<p>Not sure if this is the right place for this, but maybe parents have some insight?...</p>
<p>I visited a college a little while ago, College of Charleston, and it felt amazing there. The town was absolutely gorgeous, the architecture was beautiful, the location and weather were great, it was near the beach, etc. The people seemed nice, but I also got the impression that there was a lot of partying. That said, the feel of the campus was incredible. It basically felt like heaven.
However, As I am very studious and not so into the party scene, I feel as though I might be out of place there. So my question is, what do parents think about this? I felt amazing on the campus, but is that the same thing as having a good fit there? I'm sure I could find students who are very into studying there who don't like to party. But I'm just sort of confused.../ conflicted.</p>
<p>--- if this is the wrong place for this... sorry :/</p>
<p>To me, “feel” is what you described - what you see on the outside - the town, the architecture, etc. “Fit” is the feeling you get when you look “inside” more - things that really matter on a day to day basis - the type of people, size/quality of program, the social scene and how it pertains to YOU.</p>
<p>I think they are two separate things. A school can “fit” you - have all of the specifications you want, e.g. urban; large, diverse student body; major you want etc… but can end up not “feeling” right to you. You may visit and say: “Everything on paper is right, (it “fits”) but the feeling is wrong.”</p>
<p>Well, there’s no such thing as the perfect school, but there is such a thing as the right school for you…But, you’ll have to compare and contrast. So, go and do some other visits and get some sort of a feel for the other campuses which you have as an option and then you will pick the one that is right for you. Don’t worry. You’ll know which one it is. It’s not like you get to pick a non-existent campus. You’ll pick from what is available to you.</p>
<p>Agree on the fit and feel quotient, can you do an overnight? Can you talk to a professor in an area you are interested in? Do you know anyone that goes to school there that can speak frankly about with you the student body, teachers, etc. It sounds like you found a place that does “feel right” and excites you, but now is a good time to “dig” alittle bit to see if it has the educational fit and social sensibilities you also want.</p>
<p>We live in SC - College of Charleston does have the reputation of being a party school. So much so that a lot of in-state parents will not allow their kids to go there.</p>
<p>On the other hand, my son’s private counselor recommended the honors program for my son - who is looking for an atmosphere of ‘great intellectual discourse’ (son’s phrase). Son is definitely not into the party/Frat scene. </p>
<p>We were quite surprised about the recommendation. The counselor actually recommended the honors program at CoC over all the private LACs in the state. He said that there is plenty to do down there and lots of students who aren’t into the party scene and a kid who isn’t interested in partying won’t have any problems finding their ‘group’. Especially in the honors program. He said that the honor program was particularly strong.</p>
<p>One major downside to the CoC is that housing (& parking) is a major problem. I’ve been told they barely have enough on-campus housing for the Freshman class. Charleston is a very popular place to live and like NYC, real estate is scare and at a premium, so expanding housing to keep up with the growth of the college has been difficult.</p>
<p>That said, don’t let the aesthetics of any school be the driving motive to go there. I’ve seen a number of students do that and end up transferring to another school Soph. year.</p>
<p>Your best best is to do an overnight, talk to professors, sit in on some classes. That’s the only way you will really get a good feel for a place and know if it’s a good fit. Good luck.</p>