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South Carolina Honors College

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Incoming First-Year Students

We're thrilled you're interested in becoming an Honors Gamecock. At the South Carolina Honors College, you'll find great opportunities for creative learning, personal development and incredible achievement.

Applying to the Honors College

The Office of Undergraduate Admissions oversees applications to the university, including the Honors College application, and provides the most comprehensive information on the application process on their website. All Honors College applications are submitted through the admissions office. This office also provides the latest information on application deadlines and manages general university scholarships.  

You can apply to the University of South Carolina through the USC Application or the Common Application. We do not prefer one format over the other. You should choose the application that works best for you. There is an interest question on the application that asks whether you would like to apply to the South Carolina Honors College. If you select yes, the Honors College application will be sent to you within 24-48 hours of submitting your university application.

The middle 50% of students admitted to the South Carolina Honors College have an SAT score between 1430-1530* or an ACT composite score between 32-35*. On average, students admitted to the Honors College were in the top 5% of their high school class and had an average weighted GPA of 4.5-.51.

Most of our students earn college credit before graduating from high school. Credits earned by advanced placement tests (IB, CLEP, etc.) are not counted toward honors requirements but often serve as pre-requisites for honors courses and can allow room in your course of study for higher-level honors courses. Discuss your credits with your advisor.

All tours are arranged through the Visitor Center , but we hope you'll attend one of our information sessions while you're here. If you can't come to campus, we encourage you to talk with one of our Honors Ambassadors, student leaders who can answer many of your questions and tell you more about the experience of attending the Honors College.

Students who are in their second full-time semester at an institution of higher education, including the University of South Carolina, and have a minimum 3.6 GPA in all college work may apply for transfer admission to the Honors College.
 
The application opens each February, and admission is for their sophomore year. Please note that admission to the Honors College is very competitive.

For more information about transferring into the Honors College, click here.

The current fee is set at $575 per semester. The fee primarily helps defray the costs of offering almost 600 Honors courses per year. It also allows the Honors College to fund student research, internships, study abroad, service learning and senior thesis research. Other educational and social events that help to nurture the SCHC community are funded through the generosity of donors, our alumni and friends.

The Office of Financial Aid provides the full breakdown of the estimated cost to attend. 

All students admitted to the South Carolina Honors College will receive a merit-based scholarship from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Scholarship offers will be released by mid-March. You will receive an email and an update in your USC Admissions Portal when your scholarship offer has been released.

Additionally, a limited number of departmental scholarships are made available by the Honors College. Available scholarships for first-year Honors College students will be determined and listed on the website in early February, and the application typically opens in mid-February. 

 

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