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Entering Freshman

A freshman applicant is an individual who has not attended a regionally accredited college or university following high school graduation. Applicants who attended a college or university prior to high school graduation must enroll as freshmen and submit official transcripts of all attempted courses.

Freshman Checklist

  • Apply online

  • Have your official high school transcript and ACT/SAT scores sent directly to:

    USC Sumter Admissions Office
    200 Miller Road
    Sumter, SC 29150

    We also accept transcripts sent through various electronic delivery systems like Parchment and National 
    Student Clearinghouse.  High school counselor may also send transcripts via email to admissions@uscsumter.edu

 

Requirements

Freshman applicants must have either a high school diploma from a regionally accredited association or its equivalent (GED) prior to enrolling. Accepted applicants must submit senior grades and a verification of graduation as soon as they are available. Applicants who did not graduate from high school must submit a copy of a GED certificate or satisfactory GED test scores.

Freshman Applicants Must Submit:

  • Completed Application for Admission & Application Fee 
  • Official High School Transcript or GED Test Scores
    • Current transcripts should be submitted at the time of application.
    • If applicable, final transcripts must be submitted following high school graduation.

College Preparatory Course Prerequisite Requirements

High School transcripts for freshman applicants must show completion of the College Preparatory Curriculum, which includes 20 units of the following academic subjects:

FOUR UNITS OF ENGLISH: All four units must have strong reading (including works of fiction and non-fiction), writing, communicating, and researching components. It is strongly recommended that students take two units that are literature based, including American, British, and World Literature.

FOUR UNITS OF MATHEMATICS: These units must include Algebra I, Algebra II, and Geometry. A fourth higher-level mathematics unit should be taken before or during the senior year.

THREE UNITS OF LABORATORY SCIENCE: Two units must be taken in two different fields of the physical, earth, or life sciences and selected from among biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science. The third unit may be from the same field as one of the first two units (biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science) or from any laboratory science for which biology, chemistry, physics and/or earth science is a prerequisite. Courses in general or introductory science for which one of these four units is not a prerequisite will not meet this requirement. It’s strongly recommended that students desiring to pursue careers in science, mathematics, engineering or technology take one course in all four fields: biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science.

TWO UNITS OF THE SAME WORLD LANGUAGE: Two units with a heavy emphasis on language acquisition.

THREE UNITS OF SOCIAL SCIENCE: One unit of U.S. History, a half unit of Economics, and a half unit of Government are required. World History or Geography is strongly recommended.

ONE UNIT OF FINE ARTS: One unit in appreciation of, history of, or performance in one of the fine arts. This unit should be selected from among media/digital arts, dance, music, theater, or visual and spatial arts.

ONE UNIT OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION OR ROTC: One unit of physical education to include one semester of personal fitness and another semester in lifetime fitness. Exemption applies to students enrolled in Junior ROTC and for students exempted because of physical disability or for religious reasons.

TWO UNITS OF ELECTIVES: Two units must be taken as electives. A college preparatory course in Computer Science (i.e., one involving significant programming content, not simply keyboarding or using applications) is strongly recommended for this elective. Other acceptable electives include college preparatory courses in English; fine arts; foreign languages; social science; humanities; mathematics; physical education; and laboratory science (courses for which biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science is a prerequisite).

Total: 20

 

Important Notes:

  • Applicants must complete additional units to meet or exceed state and local high school graduation requirements. In choosing these electives, students should consider the recommendations given in the preceding listing for specific prospective majors.
  • Applicants must have a 2.0 GPA (4.0 scale) or higher for admission. Applicants with a GPA less than 2.0 or with missing College Preparatory Course Prerequisite Requirements will be reviewed by the designated admissions committee for a determination on admission to the institution.
  • Standardized test scores (e.g., ACT, SAT) are not required for admission but may be submitted or requested if pertinent for scholarship or other committee review.
  • Students admitted with 'in-progress' transcripts (i.e., prior to high school graduation) cannot register for subsequent semesters until all final documents are received.
  • Applicants can update their start term within 365 days of submission.

 

Freshman applicants are encouraged to apply 6-12 months prior to the term for which they seek admission. However, applications for admission will be accepted and reviewed year-round. 

 

Associate's Degree Candidates

Students seeking an associate’s degree may be admitted in this category.

Regional Students

This is a special admissions program open to students at the regional campuses of the University of South Carolina. Students who do not meet the regular admission requirements may still be eligible for admission in the Branch Program. For complete details about eligibility and requirements, students should contact the Admissions Office. Students in this program must complete 30 semester hours at the Sumter campus with a 2.00 GPA in order to move to the Columbia campus. Further, they must meet the progression requirements of the college on the Columbia campus that awards the desired degree.

USC Sumter

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