Application to the Honors Program is by invitation only
To be considered for an invitation to apply for prestigious Citadel programs and scholarships — including the Honors Program , the 1842 Scholars Program, and the highly-selective Citadel Scholar full academic scholarship — prospective students should fully and thoroughly complete their admissions application to The Citadel early during senior year.
It is to the applicant’s advantage to supply as much high school and background information as possible in the admissions application 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. It is through this initial screening, using the general application information, that students are considered for engagement with the application process for the selective programs.
(*The Citadel, and therefore the Honors Program, have adopted a test-optional admission policy. Although not required, a strong test score can give further perspective on your academics.)
Application Timeline
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:
| Autumn (Preferred Selection) | Spring (Regular Selection) |
| Complete Citadel Admissions application by early October | Complete Citadel Admissions application by early January |
| Invitation to apply to the Honors Program sent in November | Invitation to apply to the Honors Program sent by early February |
| Applications due by late November | Applications due by late February |
| Interviews scheduled for select candidates in late November | Interviews scheduled for select candidates in early March |
| Selection notification by late December | Selection notification by late March |
A significant portion of Honors Program selections will be made in the Autumn cycle. Remaining selections will take place in the Spring cycle. In the event that not all Honors Program offers have been accepted in March, additional applications and interviews may take place after that time if deemed appropriate.
If you believe you are a strong candidate for the Honors Program and do not receive an invitation, please contact your Admissions Office counselor.
All applicants are encouraged to schedule a visit to campus, as coordinated by the Office of Admissions. The Inside the Gates events are particularly beneficial to help students determine if The Citadel is right college experience for them.
Holistic Selection
The Citadel Honors Program is extremely small — accepting fewer than 30 incoming 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. No single high school metric, such as class rank, GPA, or test scores, defines a student’s potential to succeed at The Citadel and in The Citadel Honors Program. Selection decisions include qualitative factors such 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 already be academically accepted through The Citadel Admissions Office. As the Honors Program application and selection process begins in October, interested students are highly encourage to complete their Citadel application as early as possible.
Honors Program Fit
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 remember 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 will help determine if The Citadel Honors Program is a feasible avenue.
Our previously-accepted applicants, on average,
- Rank in the top 10% of their high school class
- Earn an average GPA > 4.4 (weighted)
- Complete 5-15 Dual Enrollment courses or Advanced Placement (with AP exam scores of 3 or higher)
- Select a challenging academic track, with consistent or improving academic performance throughout high school
- Engage in multiple areas of interest throughout high school, including athletics, student government, or other outside-of-school activities
- Score* above 1390 on the SAT and/or 30 on the ACT *of the students who submit test scores
Opportunities for current cadets
During the first year, interested cadets may express interest in joining the Honors Program based on their academic and overall performance at The Citadel. While there are limited spaces available each year, interested cadets should email the director with (1.) a request to interview and (2.) a 1-page, well-crafted essay detailing what learning means to you. If selected, cadets would begin participating in the Honors Program no later than the first semester of sophomore year. These added cadets would follow the Certificate path described in the Honors Program Curriculum.
Honors Program Curriculum
The Citadel Honors Program curriculum provides exposure to interdisciplinary coursework in Honors Program-specific courses that satisfy Citadel general education requirements. The coursework is not major-specific and develops broad cultural knowledge and learning skills. Students are then challenged to translate and apply this knowledge to their chosen areas of academic specialization.