Apply as a Transfer Student
The Honors College offers opportunities for you to discover your passions and connect with a diverse student body to develop a standard of excellence. We encourage students from all disciplines and backgrounds to apply to the Honors College.
Admission Guidelines
Admission into the VCU Honors College is competitive, and all transfer applicants are expected to have challenged themselves academically in their previous institution. The Honors College conducts a holistic review on all applicants with the following admission guidelines:
- At least a 3.5 cumulative GPA at your transfer institution
- At least 12 semester hours of college credit from your transfer institution
Students who do not meet these criteria but feel an exception should be made remain eligible to apply as other components (extracurricular, honors, leadership, etc.) will be used in the holistic review and may offset lower quantitative scores.
The Honors College has established transfer student pathways for honors students from Northern Virginia Community College, Piedmont Community College, Reynolds Community College, and Richard Bland College. These agreements guarantee admission to the VCU Honors College to eligible students who complete their community college honors program and submit an Honors College application to VCU. Students applying to the VCU Honors College via an Honors transfer pathway will submit an endorsement from an honors representative at their transfer institution. To read more visit the VCCS/RBC transfer pathways site.
If you are a trasnfer student interested in joining the Honors College, consider registering for an information session via Zoom. Questions about the information sessions can be directed to the Honors Recruitment and Enrollment Counselor, Will Gilbert (gilbertws@vcu.edu).
Application Process
Prospective transfer students must submit a VCU electronic transfer application with the VCU Office of Admissions as well as an Honors College application. The Honors College will confirm your grade point average through the transcript(s) sent to the VCU Office of Admissions. You do not need to send a separate copy to the Honors College.
As a first-time user in the Honors College application portal, you will be prompted to create a username and password on the Honors College website. Once you have created a username and password, your application can be saved and completed at a later time. Upon submission of your Honors College application you will receive a confirmation email.
As you prepare to apply, please consider the following application components:
- Your anticipated major course of study
- Your anticipated start date at VCU
- Your cumulative GPA from the other institution(s) you have attended
- Your anticipated credits earned from other institution(s) you have attended
- Submission of endorsement from a faculty member or academic advisor at your transfer institution. You must include the faculty member/academic advisor’s name and email address in your application. They will be prompted via email with instructions on how to complete the endorsement.
- Submission of your CV or resume.
- Submission of a personal education paper. The personal education paper should address the following question: How will membership in the VCU Honors College assist you in pursuing your academic and career goals while also helping you become an active citizen in the community?
The paper should be 2-3 pages double spaced. Essays may include, but are not limited to the following:- Major influences on your intellectual and personal development, such as curricular and extracurricular experiences, community service or important people, events or ideas
- Your immediate educational goals and plans for achieving them
- Your goals and dreams for the future
Please note this application is only for transfer students who have not yet started their coursework at VCU. If you have already transferred to VCU and begun your studies at VCU, you should complete our continuing student application. Your application will not be processed until you have completed at least 12 credits of coursework at VCU.
Both applications linked below must be completed.
Important Dates and Deadlines
Transfer student applications are only accepted and processed twice a year. The VCU Honors College application will be available after Labor Day.
To be eligible for admission into VCU Honors College for the spring semester, students must submit an Honors College application by November 15. Statements of endorsement must be uploaded by the reference writer no later than December 1. All admission decisions will be made by December 15.
To be eligible for admission into VCU Honors College for the fall semester, students are encouraged to submit an Honors College application by our priority deadline of June 1. Statements of endorsement for the priority deadline must be uploaded by the reference writer no later than by June 15. Priority admissions decisions will be made by June 15. Applications for fall admission will continue to be accepted through July 15, but applications received after the June 1 priority deadline will be considered on a space-available basis. Statements of endorsement for the July 15 application deadline must be uploaded by the reference writer no later than by August 1. All admission decisions will be made by August 1.
Visit Us
If you are interested in transferring to VCU, we look forward to speaking with you at a VCU Open House event. To register for an Open House, please RSVP through VCU Admissions