NEXT STEPS FOR INCOMING FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS
Congratulations on being accepted to Georgia State University and our Honors College.
Before you can continue your Honors journey, there are some first steps you need to take as a new undergraduate student at the Atlanta-Campus. Once finished you’ll be ready to get started with Honors.
Now that you know what you’ll need to successfully begin your academic journey, here’s where the Honors College comes in:
1. Your Honors Enrollment Confirmation. Let us know no later than May 1 at 5 p.m. Eastern time whether you will join our dedicated, supportive community of faculty, staff and students. (Because of demand and our small enrollment, we cannot guarantee you a spot in the Honors College after May 1.)
2. Register for an Honors Accepted Student Experience.
3. Apply for housing by May 1 (Georgia State’s housing application will open in late January; keep an eye on your inbox for more instructions) and specify that you are an honors student.
Have questions about student life and the honors experience? You may find some of your answers here:
HONORS CLASSES:
Honors courses are smaller than non-Honors sections and tend to emphasize discussion and in-depth subject exploration. Many Honors courses will include projects rather than multiple-choice exams. These small classes filled with highly motivated students tend to create a nurturing environment of engagement and success. Our data over many years shows that Honors students, overall, actually have higher grades in their Honors classes than in their non-Honors sections.
Honors-only sections of lower division courses that fulfill core curriculum requirements are offered each semester. These sections are typically limited to 19 or fewer students, offering students an alternative to large lecture sections as well as a chance to study innovative and alternative curricula. You can learn more about these courses at your New Student Orientation academic advising session.
All incoming freshman honors students are required to take Honors 1000, the Freshman Seminar. This 1-hour pass/fail course is designed to provide first-semester students with an orientation to high-level academic work and exposure to a current topic. Taught in sections of 15 students or less, these seminars enable first-term freshmen to develop meaningful relationships with faculty members who can guide them toward opportunities for future research.
HONORS ACCEPTED STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Out of an abundance of caution, we are not hosting in-person visits at this time. However, we have virtual information sessions scheduled throughout the fall. You can look over the list of dates and times at https://honors.gsu.edu/prospects/visit-the-honors-college/.
HONORS HOUSING:
As an Honors College student, we’d love for you to live in our Honors Living-Learning Community, located in the University Commons (Building A, Floors 10-13). All first-semester students for the fall semester who complete the Housing application, indicate their preference for Honors housing and pay the required deposit by May 1 will be guaranteed placement in our Honors LLC.
No, but we hope you choose to! All first-semester students for the fall semester who complete the Housing application, indicate their preference for Honors housing, and pay the required deposit by May 1st will be guaranteed placement on an Honors Floor.
HONORS RECOGNITIONS:
Honors College students are encouraged to work toward one of two special laureates that awards their mastery of the honors curriculum. Learn more about the Honors Laureate and the Research Laureate, CLICK HERE.
HONORS SCHOLARSHIPS:
All questions about the Centennial Merit scholarships or Campus Atlanta scholarships can be directed to admissions@gsu.edu.
TUITION & FEES:
NEW STUDENT ORIENTATION:
Online New Student Orientation will be held on WebEx. A few days ahead of your scheduled orientation you will receive an email from your Orientation Leader with WebEx details to join the virtual meeting. (Make sure to check your spam/junk boxes in case it gets filtered out).
You’ll also receive an email from the Advising Team explaining what you need to do to prepare for orientation as well as a suggested course schedule. During orientation, your Orientation Leaders will discuss necessary student information you need to know and then turn it over to your Honors Advisors. Your Honors Advisors will then discuss resources, requirements and the curriculum. Lastly, the Advising Team will teach you how to register for courses, give you time to register, and then move into one-on-one appointments with your advisor.
The New Freshmen Orientation hold will be removed when you attend the WebEx Orientation and get registered for classes.
The Online Orientation hold will be removed when you complete your online orientation modules. If you need help accessing those modules, or if you have already completed the modules but still see the hold on your account, please contact orientation@gsu.edu for assistance.
There are a variety of factors that go into determining whether you need to take the math placement test like test scores, prior credit and your selected major.
Click here to learn whether you need to take the math placement test. While it’s best to take the math placement test prior to orientation, your advisor will also be able to review your academic history and help you determine this at orientation. Honors College students have the benefit of being able to change their class schedules throughout the course of the summer, so schedule adjustments can always be made later after you take the math placement test.
Nearly all Honors College students are expecting some sort of AP credit to release in July. However, orientations start in early June.
Your advisor will advise you to take other course requirements for which you are not expecting AP credit. Schedules may also need to be adjusted after AP scores are released. Honors College students have the benefit of being able to change their class schedules throughout the course of the summer, so schedule adjustments can always be made later after AP scores are released in July. In fact, it happens all the time and is a completely normal part of orientation!
Students may defer Honors College fall admission to the subsequent spring or summer semester. However, they must email the Honors College Admissions Team at honorsadmissions@gsu.edu to let us know when they will enroll and attend orientation.
Students who want to defer their Honors College admission for an entire academic year must reapply via the Common App and will be reconsidered for Honors College acceptance.