<p>I was hoping someone could chime in and speak to the academics at C of C. On CC, seems that there are quite a few students that have some really high stats yet my daughter keeps hearing from friends who "checked out the college" that it's really not on par with colleges like Tulane, UGA, Clemson, Delaware, etc. And some kids that are labeled "not really that smart" also got from her school. She did get into the honors college and is very happy about that, but doesn't want to be labeled a brainiac. She would just like to be in academically challenging environment where many of the kids are bright (not necessarily rocket scientists) so she doesn't feel like it's a waste of time or that she's in the minority. There is another website called Student Review and there were many that did not have great things to say about the CofC education... so we're curious. They may just be disgruntled students but we are looking for any feedback you may be able to share as you investigated the school. thx</p>
<p>My s is a freshman at CofC.</p>
<p>It’s difficult to answer this question I don’t know much about the reality of the other schools (verses their reputations). I can tell you that my s wanted an “academically challenging environment” but, in no way, considers himself a “brainiac.” He has taken college very seriously. His (now ex-) girlfriend is as serious as they come, was accepted to many top LACs, and is a freshman in the CofC honor’s college and lives in the honors dorm. She seems very happy among her peers. </p>
<p>Clemson and CofC (and USC) are the major public colleges in SC, attracting the best students, yet they are very different: Rural vs Urban, Football mania vs no football team, research university oriented vs. LAC. Very few in-state students would have a difficult time choosing between the two schools because the environments are so different. No one would pick Clemson just because it was more academically challenging unless you were interested in majors/programs that only Clemson offered (engineering, for example.) </p>
<p>Last year I, too, looked at the Student Review website. I remember thinking how hard it is to be 18, away from home for the first time and not really feeling connected, especially after great high school success. I felt this reading many, many schools reviews, not just CofC. </p>
<p>I guess I would look at how my child’s SAT/GPA stats match up with the schools. Is he/she among peers or do his/her stats totally outshine most everyone else? I know such stats are a very limited way of assessing students but it does give an indication of the general population of the school. </p>
<p>Good luck. By this time next year, life will be so different – and so much quieter!</p>
<p>stillnadine - thank you so much for your insight. my d read your comments and got alot out of what you said. we’re planning on making the trip on 3/20 so we’ll see what happens and how she feels about being there. Like you said, there are a whole lot of other things to consider and I’m trying to guide her but let her make her own decision. 
From now til the end of April is going to be really busy! thx again!</p>
<p>My d is a junior (in her 4th semester), and had similar concerns, got some grief from her friends for choosing CofC originally, etc. She chose not to apply to the Honors College, though she would have qualified coming out of HS, but felt like she wanted to be “general population” instead and now realizes it would not have mattered much either way. I think she would tell your daughter, that she will get out of it what she puts in. She is double majoring (and maybe double minoring too) since she came in the door with plenty of AP/dual enroll credits so she is taking many classes in many departments. She would be tell you she has had a couple of classes that frustrated her due to student apathy (gen eds) or professors who appear to be less than thrilled teaching the lower level courses. However…she would counter that by adding that some of her professors are truly brilliant and in several classes, she is awed by her classmates and their intellect and insight. (Maybe even intimidated by some!) She has learned to talk to upper-class friends to gain help locating the great professors and challenging courses and for the most part…could not be more pleased with the education she is gaining. She attends lectures and guest appearances on campus and is really enjoying access to her professor’s office hours where she feels like she gets to know them and establish ties. She loves the city vibe, could care less about a football mania/collegiate campus feel…and that is a big deal if you choose to go to CofC. They are not lacking in spirit but it is not a “typical campus-y” place. Like any campus, there are probably some (many?) slacker/party types but there are plenty more who are working hard and want to excel academically too. My d is the kind of kid who would go to school forever if she could just to keep learning everything about everything, and she is VERY happy. Hope you enjoy your visit!</p>
<p>Thanks, realtime. Great info that I will share with my d. When you talk about school spirit, could you tell me more about that? She went on a couple of school tours where kids were wearing every other college sweatshirt but their own. While she doesn’t necessarily need a football team, I think she’d like students to love and have pride in their school…and wear their “colors.” Thanks for your insight.</p>
<p>Hi nj_mom, my D was also accepted into honors and is visiting on Wednesday this week. She had not visited before applying and is curious to check it out. She also wants a good academic atmosphere and also a good college atmosphere (doesn’t care much about football, but some school spirit also appeals to her–doesn’t want apathetic/disinterested vibe).</p>
<p>I will post next week on her thoughts, for what they are worth! It is in the end a pretty personal decision. But such a big decision! </p>
<p>I’m a little concerned about the high transfer rate, and wonder why that is. Otherwise, on paper/web anyway, CofC seems really wonderful.</p>
<p>Hi nj_mom, I do get the feeling when I visit, that CofC students love their school and town. There are plenty of students in campus T’s and colors. To see a couple of examples of spirit in action, check out ‘College of Charleston library rave’ &/or ‘CofC vs UNC basketball game’…both on You Tube. They are going crazy chanting "CofC’ in the rave, letting off steam during final exams…the hoops videos speak for themselves! I know this year they did some tailgating before basketball games outside the new arena. It does seem that the student gov organization has made it a priority to increase spirit levels in spite of not having a football schedule.</p>
<p>paperplane - i look forward to hearing your thoughts as well as your daughter’s. thx in advance for posting!</p>
<p>realtime - thanks also for the clarification. good to know and will pass along. only my d can decide if that is what she means and wants with regard to school spirit as I have no clue, and if I thought I did, I probably would be wrong anyway. we shall soon find out. :)</p>
<p>For what it’s worth–my D really, really liked her visit to CofC. And she has pretty high standards. Loved the campus itself, talked to a couple profs in the major she’s interested in, found the tour and the presentation really great (they don’t always impress her, sometimes seem generic/dull). I wasn’t there myself so can only convey what she’s shared. She loves the area around the college, and the city is beautiful she says. So…a good option and one she is seriously considering.</p>
<p>She was leaning towards two other schools where she’s been accepted as well–and she says that now that she’s visited CofC, this makes it a three-way tie, and it is going to be hard to decide. The schools she’s considering are all pretty different.</p>
<p>And she’s still waiting to hear (RD) from an ivy and a top LAC. But those won’t likely give her any money, so…that makes CofC even more attractive. </p>
<p>For those visiting later on in March, let me know what your kids think!</p>
<p>Hey all you students/families who go to accepted students weekend–this weekend, right? My D and I would love to hear what you think. Like I said, D really liked what she saw and is just waiting for the final decisions/FA packages to come. Hope you all have a great visit.</p>
<p>Will be glad to report back!</p>
<p>what was the impression after admitted students weekend? Enrolling??Comfortable for out-of-staters?</p>
<p>I (the mom) loved it. My d is a tougher sell. Both she and I had a wonderful weekend. She attended Jewish Student Union events and spent the night with one of the girls there and had a great time. We also attended the CofC dinner Friday night and the events of Saturday. Both she and I met warm and friendly people. The city continues to dazzle us. Still, there is something that is holding her back. Is it a southern vs. northern thing? I don’t know and am still trying to figure it out.</p>
<p>My D and I also liked Charleston but she too is not 100% sure if she wants to go, although she says she could see herself there. It was very high on her list so that could have been a detriment, setting it up on such a high pedestal and wanting it all to be so perfect. I think she’s waiting for that epiphany that you know you are in the right place. That being said, she doesn’t want to take it off her list just yet. Students were very friendly and we liked the campus (albeit the prettiest parts you see online were under construction - not the greatest timing for that if you want to woo students). The weather couldn’t have been better and being 20 minutes from the beach is a definite plus. The surrounding downtown area is literally a block away and amazing with all the beautiful expensive stores, which I loved! The dorms were pretty different from one another and to her surprise she liked the honors dorm with the hall bath the best - I think she realized that she is not one who will be a fan of cleaning a bathroom and didn’t love the size of the suites. She met students from the sororities, the Hillel and other campus organizations and really seemed to click with them. She doesn’t know what’s holding her back though and neither do I. Could be the lack of rah rah school spirit (which she originally wanted) or students in college shirts walking around campus. Since it was a gorgeous day with people out and about, she had a hard time discerning who were actually students vs people hanging out in Charleston. I did not see that as a negative but for her it may have been. We still have a visit to Tulane and Auburn before making a decision, and if she’s fortunate, Vanderbilt. In the end she could end up at C of C being very happy. I guess we’ll know in about a month…</p>
<p>We were at Accepted Students Weekend as well and my son came back thinking maybe C of C is where he wants to be (he was accepted at Furman, Wofford, and Pitt as well). We live in South Carolina and I have a daughter in the Honors College at University of South Carolina. She’s very happy there, but my son is looking for a smaller school. He didn’t apply to the Honors College at C of C initially, but he received a letter a couple of weeks ago saying that he may want to, so he will.</p>
<p>Until we visited C of C (he had never been before, my husband and I had been a couple of yrs ago), Wofford was tops on his list. Now, he feels the Int’l Business program at C of C is better tuned to what he’s looking for and he liked the campus a lot more than he expected. Being in Charleston, with all the city has to offer, certainly beats Spartanburg, as well! (We live in Spartanburg so I feel qualified to state that!) : ) And the weather was absolutely perfect - but keep in mind it will not be like that when move-in day rolls around in August! Winter and Spring are beautiful, although they did get some snow down there this winter (didn’t everyone, though?)</p>
<p>C of C has a “party school” reputation to some, but I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that because it’s right in an busy urban area like Charleston and the beach is so close. But that doesn’t mean everyone is at the beach every day. Every school, no matter where it is or what kinds of kids go there, has partiers - that’s a fact of college life. Plenty of other schools in SC have a very large and active Greek life, which can go hand-in-hand with partying. My son is a very busy, active, outgoing kid involved in all kinds of things from student gov’t to church activities to sports, but he has no desire to be in a frat and doesn’t want his social life to depend on that. We didn’t get that feeling at C of C. We saw a diverse group of kids and at the student organization fair on George Street, we saw a few of frat/sororities represented, but we saw religious groups, music groups, etc. Nearly everyone we spoke with did not appear to be “Southern” (although we live in SC, we are originally from Western NY), both students and faculty. I thought there was a very high number of students from other states at C of C, in comparison to other SC schools (with the exception of USC). The school does not have an “easy” reputation here in-state and we actually know of some kids who have been rejected. </p>
<p>It really does depend on what your child is looking for. Everyone has their own criteria, and, as I’ve learned, it’s subject to change! My son is just waiting to hear on some financial things before he makes a final decision - and I can’t wait. It’s a been a loooong process! Anyway, we had a great visit, I’d love to go back, and it certainly gave my son a different perspective on things. Good luck to everyone as they make their decision!</p>
<p>Oh, I also want to add that my son is a HUGE football fan - you can’t imagine - and he doesn’t seem perturbed that C of C doesn’t have a football team. He’d be happy going to the arena to watch basketball games. He was also happy to see there is intramural basketball and club lacrosse.</p>