How to Apply to Clemson University

This article was written based on the information and opinions presented by Amanda Poore, an Admissions Counselor at Clemson University, in a CollegeVine livestream. You can watch the full livestream for more info.

 

What’s Covered:

• Ways to Apply
• Applicant Portal
• Required Application Materials
• Test Score Requirements
• Application Review Process

 

 

In this article, we discuss how to apply to Clemson University. If you’re looking for more information about Clemson, check out our blog post on Clemson admission stats. 

 

Ways to Apply

 

There are three ways for prospective students to apply to Clemson. The university accepts the Common Application and the Coalition App, but it also has its own institution-specific application. Students simply need to submit one of these applications, whichever works best for them. 

 

For example, if a student is applying to multiple schools that accept the Common App, using it to apply to Clemson would make the most sense. Clemson’s own application is very simple and easy to complete; it takes less than an hour from start to finish for most applicants. 

 

Applicant Portal

 

Once students have submitted their application, they will receive an email confirming that Clemson has received it and providing information on next steps. This email will also provide login credentials to Clemson’s applicant portal, which will function as a kind of best friend to applicants throughout their senior year of high school. The applicant portal is Clemson’s primary way of communicating with applicants, apart from email. 

 

The portal enables students to view their application checklist and the status of their application. When they eventually receive an admissions decision, it can be accessed on the portal. Once a student is enrolled at Clemson, this portal can be used for many self-service tasks, including changing their major.

 

For students applying to the Clemson University Honors College, that application is separate from those for the regular college, and it is accessed through the applicant portal. 

 

Required Application Materials

 

An important aspect of the Clemson application process is submitting the required academic materials. Clemson has a self-reported academic record requirement, which essentially takes the place of sending in a transcript for review. The information required includes courses taken, grades, and overall GPA. This self-reported information must be as accurate as possible, so students should refer to their transcripts while filling out this self-reported record.

 

Test Score Requirements

 

For the 2023 admissions year, Clemson has a test-optional application. However, this policy may change in the future, so prospective students who are currently juniors are encouraged to keep in touch with the admissions office regarding the test policy. Of course, students should take advantage of testing opportunities, even if they’re only applying to test-optional colleges. 

 

Application Review Process

 

Clemson employs a holistic application review process. There are no official minimum requirements to apply to Clemson because the school looks at each year’s unique applicant pool as a whole. However, admissions officers will be looking for competitive GPAs from applicants. 

 

Prospective students will be reviewed within the context of their specific learning environment. Students who come from schools with weighted GPAs or class rankings will have them taken into consideration. Admissions officers also want to see that applicants have challenged themselves throughout high school, such as by taking Advanced Placement (AP), honors, International Baccalaureate (IB), or dual-enrollment courses.

 

The choice of major also comes into play in the review process. There are a few majors at Clemson that are more competitive and have limited space, such as nursing, health science, sports communications, general communications, and architecture. Recent popular majors have included psychology—on both the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts tracks—biological sciences, business, and criminal justice.

 

If the admissions committee decides not to admit an applicant to their first-choice major, they will consider the applicant for their second-choice major automatically, so applicants should make sure to select a first and second choice of major when completing their application.