Application Process

The Citadel Honors Program Application

To be considered for the top selective programs, including the Honors Program, interested students must have completed their Citadel Admissions application. The Honors Program and The Citadel Admissions office then work together to identify high-performing applicants to The Citadel. These selected applicants are then invited to apply to the Honors Program. If you believe you are a strong candidate for the Honors Program and do not receive an invitation, please fill out the Honors Program Interest Form.

It is to applicants’ advantage to supply as much high school information as possible in the general application process to The Citadel. An initial screening of possible applicants involves an evaluation of high school academic performance, including course grades, classes taken, class rank, test scores*, as well as activities and leadership roles. (*The Citadel, and therefore the Honors Program, have adopted a test-optional admission policy.)

Invitations to apply to the Honors Program and the top prestigious Citadel scholarships are issued by November and again by February for prospective students. The schedule below is used for invitation and selection:

In the event that spots are still available after March, applications and interviews will take place as deemed appropriate.

All applicants are encouraged to schedule a visit to campus, as coordinated by the Office of Admissions.

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Honors Program Selection

The Honors Program is extremely small –accepting fewer than 30 students each year– and strives to create a diverse, dynamic learning cohort. Admission to The Citadel Honors Program is an individualized and holistic admission process that examines the entirety of an applicant’s academic prowess, creativity, motivation, unique talents, leadership potential, and life experiences. In making a decision to admit a student to The Citadel Honors Program, we are careful not to ascribe too much value to any single metric, such as class rank, GPA, or test scores. We use a broader perspective that includes such qualitative factors as the overall strength of a student’s academic program and the ways in which a student has engaged in the community.

In order to be invited to apply to the Honors Program, students must complete their application to The Citadel.

Who is a good fit for the Honors Program?

Honors Program candidates demonstrate academic excellence during their high school careers. We provide these admission statistics to give prospective students a general picture of the freshman applicant and admitted student pool. We encourage students to keep in mind that these statistics only reflect certain parts of our holistic review process. The Honors Program does not have hard and fast standards for admissions. However, for prospective students interested in our “admissions criteria”, the averages of our Honors students are below. This information is helpful to determine if The Citadel Honors Program would be a feasible avenue.

Our previously-accepted applicants, on average,

• Rank in the top 10% of their high school class
• Average GPA > 4.4 (weighted)
• Scored > 1400 (SAT)  OR  > 30 (ACT).

Opportunities for current cadets

During knob year, interested cadets may still apply to join the Honors Program based on academic performance at The Citadel. Interested cadets should email the director to schedule an interview and then submit a written statement in response to the prompt given during this interview. If selected, cadets would begin participating in the Honors Program no later than first semester of sophomore year. These added cadets would follow the Certificate path described in the Honors Program Curriculum (see link below).

Honors Program Curriculum

The Citadel Honors Program curriculum provides an exceptionally broad background of cultural knowledge and learning skills. Students can then apply this knowledge to their chosen areas of academic specialization.

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