South Carolina Honors College
Since 2012, the University of South Carolina’s South Carolina Honors College has held the title of top public honors college in the country. You will thrive in the Honors College’s environment, which blends the advantages of a small liberal arts college with the resources of a top research university. If you enjoy learning, research, and exploration, the Honors College is the place for you.
There are numerous benefits to attending South Carolina Honors College. Here are just a few of them:
- Every year, there are almost 600 Honors-only courses offered, ranging from Honors versions of biology and English to specialized courses like Literary Hauntings: Ghosts, Specters, and Other Undead and Social Informatics: Uses and Consequences of Technologies in Everyday Life.
- Individualized care with your own Honors advisor as well as your major advisor
- Only Honors College students are eligible for these research opportunities, which start in your first year.
- Average class size of just 16 students
- The Honors College, which offers a program where you can create your own major, awards the BARSC degree.
- Special early admission pre-med and pre-law programs
The middle 50% of South Carolina Honors College students had an ACT composite score between 32 and 34 or an SAT score between 1410 and 1520*. Students accepted into the Honors College typically ranked in the top 4% of their high school graduating class and had a weighted GPA of 4. 77.
*Note: SAT/ACT scores are not required for admission consideration.
You can apply for admission to the University of South Carolina in two different ways: through our UofSC Application and through the Common Application. Select the application that you feel most confident submitting.
- The following items are required by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in order to be fully considered for general admission, admission to the South Carolina Honors College, and the Top Scholars Award program:
- general UofSC admissions application submitted, ideally by the early action deadline of October 15 application for the Honors College or Top Scholars, which is available as a supplement after submitting your application for general admission. Two essay questions and one short answer are required to be answered for this application. Deadline is November 15. The SCHC writing prompts for 2023 are as follows: Interest Statement: Describe your reasons for choosing the South Carolina Honors College. What piques your intellectual curiosity? How have you explored it previously? How do you intend to explore it at UofSC? (150–300 words) Thinking essay (500–1000 words) Doing essay (500–1000 words): We anticipate that our students will combine their academic work with meaningful extracurricular activities. Choose an extracurricular activity that you were proactive in, and tell us more about it. Share what you have learned from your experience. (500–1000 words) Two letters of recommendation A resume (optional, but highly recommended) How do you envision building upon this experience to benefit UofSC and the South Carolina Honors Community?
2. Students must select “yes” or “no” in order to indicate their interest in applying to the South Carolina Honors College on the freshman application. Approximately 48 hours after submitting the freshman application, the separate Honors College application will be added to your UofSC Admissions Portal if you respond “yes.” Our office will send you an email as soon as the application supplement is available. If a student initially responded “no” on the freshman application and changes their mind, they should email admhonor@mailbox. sc. edu to request access.
3. For a complete application, two letters of recommendation must be submitted by December 1st. There are several ways to submit these letters.
- Your high school counselor can use a secure online service to submit the letters on your behalf. On your UofSC Admissions Portal, click the “SCHC Letters of Recommendation” link. Enter the names and email addresses of two recommended referees. Your referees will receive a link to upload a letter directly. If none of the aforementioned options are feasible, have your recommenders send the letters via email to admhonor@mailbox. sc. edu.
4. You have until December 1 to make any changes to your test schedule using the UofSC Admissions Portal. If you are not selected as a Top Scholar Candidate, we will evaluate your scholarship application using all data on file as of January 15th.
5. Honors College admissions notifications will be issued by mid-February. Your admissions application’s email address is used to send official notifications.
6. If you are selected as a Top Scholar Candidate, you will receive an invitation to a weekend-long mandatory interview. Please make a note of the following dates on your calendar. Notifications for these awards will be mailed in late January.
7. By the middle of March, the merit scholarships given through the admissions office will be made public.
8. We believe it is the students’ duty to make sure all materials are received by the deadlines.
In case you have any queries or worries, please contact us. Email us at admhonor@mailbox. sc. edu or call 803-777-7700.
*Note: SAT/ACT scores are not necessary for consideration for admission to South Carolina Honors College or Top Scholar.
Students from the University of South Carolina or from other universities and colleges may transfer into the Honors College. Admissions is very competitive. Students who are currently enrolled in a higher education institution and have completed no more than 45 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3 To transfer into the Honors College, you must have a minimum GPA of 6 in all of your attempted college courses. The 45 credit hour maximum does not apply to AP, IB, or other credit hours earned for college courses taken while a high school student.
The majority of our students acquire college credits before finishing high school. Credits earned by advanced placement tests (IB, CLEP, etc. (but frequently act as prerequisites for honors courses and can free up space in your course of study for higher-level honors courses) are not counted toward honors requirements. Discuss your credits with your honors advisor.
Honors housing, which includes places like Honors Residence Hall, Woodrow, and 650 Lincoln, will be assigned to all incoming freshmen.
To graduate from the Honors College with honors, you must complete a senior thesis. Our advice to students is to view the thesis as more than just a research paper. It should be a chance to use a scholarly perspective to analyze your passion. Students have traveled across the US to conduct research on the definition of success before submitting a documentary as their thesis project. Others have explored art, written original music and authored novels. Many students are able to present their work at national conferences thanks to funding they receive specifically for their theses.
To graduate “With Honors,” students must: 1) complete a senior thesis; 2) complete at least one “Beyond the Classroom” experience (study abroad, internship, research, or service learning); and 3) take at least 45 credit hours of honors courses, or roughly one third of their total number of academic courses. In actuality, most students enroll in far more honors courses than are necessary. Students must also maintain a slipping GPA, which ranges from 3 to 1, in order to graduate “With Honors.” 0 as a freshman to 3. 3 at graduation. (Last year, the Honors College’s average GPA was greater than 3. 8. (Students who fall below the required GPA or who don’t progress quickly enough to graduate “With Honors” are put on probation and given advice on how to raise their GPA.
The Baccalaureus Artium et Scientiae degree, also known as the BARSC and offered by the Honors College, allows students to create their own degree and calls for 69 honors credits.
No. You must submit a South Carolina Honors College application supplement along with your general application to the University of South Carolina Office of Undergraduate Admissions in order to apply to the Honors College.
On a case-by-case basis, and only in situations where there appears to be evidence of an error or additional information that the admissions committee was not aware of at the time of the application, appeals may be taken into consideration. To submit an appeal, you may use this appeal form.
Nov. 15SCHC/Top Scholars Application Deadline
Mid-Feb.SCHC/Top Scholars Notifications
South Carolina Honors College
No. 1Public Honors College Since 2012
Meet the Honors College
FAQ
How do I get into USC honors?
Admissions is very competitive. Students who are currently enrolled in a higher education institution and have completed no more than 45 credit hours with a minimum GPA of 3 To transfer into the Honors College, you must have a minimum GPA of 6 in all of your attempted college courses.
How many students are in USC Honors College?
Our Honors College, which has a student body of only about 2300, is served by a large and talented staff of about 40 people.
Is there an honors program at USC?
As a current USC Dornsife student, students apply for an academic department honors program in their sophomore or junior year.
What is McCarthy Honors college at USC?
The vibrant, close-knit community of scholars at McCarthy Honors Residential College is dedicated to high standards of intellectual and academic achievement. A link between residential and academic life is provided by McCarthy Honors Residential College.