly to abide by a code of conduct which includes both living by the moral precepts of the gospel and conforming to a dress and grooming code. Some purport to accept the moral standards as important and denigrate the other as trivial and as intruding on their freedom of choice. These people fundamentally misperceive the question, which is not whether the . . . code is wise, but whether they should consider themselves bound by a promise. It is not that such a code is forced upon anyone; there is free choice to come here or to go to some other institution which makes no such demands. . . . There is no disgrace in making that choice; it is a wholly legitimate option. But once having elected to come here and to participate in this community with its special calling to represent the Church and its highest standards, you must not compromise your integrity by promising what you will not do. By taking covenants lightly, you will wound your eternal self. [Spencer W. Kimball, BYU devotional, 4 September 1979, “Integrity: The Spirit of BYU,” 1979 Devotional Speeches of the Year (Provo: BYU, 1980), 162]

You will not be surprised that throughout our history the messages of all our prophets since Brigham Young himself and our university presidents too have been both clear and consistent on these matters. Given our time constraints today, I will draw your attention to just one more.

Ten years ago next month, President Gordon B. Hinckley spoke at our campus devotional. I join with you in the wish that he had been our speaker today. While he was here on that occasion a decade ago, he entitled his comments “Codes and Covenants.” Listen to what he had to say about the Honor Code.

I remind you that the Honor Code of Brigham Young University was not initiated by the board and the administration. It is an outgrowth of the action of a group of students who felt strongly that the acceptance of a code of honor by those who attended this school would have a salutary effect upon all.

By an evolutionary process it has continued, with modifications, until it has become the standard behavior of those of the university and has been endorsed by its board of trustees. It is for all students to accept and agree to live by—a statement of principle concerning honesty, charity, purity, modesty, and commitment.

It is not an inflexible law written in tablets of stone. It is a code of conduct. It is a statement of principles. It is a guide and a reminder concerning expected deportment. It is no more than might be expected of any good Christian, and no less than might be required of one who comes to this great institution sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The code is a guide, not a rigid set of rules. It does not address every specific issue. It is a table of standards, set forth clearly enough that there can be no question concerning what is expected and yet flexible enough to allow some freedom in application.

It represents an attempt to express, in terms of expected behavior, the principles set forth in the thirteenth article of faith:

We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men. . . . If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things. . . .

Is observance of the code too much to expect from any of us? I think not. Every one of you who is enrolled in this great institution and every one who is a member of its faculty or its staff is part of a family unique and unusual. You are, in a very real sense, a chosen people. You have been selected through a rigorous process and found to be deserving of what this institution has to offer. [Gordon B. Hinckley, BYU devotional, 18 October 1994, “Codes and Covenants,” BYU 1994–95 Devotional and Fireside Speeches (Provo: BYU, 1995), 36–37]

I can report with great confidence that President Hinckley’s opinion on these matters has not changed. Although both gentle and considerate, he is clear and courageous in his stance toward matters of honor. I am convinced he expects no less from each of us.

Having spoken to you plainly about our standards and expectations for your behavior and conduct, let me now also speak as clearly as I can about our respect and affection for you. I am convinced that you are not here by chance. Although our admissions processes and standards are rigorous and even daunting, I do not refer to them. I refer to my absolute persuasion that you are here because heaven has helped you to be. You are not necessarily any better than some who do not share your good fortune of being a BYU student, but you are not insignificant by any measure. It is my prayer and expectation that, growing through your experiences and efforts while at BYU, you will step onto the stages of the world to make contributions that will far exceed even your fondest current expectations and dreams. You will have the high privilege of making real and substantive differences in your families, in the Church, in your communities, in your countries, and in your chosen professions. You will carry with you the light that you have experienced and gained while at BYU wherever you go and however you serve in the years and generations ahead.

It is thus imperative that you go forth without substantial regrets or the consequences of poor decisions to limit your potential and your effectiveness. Central to all that you are and that you have to offer is your integrity. Preserve it, honor it, and protect it. If you do, it will preserve, honor, and protect you.

Many years ago I was faced with what I considered to be at the time a serious professional dilemma. In reality it was more like the need to choose between two very attractive alternatives with respect to my future career. I thought and prayed about the matter a great deal and discussed it thoroughly with Sharon, my wife. I frankly wished that I could have had the steady counsel, experienced frequently over the years, from my father about this matter, but he had died the year before. Because the decision facing me potentially had some implications for my Church service, I sat with a senior, respected Church leader and sought his counsel. I weighed with him my alternatives and all of the potential considerations in detail. I waited for his direction or questions. After a moment he looked me in the eye and said, “Above all else, you need to protect your integrity.” That is all he said, and it didn’t initially seem to be responsive to my questions. As I thought about it, however, it almost immediately became clear what my best alternative was, and the test of time has proven it to be so.

As I conclude my message today, I bear testimony of the very special privileges we enjoy at BYU with their attendant responsibilities. This university has the protection and guidance of heaven, and we individually do as well—when we act as we should. Let my advice to you be that which I received from my trusted mentor: “Above all else, you need to protect your integrity.” In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

© Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.

Cecil O. Samuelson was BYU president when this devotional address was given on 14 September 2004.

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Anciently, Pacific Islanders sailed to new lands in voyaging canoes using the stars and waves for navigation. The Hawaiians call this voyage holokai (kai = ocean, holo = to go, to move, to travel).

Today, students at BYU–Hawaii chart their own academic voyages. Students plan out individual paths to graduation and future destinations by combining a major with two minors or certificates. All majors, minors, and certificates are grouped into three core areas of study: Arts & Humanities, Math & Sciences, and Professional Studies. Students are required to complete their major in one area and a minor/certificate in each of the other two areas. Programs offered by the same department in different categories may be taken, but the second program from the same department will not count toward completing the academic program requirements.

Mapping out your own academic voyage allows you to have both breadth and depth of knowledge in a combination that will set you on your voyage to your own personal destination in life.

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Struggling with your BYU application essays? Get professional help before the December deadline

By college essay builder | posted - nov. 16, 2022 at 7:00 p.m., (college essay builder).

Estimated read time: 6-7 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

Does your child have what it takes to get into BYU?

The stakes of getting accepted to BYU are getting higher and higher. It is estimated that over 12,000 students will apply to BYU — Provo this fall. And using last year's acceptance rates , more than 4,000 won't make the cut.

With such a large pool of applicants, the BYU Admissions Committee is often tasked with choosing between highly-qualified applicants who all meet the minimum requirements. And since BYU is not currently requiring standardized test scores, it is even more difficult for applicants to stand out.

With all of these factors, parents want to know:

"Is there anything I can do to improve my child's chances for acceptance to BYU?" The answer to this question is an absolute "yes!"

How the BYU application essays can make or break your child's acceptance

By the time your child begins their BYU application, nearly all of the application criteria (transcripts, activities, awards, etc.) is fixed and can't be influenced or changed — with one notable exception: the essays.

The BYU application essays have become one of the most critical ways your child will be evaluated by the admissions committee. This is because the essays are the best way for the committee to get to know your child on a personal level to determine how well they have demonstrated their preparation and alignment with the Mission and Aims of BYU .

In fact, the BYU essays are the only real controllable factor your child has at this point that can either help or hurt their chances of getting accepted.

The wrong way to write BYU application essays

Just sitting down to "knock out" the essays without understanding what BYU is looking for is a huge mistake. Successful BYU essays require deep introspection, multiple drafts and a good deal of pre-work. Students who don't allow time for these crucial activities end up writing sub-par BYU essays that suffer from one or more of the following issues:

Too generic

It isn't natural for most high-school seniors to be vulnerable and genuine. This often results in superficial essays that don't give enough information about your child for BYU admissions to complete a proper evaluation.

This year, BYU has shortened most of the essays by 500 characters. The lower the character count, the more difficult it is for students to effectively address everything the prompt is asking for. Consequently, students can easily spend too much of their essay telling a story but not allowing enough space for important connections and reflections.

No effective feedback

Most students work on their BYU essays right up to the deadline and don't have the proper time to get feedback and make revisions. If parents do read the essays, they often don't know how to provide the most helpful feedback. This cycle often results in substantial errors in essay structure, content and grammar.

The right way to write BYU application essays: The 3 most important questions

Susie Boyce, founder of College Essay Builder , has been helping students write BYU application essays since 2007. Over the years, she has discovered three fundamental questions that all successful BYU essays must effectively answer. These three questions are:

Do my child's essays show that they value the aims of a BYU education?

Each BYU essay should correlate directly to one or more of the Aims of a BYU Education . It is critical that the stories and examples your child uses in their essays make the connection clear and personal. A close look at the BYU admissions website emphasizes that BYU uses the aims to evaluate all areas of the application — especially the essays.

Do my child's essays help them stand out from thousands of other applicants?

This fall, BYU will receive more than 70,000 essays. Given the sheer volume, how will you ensure your child's essays stand out and are memorable for all the right reasons?

The key to this question is helping your child identify events, people and stories from their life that highlight their genuine and unique experiences. This requires vulnerability; the essays should tell compelling stories showing your child's journey, growth and transformation. These personal stories can become the heart of each essay, connecting the reader to your child in an unforgettable way.

Do my child's essays demonstrate their character, values, testimony and potential as a BYU student?

BYU has provided some direct expectations about what they want to see in your child's essay on their admissions website :

"...make sure you read the prompt and answer what's being asked. If there's something about you we should know, make sure to include it in your essay responses!"

Why does BYU want your child to share so much? Because the essays are the best chance admissions counselors have to understand and evaluate your child's character, values, testimony and potential as a BYU student.

To effectively do this, your child must address each prompt completely and deeply. Take time to identify stories and examples that showcase how they have grown and developed in these four areas and write conclusions that make a powerful connection to what BYU is looking for.

The bottom line

You can do something to improve your child's chances for acceptance to BYU. Helping your child write their best BYU application essays is the most important way you can accomplish this goal.

But you don't have to do this alone. College Essay Builder has created a comprehensive application essay course for BYU that leads your child step-by-step through the process of writing all the BYU application essays. With the help of videos, downloads, templates and examples, your child will be writing their best BYU essays faster and more effectively than any other method.

In this course your child will learn:

• How to personalize the BYU Aims and meaningfully connect them to each essay.
• How to identify and tell compelling personal stories that demonstrate their potential as a successful BYU student.
• How to approach each essay prompt to address BYU's specific expectations.
• How to start each essay to "hook" the reader.
• How to conclude each essay to make a powerful connection.
• How to write clear and concise paragraphs that answer each prompt completely and deeply.
• How to edit and revise their essays utilizing proprietary feedback guides.

The stakes are too high to not do everything you can to help your child get accepted.

And the most controllable thing you can do right now is to help them write their best BYU essays by enrolling them in the "The Complete Guide to Writing the BYU Application Essays" Pro Course today.

And for a limited time, use the coupon code KSL50 to get $50 off the full course price.

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Election 2024 Polls: Biden vs. Trump

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Who’s leading the polls?

National polling average.

Nate Cohn Chief political analyst

The New York Times’s polling averages show a very close race nationally and in the critical battleground states. Donald J. Trump has a slim lead over President Biden in seven key states, but it is more tenuous than most candidates’ polling advantages in past elections. In fact, today’s polling average shows a closer race than the final November polls did in any election of the last two decades. Updated June 24

Pennsylvania

North carolina, explore electoral college scenarios.

A candidate needs 270 electoral votes to win. If Biden and Trump can hold the states they carried by at least three percentage points in 2020, that leaves seven states that are widely viewed as the key battlegrounds. Let’s zoom in on them.

If the polls change, or miss, in Biden’s favor Biden is also within range: He trails by a slim margin in a few key states, and a shift or polling miss in his favor would not be uncommon, though of course that is not guaranteed.

Ruth Igielnik Staff editor, polling

A few recent polls in traditionally Democratic states have drawn some attention. A Fox News poll this month had Biden and Trump tied in Virginia — a state Biden won by 10 points in 2020 — and a poll in Minnesota showed the reliably Democratic state as potentially competitive. We will add more state averages as more data is reported. Updated June 24

How wrong might the polls be?

It’s normal for polls not to match the final results, sometimes by considerable amounts. The ranges in this chart represent the magnitude of each state’s biggest polling miss in recent elections, shown in relation to the current polling averages.

In 2016 and 2020, the polls underestimated Trump. But in 2012 they underestimated the Democratic candidate, Barack Obama, and in 2022 Democrats outperformed polling averages in several key midterm races. Past polling misses can give a sense of the magnitude by which current averages could be wrong, but they are not a guarantee of which way today’s polls may be off.

The latest polls

Every poll here influences the averages above. Polls from “select pollsters,” which meet certain criteria for reliability , count for more. You can filter by state, toggle to show only select pollsters, and choose head-to-head or three-way matchups.

Polls by “select pollsters” are shown with a diamond. These pollsters have backgrounds that tend to mean they are more reliable . Also, polls that were conducted by or for partisan organizations are labeled, as they often release only results that are favorable to their cause.

How the averages have changed

Arrows to the left indicate polling gains for Biden; to the right, for Trump.

Biden began to narrow his deficit in the national polls in the wake of his State of the Union address in March. He’s closed the gap entirely since Trump’s felony conviction in late May. But Trump is still slightly ahead in battleground state polls ahead of their first debate on Thursday. Updated June 24

Measuring the Kennedy effect

We calculate averages for polls that ask voters to choose between Biden and Trump, and for polls that include Kennedy. (Many polls do both.) Here’s a comparison of the averages, nationally and in key states.

William P. Davis Director, Election Data Analytics

Third-party candidates present particular challenges for pollsters, and they can be a significant factor in elections. Here you can get a sense of how Robert F. Kennedy Jr. might affect support for Biden and Trump. Just know that, historically, most polls have significantly overstated support for third-party candidates.

About our polling averages

Our averages include polls collected by The New York Times and by FiveThirtyEight . The estimates adjust for a variety of factors, including the recency and sample size of a poll, whether a poll represents likely voters, and whether other polls have shifted since a poll was conducted.

We also evaluate whether each pollster: Has a track record of accuracy in recent elections Is a member of a professional polling organization Conducts probability-based sampling

These elements factor into how much weight each poll gets in the average. And we consider pollsters that meet at least two of the three criteria to be “select pollsters,” so long as they are conducting polls for nonpartisan sponsors. Read more about our methodology .

The Times conducts its own national and state polls in partnership with Siena College. Those polls are included in the averages. Follow Times/Siena polling here .

Sources: Polling averages by The New York Times. Individual polls collected by FiveThirtyEight and The Times.

By Cam Baker, Nate Cohn, Molly Cook Escobar, Annie Daniel, Ruth Igielnik, Jasmine C. Lee, Alex Lemonides, Albert Sun, Rumsey Taylor and Isaac White. Additional work by Kristen Bayrakdarian, Asmaa Elkeurti, Andrew Fischer, K.K. Rebecca Lai, Jaymin Patel, Ethan Singer and James Thomas.

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