You can select to apply to the South Carolina Honors College on the general university application. You will be considered for our Top Scholar Program after submitting your Honors College application. Answers to frequently asked questions about applying to the Honors College can be found here.
You are automatically considered for Capstone Scholars when you apply for freshman admission. No separate application materials are required for review.
Required Materials
The following materials are required for admission consideration to the South Carolina Honors College and Top Scholar Program.
You’ll provide your high school courses/grades and any dual enrollment courses you are taking your senior year, select your major, complete the essay, and list your extracurricular activities, honors and awards. You will also decide whether you want us to consider your ACT / SAT scores in the review process.
All information submitted with your application will be used to determine admission and general university merit-based scholarship award decisions. For more information on the freshman application, visit our freshman application page.
Regardless of which application you select, you must pay the non-refundable $65 application fee or use an ACT, College Board, NACAC, SCOIR or Common App application fee waiver, if eligible.
If you have an application fee waiver, upload it on the payment page before submitting the application.
Upload a legible unofficial copy of your high school transcript in JPG or PDF format. After you submit the application, we’ll review your uploaded transcript and let you know if we need an official one. The unofficial transcript must list grades through the end of your junior year and include your full name and high school name. Do not send an official high school transcript to the admissions office unless it is requested.
If you already graduated from high school, request to have your official transcript sent to USC’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
USC is test-optional through the fall, spring and summer 2026 terms. This means you are not required to submit SAT and / or ACT scores for admission or merit scholarship consideration. You will select “Yes” or “No” on the application to indicate whether you want us to review your test scores as part of the admission process.
If you choose to report your scores on the application, enter the highest English, Math and Reading for the ACT and/or the highest Evidence-Based Reading and Writing and Math for the SAT. If you took either test more than once, we will superscore using all test taken.
USC’s deadline for receipt of test scores is based on the credentials deadline associated with your application type. If test scores are not received by the credentials deadline, your application will be considered on a space-available basis. We require official scores only if you enroll in USC.
Our SAT code is 5818 and our ACT code is 3880.
Students should indicate “yes” or “no” on the general university application to indicate their interest in applying to the South Carolina Honors college. The honors application will be added to their USC Admissions Portal approximately 48 hours after submitting the freshman application. Students will receive an email from our office once the application is available on their portal.
Students who originally answered “no” on the freshman application and change their minds may email admhonor@mailbox.sc.edu to request access to the Honors College application.
A letter of recommendation is required by the Dec. 1 credentials deadline. There are two ways to submit the letter:
- Your high school counselor can submit the letter on your behalf via a service such as Common App, Scoir or Naviance. This is our preferred method.
- Your recommender may email the letter to admhonor@mailbox.sc.edu.
Helpful Hints:
- Ask someone who knows you best to write your letter of recommendation. This can include a teacher, school counselor, coach, community leader or employer.
- Only one letter of recommendation will be considered during the review process.
- Please ask your recommender to only submit your letter once.
- If you included a letter of recommendation with your Common Application, it will be used to satisfy this requirement.
Important Dates
-
Early Action Application Deadline
Apply by Oct. 15 to get an early admissions decision.
-
Honors College Application Deadline
Apply by Nov. 15 to be considered for Top Scholar awards and the South Carolina Honors College.
-
Application Credentials Deadline
Send in all required materials by Dec. 1 to complete your application for admission.
Honors College admission notifications will be sent via email by mid-February. If
you are named a Top Scholar Candidate, you will be invited to participate in a mandatory
interview and in-person event.
Capstone Scholars invitations are released in March.
Application Review
The South Carolina Honors College and Top Scholar review is a holistic process that evaluates aspects from the student's application including, but not limited to, academic achievement, leadership potential, commitment to serving others, intellectual curiosity, high school course rigor, interest in the university and letter of recommendation.
Academic Profile
These ranges reflect the middle 50% of students who were admitted and give you a general idea of where you fall within each academic range.
| Top Scholars | Honors College | Capstone Scholars |
|---|---|---|
| 4.7 - 5.4 HS GPA | 4.6 - 5.2 HS GPA | 4.6 - 5.0 HS GPA |
| 1% - 2% Class Rank * | 1% - 4% Class Rank * | 4% - 12% Class Rank * |
| 1520 - 1570 SAT | 1410 - 1510 SAT | 1300 - 1410 SAT |
| 34 - 36 ACT | 32 - 34 ACT | 29 - 32 ACT |
* Class rank ranges only include students whose high school provides a ranking.
After You Apply
You can check your application status on your USC Admissions Portal. You can also request changes to your application. You can also use the portal to request changes on your application, check for and upload missing credentials, connect with your admissions rep, register for events and more!