The South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics (SCGSSM, also called GSSM) posts one set of dates for students who apply in 2026-27 and enter in fall 2027. The priority application deadline is February 15, 2027, and Decision Day is April 9, 2027. The school says these dates, which it posted in July 2026, are subject to change, so confirm each one on the school's admissions site before you plan around it.
This guide walks through the dates in the order a family meets them, with what the school asks for at each stop.
Who can apply
Only current 10th graders can apply. Ninth graders cannot, and the school does not admit students for senior year only. At least one parent or legal guardian must be a South Carolina resident, though military families with orders to move to South Carolina are also eligible. By the end of spring of 10th grade, a student needs 10.5 high school credits, including Geometry, Algebra 1 and Algebra 2, English 1 and 2, and a lab science.
Fall 2026: look, register and test
- September 15, 2026: the application opens. It is free to apply. Families create the Student Portal account in the student's name, and it is the same account used for the application.
- November 6, 2026: ACT registration deadline for the December 12 test date.
- November 14, 2026: Preview Day. This is a Saturday visit with guided campus tours and open questions. It is recommended for current 10th and 9th graders. A second Preview Day, on February 6, 2027, is limited to current 10th graders.
- November 20, 2026: SAT registration deadline for the December 5 test date.
- December 5 and December 12, 2026: the last SAT and ACT dates that get a score to the school by the priority deadline.
Shadow Days are open to current 10th graders who have already started an application. Students attend real classes, tour the residence halls and have lunch in the dining hall. Arrive between 8:30 and 8:45 a.m. Families can rejoin for a 1 p.m. campus tour, and the day wraps up at 1:30 p.m. The school also runs virtual sessions, including Application Overview and Parent to Parent, and registration for those opens in September.
January 2027: teachers and the counselor
The application needs two teacher recommendations, one from a STEM teacher and one from a humanities teacher. Both must have taught the student in spring of 9th grade or in 10th grade. The forms are confidential to the school. A School Counselor Form is also required, and it is not active until mid-January. The school does not give a more exact date for it, so ask the counselor to watch for it.
February 15, 2027: the priority deadline
This is the date that matters most. The school says the spaces in the entering class were filled by students who applied by the priority deadline. Applications after that date are considered only if space is available, and decisions for them come in mid-May or late June.
Before you submit, check the full application: three short answer essays of 100 to 250 words each, one score report taken since January 2026, the honors and awards section, and both recommendations. The school treats plagiarism and the use of AI as grounds for dismissal, so the essays should be the student's own writing.
March 2027: interviews
Finalists are notified of interviews on Friday, March 5, 2027. Interview Day is Saturday, March 13, 2027, on the campus in Hartsville, by invitation only. The school is clear that an interview is not a guarantee of admission. It does not describe the format of the day on the pages we reviewed.
April and May 2027: decisions
Decision Day is Friday, April 9, 2027, and families must respond by Friday, April 16, 2027. One page of the school's site also carries a note that priority applicants hear on April 10. The dates table says April 9, so use that date and confirm it with the admissions office.
New Student Orientation for enrolling students is Saturday, May 15, 2027. That is also when families receive financial aid information and fee payment instructions. Admissions are need-blind, and no admitted student is denied entry because they cannot pay the meal fee.
What the school has not published
The school does not publish an admit rate or the number of seats in the entering class. It does not post a financial aid application deadline. The essay prompts sit inside the application portal and change each year, so read them there once the application is open.
A simple way to use the dates
Work backward from February 15. Book the test first, since registration closes in November. Ask the two teachers in the fall rather than January. Draft the three essays over the winter break, and leave the last week for a read-through. Questions go to the admissions office at 843-383-3901 or admissions@governors.school.
If you want help thinking through your own student's plan, see the EduAvenues high school admissions page or ask about your student. You can also read the full timeline, the admissions overview and the FAQ.
Sources
- Apply for Residential
- Admissions
- Providing test scores
- Preview Day 2026-2027
- Shadow Days
- Frequently asked questions
SCGSSMPrep by EduAvenues is an independent service, not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by South Carolina Governor's School for Science and Mathematics.