Lyceum Scholars Program Application

The Lyceum Scholars Program awards $60,000 scholarships disbursed over four years to incoming first year students at Clemson University. As a Lyceum Scholar, you will take eight courses as a cohort and graduate with a minor in Political Science.

The application process

To apply, you must first complete your application to Clemson University. Once that is submitted, a link to the Lyceum Scholars Program application will appear in your Clemson admissions portal. There is no fee to apply to the Scholars Program.

All applications are reviewed across multiple rounds. Finalists will be notified in March and invited to interview via Zoom. All applicants will receive notification of their status by mid-April.

Application Deadline: Dec. 7, 2025

About the application

The Lyceum application includes three short essay questions. These are designed to evaluate your ability to think deeply and demonstrate an understanding of big ideas and the principles behind them. The Lyceum Scholars Program is concerned with the study of big ideas, so your answers to these essay questions are very important. The application also requires standardized test scores from a single test date; superscoring is not permitted.

Tips for a strong application

• Be clear and concise. Each question has a word limit, so make every word count. The topics are complex. Short, one-paragraph answers usually won't suffice.
• Answer the question. Read your responses aloud to check for clarity and completeness. Don't forget to address all parts of the question.
• Use correct grammar and punctuation. Strong writing reflects strong thinking. We appreciate good grammar and proper punctuation.
• Take your time. You can't edit your answers once submitted, so take your time when formulating your responses.
• Use your own voice. All writing must be your own original work. In the Lyceum Program, students engage deeply with great thinkers and big ideas, but all written work must reflect their own unique thoughts and expressions. Plagiarism or the use of AI tools is not permitted.