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CU Honors College

Resources for School Counselors

Questions? We can help.

Information Your Students Need

We appreciate the work school counselors do to advance the growth of their students, including ensuring they have the information they need to make informed choices about their university education. 

We've provided answers to commonly asked questions from school counselors below.

If you don't see what you're looking for, please feel free to contact us at HonorsAdmissions@clemson.edu. We're here to help!

Campus Visits

If your students would like more information about Clemson University and the Honors College, they can schedule a visit.

There are several different ways to tour University campus: 

Applying to Clemson Honors

Clemson University Application Portal

The Honors College application is separate from, and in addition to, the Clemson University undergraduate application, though both can be accessed via the student access portal.

Students can also use the portal to track receipt of their Honors application materials (including recommendation letters). It's important for students to keep track of their username and password!

If you are asked to provide a recommendation on a student's behalf, you will also use the portal to complete the required form and upload your letter. 

Application Tips

We encourage students to consider the following when building their application: 

  • Submit the Undergraduate application early so they have an ample amount of time to complete their Honors application.
  • Before the end of the Clemson undergraduate application, there will be a question asking if the applicant is interested in applying to the Honors College. If interested, they should select “Yes” to get access to the Honors application after they submit their undergraduate application.
  • Please encourage your students to ask for recommendations early! 
  • We recommend using a word processing software to compose the written works for the application (essays and involvement and awards sections). Students should proofread their essays many times and have others review them as well.
  • Applicants should take great care in reviewing their application before submitting it. Neither they nor Honors College staff can make changes to an application once it is submitted. The only change that can be made is to upload additional, optional supporting materials.

Recommendation Forms and Letters for Honors Applications

Two letters of recommendation are required for an Honors College application to be considered complete. We strongly suggest one letter from a school counselor and one from a teacher.

If the student submitted their undergraduate admission application to Clemson University via the Clemson application, recommendation letters can be emailed to apply@admission.clemson.edu. Applicants also have the option of uploading their recommendation letters to the Upload Materials section of the Clemson University applicant portal. 

If the student has already provided two recommendation letters when they completed their undergraduate application to Clemson University (through the Clemson Application, Coalition Application, or Common Application), they do not need to complete this step for their Clemson Honors application. 

Accepted AP/IB Courses

Review the list of AP courses and IB classes accepted by Clemson University.

AP and IB credits can count toward a student's degree requirements, but not toward an Honors course requirement.

Honors Admitted Student Events

Every year, we offer a variety of events to welcome our new students to Clemson University campus, create opportunities to meet Honors staff, and share information about opportunities available to them. 

Honors-focused events are posted on our Newly Admitted Students page, which is updated regularly over the spring and summer months, as new events become available.

Clemson Student Affairs also shares welcome week information on their website, with information about university-wide welcome events

Two Honors students smiling and looking at a laptop in an Honors study room.