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My Honors College

Incoming First-Year Advising

We know you're excited to meet your new Honors advisor and register for your very first college courses, but we also know that this process can feel a bit overwhelming and confusing. So we're here to help! Check out our comprehensive guide to preparing for your first advising session below. 

What is the role of an academic advisor?

Your academic advisor will help you define and achieve your academic goals at the University of South Carolina as well as guide you through the Honors curriculum and requirements, assist you with Honors course registration and help you make strategic course selections. Your advisor will also support your pursuit of Beyond the Classroom opportunities, including study abroad, internships, undergraduate research and service learning courses. Essentially, your advisor is your guide to getting the most out of your time at USC and the South Carolina Honors College! Depending on your major, you may have a single advisor who is an expert in both your academic major and Honors requirements or two advisors, one for your Honors requirements and one for your academic major requirements. You will be introduced by email to your assigned advisor for the South Carolina Honors College in early May. 


Honors Advising and Course Registration

Priority registration is one of the many benefits of being a student in the South Carolina Honors College – enabling you to register for courses (both Honors and non-Honors) before attending New Student Orientation!

You will register for your fall 2025 courses by meeting with your assigned advisor in a virtual appointment that will take place between May 15 – June 9, before you attend USC’s New Student Orientation. 

In this 45-60 minute appointment, your advisor will explain your USC requirements (for your major, the Carolina Core and Honors), discuss how AP/IB or dual enrollment credit will apply, advise classes for you to take in the fall based on these requirements and your expected credit and assist you in enrolling in those classes (both Honors and non-Honors). You should expect to enroll in approximately 1-3 Honors classes with the remaining being non-Honors classes for your major or the Carolina Core. First-year students will enroll in between 14 and 18 credit hours, depending on your chosen major. This appointment is also an opportunity to ask questions and find out more about the Honors community you are joining this fall. 


Honors Advising 101 Webinars

Have questions about any of the steps below or what to expect? We strongly encourage all incoming first–year students and their families to attend one of our Honors Advising 101 webinars:

April 23, 2025 7 p.m. EDT Join via Zoom here.
May 6, 2025 7 p.m. EDT Join via Zoom here. 

Scheduling Your Advising Appointment

Honors advising appointments will take place virtually through Microsoft Teams May 15 – June 9. To schedule your appointment, please follow the steps below.

  1. Sign up for your Honors advising appointment using the link sent to your USC email account on May 9 with the subject “Schedule Your Fall 2025 Advising Appointment.”
    • Beginning in May, all official communication regarding Honors advising will be sent to your USC student email account (the one ending @email.sc.edu). You can check this account here by using the password you set when logging into my.sc.edu.

    • When selecting a time, allot at least 60 minutes at a time when you will have access to a computer with internet in a quiet, private space – we ask that you avoid traveling in a car or being in a noisy or crowded area. If you do not have access to a computer, you will work with your Honors advisor to arrange a phone appointment instead.

  2. Complete the online Pre-Orientation Advising Worksheet.
    • Please note: This worksheet must be completed at least 24-48 business hours prior to your Honors advising appointment. If not completed, your appointment will be canceled and rescheduled for a later date.

Preparing for your Advising Appointment

All advising preparation steps below are required to be complete before your first Honors advising appointment.

At least 24 hours prior to your appointment, complete the Math Assessment of Pre-Requisites (MAP)

  • If you have incoming AP, IB, or Dual Enrollment credit for Calculus I or higher (ie MATH 141, MATH 142) AND this credit is already appearing on your USC transcript (follow these instructions to view) then you are not required to take this assessment.
  • If you are waiting on pending AP or IB scores or if your scores have not yet been processed on your USC transcript, then you will need to take the MAP at least 24 hours prior to your advising appointment. This will ensure we are able to enroll you in requisite courses for the fall semester.

Schedule your Foreign Language Placement Exam or complete the Placement Exemption Form 24 hours prior to your appointment if you intend to start a new language.

Note: You are encouraged but not required to have completed the exam prior to your appointment. You can submit the Pre-Orientation Advising Worksheet with no score and only a scheduled date.

If you are planning for a parent or legal guardian to participate in your appointment, please complete the Honors College FERPA waiver and email to your assigned Honors advisorYou will need to complete and return this waiver prior to your appointment.

Your appointment will take place using Microsoft Teams. Learn how to log-in and use Microsoft Teams by watching this video.

Familiarize yourself with degree requirements of both the Honors College and your intended academic major using the Honors College website, the Undergraduate Academic Bulletin and the Major Map Repository.

Check out the Honors College Courses offered this fall and make a list of those you might be interested in. (Please note: some of these courses may be full and not available for first-year registration – in that case, your Honors advisor will help direct you toward some great alternatives!)

Watch the following videos to introduce you to the tools we will use during your appointment: How to Search for Classes; DegreeWorks; How to Register for Classes using Self Service Carolina

Changing your Major

Incoming first-year students are able to change their majors through the first week of fall classes. However, we encourage students considering a new major to make the desired major change, if possible, prior to your scheduled advising appointment. Honors students can make a major change through the USC Admissions Portal


FAQ

We have several Honors College students who play a collegiate sport at the university. Prior to your advising appointment, contact your coach/assistant coach and ask for the practice schedule. You can then use the Schedule Planner tool help build a fall schedule with these times in mind.

Please contact the USC Band Office at 803-777-4278 or uscband@mozart.sc.edu to find out your fall practice schedule prior to your scheduled appointment.

When completing your Pre-Orientation Advising Worksheet, you will be asked to list all anticipated AP/IB credit and the scores you anticipate receiving. Honors students are usually accurate in guessing their anticipated score, based on past academic performance. If needed, your Honors advisor will work with you after scores are released in July to make adjustments to your fall schedule.

Contact your Honors advisor so they can make any adjustments to your schedule.

Yes. On the USC Admissions Portal, students can request to make changes to their application in the bottom right corner. After logging in, click the drop down box for “Application Change Requests,” then select the “Request to Change First-Choice Major” option.

For questions regarding Foreign Language Placement Test, please email your request to Prof. McAteer, DLLC Placement Director.


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