Do you have to apply to George Mason's Honors College in order to qualify for the full scholarship?

I’m looking into applying to George Mason when I reach my senior year and was wondering if they only give full scholarships to certain people if they were accepted into the Honors College?

If they do, then how much do you think I can get in merit scholarships from the school without doing Honors College? I’m only still a sophomore so I know this isn’t final, but I have a 4.3 GPA, am 4th ranked in a class of 560 students, and take part in clubs, including a secretary position in Rotary Club (with possibilities of being president the next two years). My PSAT was kind of average(1180), but I plan to study hard and get higher than 1400 on the SAT.

Yes, you have to be in the honors college to be a University scholar. I don’t know what you can get for merit aid without doing it. Why don’t you want to Ben in the Honors College though?

Hi, current University Scholars finalist here! The full-tuition scholarship is only available to those admitted to the Honors College, and I would definitely urge you to apply to it. While your stats definitely play an impact, I think that the program is looking more for those who have done unique things or have a unique perspective. As for other merit scholarships, if you’re in-state, you probably won’t get more than a couple thousand dollars.

Hi, thank you for answering my question. What kind of stats did you have to become a finalist if I may ask? And what would you say are the benefits of doing Honors college compared to the regular courses?

@sa1833 My GPA was a 4.25 and my ACT was a 30 but they care a lot more about your essays and your extracurriculars. The biggest benefit if being in the honors college is that you get first pick of classes and that a lot of your honors college courses will get you credit for 2 or 3 gen eds which allows you to start taking classes in your major much faster. Feel free to reach out with any questions!