Incoming Freshmen
We are delighted that you are interested in the Honors College at Georgia Southern University. When you join the Honors College at Georgia Southern, you are joining a community of scholars. You will find great opportunities for creative and interactive learning, personal development, and incredible achievements.
Applying to the Honors College as an Incoming Freshman
The Office of Undergraduate Admissions oversees applications to the University and provides the most comprehensive information on the application process on their website. Incoming Freshman Honors College applications are submitted through the admissions office.
Honors College applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and students who are admitted will be notified of their admittance starting in mid-September.
To apply for admission to the Honors College as an incoming freshman, students must complete the general admissions application to Georgia Southern University or through the Common App.
Applying through the general admissions application:
- The Honors College application will be available within the general admissions application. You will be asked about your interest in applying to the Honors College. You must select “Yes” for us to review your application.
- In the Honors College application, you will be asked to write a brief essay (prompt below) and share the following information:
- Extra-curricular involvement
- Work experience
- Identify the number of AP, IB, or dual enrollment courses you have taken
- The essay prompt is: In an autobiographical sketch, please describe your career goals and plans for the future. Please include reasoning for your interest in a particular major and/or profession as well why you are considering/decided to attend Georgia Southern University.
- On the application, you will also have the opportunity to apply for the Honors Global Scholars or Honors Savannah Scholars, two special cohort programs for incoming freshmen, which require additional essays.
Applying through the Common App:
- The Honors College application will be available after you fill out the general Common App admissions application. You will be asked about your interest in applying to the Honors College. You must select “Yes” for us to review your application.
- In the Honors College application, you will be asked to write a brief essay (prompt below) and share the following information:
- Extra-curricular involvement
- Work experience
- Identify the number of AP, IB, or dual enrollment courses you have taken
- The essay prompt is: In an autobiographical sketch, please describe your career goals and plans for the future. Please include reasoning for your interest in a particular major and/or profession as well why you are considering/decided to attend Georgia Southern University.
- On the application, you will also have the opportunity to apply for the Honors Global Scholars or Honors Savannah Scholars, two special cohort programs for incoming freshmen, which require additional essays.
What if I did not fill out the Honors College application while I applied to Georgia Southern?
- We highly encourage students to complete the Honors College application while completing the application for admission, however, it is possible to complete the Honors College application at a later date. You will be able to access the Honors College application through your Application Status Check page on the “Scholarships and Honors College” tab. You will only be able to submit that application once.
- If you applied through the Common App, you should have received an email to set up your login credentials to the Application Status Check page. Once you set up your login, you will be able to access the Honors College application on the “Scholarships and Honors College” tab. You will only be able to submit that application once.
Incoming freshmen to the Honors College who complete the Scholarships and Honors College application and are admitted to Georgia Southern University by the priority deadline of February 1, 2024 will be considered for Honors College scholarships. The Honors College will review applications and a select number of candidates will be invited to interview. Out of that pool of interviewees, the Honors College will select who receives awards.
Approximately 20% of Honors College students have scholarships awarded by the College, but many more have scholarships awarded by other entities on campus.
All tuition based scholarships will be based off of the tuition and fee amount approved by the University System of Georgia.
**Note: All Honors College Scholarships, except the Goel Scholarship, can be added to the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship (and other scholarships) to help cover other costs of attending the university. Recipients retain their honors scholarships as long as they remain in good standing with the Honors College.
The Honors College offers the following scholarships to select incoming freshmen:
The Goel Scholarship
The Goel Scholarship is a full-ride scholarship that covers tuition, fees, books, room and board for up to eight semesters. Recipients must be first generation college students, have demonstrated financial need, and be a resident of Georgia or a border state of Georgia (Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, or Tennessee). Learn more about the Goel Scholarship here.
The 1906 Scholarship
The 1906 Scholarship is a full-tuition scholarship for up to eight semesters.
The Honors College Scholarship
The Honors College Scholarship is a half-tuition scholarship for up to eight semesters.
Honors Global Scholars
In addition to participation in the opportunities in the Honors Global Scholars program, students will receive a $2,000 annual scholarship for up to eight semesters. Learn more about the Honors Global Scholars here.
Honors Savannah Scholars
In addition to participation in the opportunities in the Honors Savannah Scholars program, students will receive a $2,000 annual scholarship for up to eight semesters. Learn more about the Honors Savannah Scholars here.
Students must first be admitted to Georgia Southern University before their Honors College application is reviewed.
Priority Deadline: February 1, 2024
Students who are admitted to Georgia Southern University and completed the Scholarships and Honors College application before February 1, 2024 will be considered for Honors College scholarships.
Final Deadline: May 1, 2024
The final deadline to submit the Honors College application to be considered for admission is May 1, 2024. Students must be admitted to Georgia Southern University by May 1, 2024 to be considered for the final Honors College deadline.
Most of our students earn college credit before graduating from high school. Credits earned by advanced placement tests (IB, CLEP, etc.) are not counted toward honors requirements but often serve as prerequisites for honors courses and can allow room in your course of study for higher-level honors courses. Below are a list of references you can check to see what credits will transfer to Georgia Southern:
All campus tours are arranged through the Office of Admissions, but you have the opportunity to “Interact with the Honors College” on select days throughout the year.
Last updated: 8/4/2023
