Hello - Does anyone know whether South Carolina invites all applicants to apply to the Honors College after receiving an application?
The question is whether this is a good sign for admission (regular non-honors admission) to South Carolina. Obviously, it’s not saying he’s accepted, but just wondering if it’s a good sign or if it means nothing w/ respect to being accepted.
After applying early action, my son received an email w/ the language " Your outstanding high school achievements caught our attention. We think you might be a great fit for our South Carolina Honors College and would love to consider your application.".
This question is specific to South Carolina. I know colleges all handle this differently. Thank you!!
Well…if your student plans to complete that honors college application…they need to start asap. It was THE hardest thing my kid did when applying to colleges. Go for it…why not?
Thanks! I’m just asking if it’s a good sign to getting accepted as a non-honors student or if it’s something sent to everyone (not honors college admission, a good sign for regular admission). Thanks so much!
He probably has a high enough GPA to merit consideration for the honors program. I doubt they send it to all students. But it’s also a way to get a kid invested in the idea of attending U. of S. Carolina. If a kid goes to all that effort to complete the H college app, he is more likely to attend.
It seems very possible that he will get in, but we have no idea what his teacher recs say or what admissions officers are thinking. It probably doesn’t mean nothing, but unless he gets a likely letter, right now there is no way to know.
My kid also got that email (letter? I can’t remember). I think it’s probably based on stats, but not more than that.
I also can’t remember what the honors benefits are at USC - is it just the usual things like priority registration or is there a scholarship as well?
It’s worth it if your kid is enthusiastic about attending UofSC and its high up on his list. Honors applications can be pretty time-consuming. Even if he forgoes the honors application, he’ll likely also qualify for their Capstone program, which also has benefits (special programs, designated dorm) and doesn’t require a separate application. My daughter received additional scholarship money with the Capstone invite as well. She didn’t attend UofSC (too close to home for her). I forget when the Capstone invites go out - maybe sometime in March?
Also many colleges continue to offer honors invites even after the student is attending the college - usually each semester after gpa’s are calculated, so there may be other opportunities to join and your kid can hear from others whether the program has been worth it to them.
Thanks for the info. My kid is probably going to forgo the extra app, as he’s drowning in other supplements, plus the school musical, all happening within 10 days. (And yes, I did warn him, lol.)
My kid also got that email, but I wonder if it’s because she checked the box that she was planning to apply? I’m not going to push it. Given her stats, I don’t know how likely it would be for her to be accepted to honors. I understand the program at SC has gotten significantly more competitive over the past couple of years.
Thanks for the input. My son didn’t check the box that he was planning to apply for Honors so sounds like that isn’t what generated the invite to apply. Must have been flagged by SAT score or GPA or something else. Sounds like it didn’t go out to everyone. He’s actually not interested in the honors program, but just hoping it’s a good sign for general acceptance. Good luck!
Does anyone know when merit awards are announced? I read that Honors College students are eligible for additional or greater awards. Was wondering when all of that comes out.
If you are awarded a discount on tuition (in state, discount on out of state) it will be in the acceptance letter. Actual admissions scholarships come out in the Spring (Feb/March), but those are much smaller ($500, $1,500, etc) than the tuition discounts.
We just got the same email today. My son applied Early Action around the deadline. The 3 essays are very school specific and can’t be repurposed. It’s also due Nov 15th, giving him under 5 days to do some pretty intense work while working on other applications. So I didn’t know if it was worth it. It sounds like many people receive the application if they have certain test scores or grades.
It is worth the time this weekend if interested in attending and looking for merit. If it is just a safety for him and there are other things due for other colleges help him prioritize.
For those who received the Honors email, did you apply with a test score or test optional. We applied test optional but based on GPA and other items I would have suspected that we would have been invited.