High School Admissions

The Honors College is home to a culturally diverse group of high achieving students including but not limited to students from low income backgrounds, students who are the first in their family to attend college, and students with varied and multiple academic interests hailing from around the country and world.

a group of Honors College students sitting and standing around a bench

Students interested in becoming members of the Honors College should first apply for admission to Michigan State University. A completed first-year application to Michigan State University is all that is required for Honors College consideration; students are automatically reviewed for an invitation after receiving admission to the university and there is no separate application process.

Invitation to the Honors College is carefully considered and competitive. Invitations are extended within approximately six to eight weeks following MSU admission. For best Honors College and scholarship consideration, we recommend that interested students apply early action to Michigan State University no later than November 1 of their senior year.

Invited Student Profile

  • GPA or class rank that places students within the top 5% in their class
  • A high number of rigorous AP, IB, or dual enrollment courses within the context of what a student’s school provides
  • Community service involvement, research interests, and leadership activities also may be considered as a part of our holistic review

Standardized test scores are not required to be considered for an Honors College invitation. Students invited to the Honors College who chose to submit test scores as part of their MSU application have average scores of 1450 SAT or 32 ACT. Students may decide when applying to the university whether or not to have their standardized test scores considered.

The Honors College may also request additional information, such as 7th semester grades, before extending an invitation to membership.

We encourage students who do not hear from the Honors College to follow up regarding their interest using the instructions detailed below.

How to Send Additional Information for Consideration

If you have not heard from the Honors College and you have exhibited a commitment to intellectual curiosity and academic rigor, you may submit an additional essay based on the prompt below and arrange to send your most current grades in order to receive further consideration. Please do not send any additional materials until at least eight weeks have passed since notification of your admission to MSU.

Note: We typically begin reviews of International students who attend school outside of the United States starting in the month of January. If you meet this criteria and have not heard from us by the end of February, you can submit additional materials in March no later than our March 16th deadline.

Prompt: For over 60 years, the Honors College has valued academic flexibility and innovative approaches to learning. Please tell us about an experience that shows how you have approached your high school career in a unique way.

Essays should be submitted via our online form and include your name and MSU Applicant Number. Please submit your essays in either .pdf or .doc/docx formats and attach them directly to the e-mail message. There is no length requirement.

Please also arrange for your high school counselor to send us a copy of your most recent senior year high school transcript (7th semester/1st semester/1st trimester) to the university directly or through Parchment or via e-mail to honors@msu.edu.

All materials must be submitted no later than Monday, February 16th, 2025 for domestic students and Sunday, March 16th, 2025 for international students.

Students who have sent their additional essay and have an updated transcript on file by their appropriate deadline will be reviewed within approximately four to six weeks afterward. Admissions staff may also be in touch for a short conversation as part of our process. The Honors College reserves the right to close admissions at any time.

Contact the HC Admissions Staff

We encourage you to learn more about our program through individualized visit options and our recruitment programs. If you have any questions, please contact:

Bess German, Ph.D.
Assistant Dean
germanr@msu.edu

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