Joining Honors
Eligibility for the Honors College
- Outstanding high school students will be invited to apply to the Honors College if they have a 3.7 weighted GPA or higher. Students with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and other evidence of academic success (standardized test scores or strong grades in college-level coursework) may request to apply. If you believe that should have received an invitation, please contact honors@radford.edu.
- Radford University freshmen who earn a 3.5 or better during the first fall semester are eligible to apply over winter break. These students will receive an automatic invitation to apply. After freshman year, students with a 3.5 or better can email honors@radford.edu to request permission to apply.
- Transfer students may also apply to join the Honors College. If you are interested, please contact the Honors College office (honors@radford.edu). Application deadlines are typically in early summer for transfer students. The honors program at Northern Virginia Community College and Radford University have developed a specific pathway for transferring between our two programs.
Profile of Typical Honors Freshmen
Because the Honors College is space-limited, many students who meet the minimum critera for honors cannot be offered an opening. The most recent first-year class had weighted high school GPAs of 3.97 (25th percentile) to 4.24 (75th percentile). Our goal is to recruit students who will be academic successful, but are also intellectually curious and community focused.
Application Process
High school seniors who meet the minimum eligibility criteria should receive an "invitation to apply" email within a month after admission to the university. This letter includes a link to the application portal. The three deadlines for honors applications from high school students are December 1st, February 1st, and March 15th. Honors admissions decisions will be sent ~2 weeks after each deadline.
New freshmen who earn a 3.5 GPA during their first fall semester should receive an "invitation to apply" email over winter break. This email includes the web address for the application portal. The deadline for these applications is in early January.
Transfer students interested in applying to honors should send inquiries to honors@radford.edu. The director will assist you in determining whether you are eligible for honors and whether the program would fit your academic goals at Radford. The deadline for transfer applications is July 1st.
If you believe that you are eligible to apply, but did not receive an invitation, please contact our office (honors@radford.edu) for information about the application portal.