Apply for Residential

Tuition-Free

There is no tuition to attend GSSM's Residential Program. While there are fees associated with some January Interim course choices and the meal plan, the State of South Carolina provides funding for housing and courses offered by GSSM.

Applying is Easy

Students apply for GSSM's Residential Program in the 10th grade to join the fall of their 11th grade year.

There are no minimum GPA, or standardized test scores, required for admission. The most competitive applications typically demonstrate advanced academic coursework required where students have earned excellent grades.

Applications for Residential and STEM Foundations are due March 7th. Applications for Accelerate are due February 21st. 

Admissions Requirements

A current resident of the state of South Carolina Completes a minimum of 10.5 credits before the end of the school year to which you apply, including 7-8 total hours of coursework in the following areas:

  • 6 credit hours in the following core courses:
    • Algebra 1
    • Algebra 2
    • Geometry
    • English 1
    • English 2
    • One lab science course (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics)
  • 1-2 credit hours in one of the following areas:
    • One year of a foreign language 
    • Social studies course
  • 2.5-3.5 additional credit hours in the following areas:
    • Any elective course
    • One or two years of the same foreign language
    • Fine arts
    • Computer science
    • Social studies course
    • Second lab science
    • Health
    • Physical education/JROTC 
    • US History
    • Economics
    • US Government
    • Demonstrate emotional and mental maturity
Application Dates

Residential & STEM Foundations Program Important Application Dates*
Open: October 1, 2022
Close: March 7, 2023
Rolling Admissions: March 8, 2023 until seats are filled or June 9, 2023
Residential Applicant Interviews (On Campus): Saturday, April 1, 2023
Math Admissions Test (Virtual): Tuesday, April 4, 2023 & Thursday, April 6, 2023
Decision Released: Thursday, April 27, 2023
Decisions Response Deadline: Monday, May 1, 2023 
*Dates are subject to change. Keep Checking the website and keep in contact with your admissions team.
Save the Date: Govie Day, Saturday, May 13, 2023 (For Admitted Students Only)


Accelerate Program Important Application Dates*
Open: October 1, 2022
Close: February 21, 2023
Math Admissions Test (Virtual): Tuesday, March 14, 2023 & Thursday, March 16, 2023
Decision Released: Monday, April 10, 2023 
Decisions Response Deadline: Friday, April 14, 2023
*Dates are subject to date. Keep Checking the website and keep in contact with the admissions team.

Application Checklist

Application Tip:

The application is comprised of two parts: General Information & Supplemental Essay.

General Application must be submitted before accessing the supplemental essay. Submit the general application as soon as possible to access the essay.

You can submit your application before the teacher and school counselor evaluations completion. After you provide the teacher and school counselor’s contact information in the first part of the application, click submit to access the supplemental essay and checklist. The checklist will enable you to track the progress of your application along with teacher and school counselor evaluation completion.

 

  1. Online application
     
  2. Short Answer Essay Question (500-750 words)
     
  3. English, Science, and Math teacher evaluations
     
  4. School Counselor documents request form (sent in February 2023 by Office of Admissions): high school transcript, 1st-semester report card, and EOCEP scores (courses for which student has received credit to date).
  • End-of-Course Examination Program (EOCEP): End-of-course tests for gateway courses awarded credit units in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Defined gateway courses currently include Algebra 1, Biology 1, English 2, and United States History and the Constitution, or courses with other names and activity codes in which the academic standards corresponding to these subjects are taught.
  • Any admitted students that take courses over the Summer of 2023 will only receive credit for any art courses taken.
  1. Official high school transcript including first semester grades, list of second semester courses and class rank. Transcripts must contain all hours/credits and grades to be considered for admissions. If your transcripts are not in English, you must submit a certified transcript translated into English.  Applicants with foreign course work must submit a course-by-course evaluation with GPA from a NACES approved company. An admissions decision will not be made until the evaluation and all transcripts are on file. Credential evaluations are done by NACES approved companies and are not conducted by any member at GSSM. In order to get a credential evaluation you will need to contact the NACES approved company directly.
     
  2. Standardized Test Optional: Official PSAT, Pre-ACT, SAT or ACT scores taken since January 2022 are optional. For more information on our test optional policy, please visit our test optional page.
     
  3. Golden Opportunity Days (2-day event) (Interview & Math Admissions Test): Admissions will review applications and invite qualified residential applicants to take part in Interviews (in-person on campus) and the Math Admissions Test (virtually via Zoom) as part of the application process during “Golden Opportunity Days"  The interviews will be an opportunity for us to get to know you and for you to get to know more about us.  The GSSM Math Admissions Test is 45 minutes long with approximately 30 questions that does not allow for the use of a calculator. The questions are designed to measure a student’s understanding of Geometry, Algebra I, and the first part of Algebra II.* This is required for invited applicants only.  This test is used only for admissions purposes. For students who are admitted to the school, another assessment will be given to determine final math placement.

*scoring will take into consideration a student’s status for having completed or currently being enrolled in Algebra II

Standardized Tests

GSSM does not require students to take the essay portion for either test. Use GSSM Code 410997 to submit an official score for the SAT. Use GSSM Code 410997 to submit an official score for the ACT.

Nondiscrimination Statement

The South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, or disability in admission to, treatment in, or employment in its programs and activities. Inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies should be made to South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics, 401 Railroad Ave, Hartsville, SC 29550, 843-383-3906. For further information on federal nondiscrimination regulations, including Title IX, contact the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights at OCR.DC@ed.gov or call (800) 421-3481.

Admissions