How is the political climate? Our NE applicant is pretty liberal but really loves Clemson. I’m not sure it’s the right spot.
My son said that politics don’t come up too often, but it seems to me that it’s more conservative than liberal. As a whole though, the kids are very friendly and I think anyone can fit in there.
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Also, there are a lot of kids from the northeast there.
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Yes, a ton of kids from the Northeast, I think NJ is the #3 feeder state. My daughter leans very left and it’s fine. Her older sister who spent summers working at a restaurant on Lake George during Trump boat parades, not so much.
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My sophomore was concerned about the same thing, but politics/religion have not been an issue. They are all too busy between their school studies and having fun! There are plenty of kids from the Northeast!
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Do they consider state residency? If so there is probably a difference between in state and OOS acceptance rate.
At 14 you should live with your parents or a legal guardian. College will be there in a few years.
Just asked D20; she’s left leaning and said the school is more a-political from her experience. It doesnt really come up in any of her circles. There’s obviously a high population of Christians; she said there are a lot of people who may go to church or youth group type clubs, but it’s more passive. Kids may mention it like they would any other club, but they don’t discuss it or try to get her to go.
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Big school with lots of kids so there are all political persuasions. My liberal D18 was an active member of the Democrats Club at Clemson. That said it has a ton of kids from S.Carolina that tend to be more conservative. But all in all it was never a problem for my very liberal daughter.
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Thanks! My liberal leaning city kid loves Clemson. I’m a bit skeptical purely because of the current political climate. We are visiting in a few weeks to get the feel of campus.
Mamabear03 - Please report back. . . visited on a rainy day so hard to tell when no one was out and about
We’re a conservative leaning family and my son who’s a junior said politics aren’t all that talked about at Clemson. Sort of how it is (or sometimes should be) in the work place. We actually had this conversation the other night while he’s home for spring break. They’re all around good kids, amazing school spirit, and proud to be there.
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Completely agree!
Exactly!!!
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For parents of current OOS students, did any of your children have concerns about the process/time required to get to and from Clemson from home? If so, then did this become a non-issue now that they are students? (Not necessarily concern about being away- more a negative when considering pro/con list due to connecting flights and drive from airport) OOS from MA. Thank you!
We occasionally run into issues in getting flights into or out of GSP where we sometimes have to resort to Atlanta. We’re a Southwest family for points, A-list, companion pass, etc., so we sometimes create our own problems given our allegiance. When my son came back for spring break this week (California), he had to leave from GSP Saturday early afternoon since he had no chance of making Friday flights without missing classes that day. Similarly, he’s leaving this Saturday so he gets back at a reasonable hour and will be prepared for class on Monday. Losing three hours with the time change doesn’t help. Overall, we’ve been able to make it work for his travel back and forth as well as to visit him these past three years. He has his car and did for Sophomore and Junior year where long-term parking at GSP has been very reasonable, Atlanta requires some research for safety and cost but manageable. His freshman year we leveraged one of the well-known shuttle drivers in the Clemson area.
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Our tour guide mentioned there is an airport shuttle to Charlotte NC when there are school breaks. A tad further from Atlanta- but another option and less chaotic then Atlanta
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My son’s first year was in 2020, so flying to and from Greenville with a limited flight schedule was tricky and took much longer than normal. Now he has a car and it’s a 9 hour drive. It’s long but he doesn’t mind it.
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We are in NJ, my daughter is a sophomore with no car and she’s never had an issue. She has flown in and out of Greenville and Charlotte, and driven with others, used the free Clemson airport shuttle, paid shuttles, almost all booked by herself. She’s in the DR right now, they flew from Atlanta, she has done airport pickup with friends at all of the airports, the students help each other out. There are so many students from the northeast at Clemson. I really thought she’d stay there more for breaks, but has managed to leave campus for each one, even coming home for Easter (but students do stay at Clemson as well).
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I’m an alum from out of state and also an OOS parent. Back in my day I remember people posting offers in the mail room to rides back up north and riding home with random kids! Or I flew with no issues.
Now, my kid has found rides through friends. There are shuttles to GSP or Charlotte offered by the school and private companies. My child has also shared an Uber with a friend to the airport. Last year’s freshman class was 48% out of state, so your out of state student will be surrounded with plenty of others like them!
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