Let's get something going here!

<p>Has anyone decided on College of Charleston or is everyone still in the decision process? I know I am still in the decision process but when I visited last year I really loved the school.</p>

<p>Just checked the College of Charleston email account and I received a presidential scholarship! I guess they notify by email a little earlier than regular mail.</p>

<p>Sunshadow,
My D is interested in C of C, and like you, I know nothing about the area. Believe it or not, YouTube.com is one place to start. I logged on and entered "College of Charleston" and found lots of video. The student run Television station has several news stories posted, covering news on the campus. There is also one very funny "Day in the Life" video, obviously done as a project by some communications majors. We'll still be heading down in February for a closer look though.</p>

<p>Turtlephobic:
I have a feeling we will be heading down as well during February break. I am so hoping the weather will be somewhat better than it is here in Boston at that time!</p>

<p>Crzygirl389: How do you check the email account? Just by usig the standard username and password? Where exactly did you find the scholarship info?</p>

<p>susshadow sorry for taking so long to answer. Too nervous/anxious about hearing back from U of Fla on friday to do anything. </p>

<p>Winter is very odd around here. The first time it gets around or below freezing is usually mid-late December. The cold around here comes in fronts. Christmas day it was shorts and T-Shirts. Right now is 30 degrees everyday. It never gets terrible here though and we get snow every 5 years about.</p>

<p>Charleston around the college is a great college city. Great food, entertainment, shopping and a great history are all things Charleston can boast of. The campus is pretty centralized around that area of downtown Charleston. Downtown is very attractive in that area. Things are clean, and safe.</p>

<p>Being that y'all are from Boston, there may be an accent clash, haha. My advice is learn to drink Sweet Tea and say "y'all" Haha.</p>

<p>Beautiful people, beautiful place. If I didn't live here, I'd apply here.</p>

<p>If you have any other questions feel free to ask.</p>

<p>Can anyone out there tell me what the student body is like at C of C? I'm sure there are all kinds of kids there, but generally, is it a more preppy feel, what is it like politically? Is it a tolerant atmosphere? Anything you have to say about the Charleston "culture" would be helpful. I know I can look at the books, but I was hoping for more personal experience.</p>

<p>C of C's spring break is March 3 - 10. On Sat, Mar 17, they have an all day open house program for juniors; you should check it out on their website if you're interested.</p>

<p>We are going to the open house. My daughter would like to find out more about the education department. Also, she wants to see the inside of a dorm. I wonder how crowded it gets? Is it usually a big turnout? What are some of the student hangouts, so my daughter could get the real feel of the school? Anyone else going?</p>

<p>sunshadow:
I set up my cofc email account through cougartrail. Cougartrail had my scholarship listed under awards or something to that effect in the financial aid & scholarship information section. The email I remember confused me when I tried to set it up but I remember that I did it through cougartrail because I had gotten an email on my regular account telling me that is how they kept in touch with accepted students.</p>

<p>Hey, I just stumbled on this thread. My D is a sophomore at CofC, we are from PA outside of Philly. She loves it in Charleston, and we like visiting her and often stay in a beach house since the beach is only about 10 min away. The dorms are some of the nicest we saw during our college visits. Freshman year she was in a 2 bedroom suite with 4 girls, had a living room and bathroom. This year she's off-campus, as most kids move off after the first year.</p>

<p>For a northerner, Charleston is different in terms of 'bad' areas than the northern cities and took some adjustment to get used to. In one block you can see lovely, renovated houses right next to shacks that should be condemned. It seems to be a pretty safe town, however, with the major threat being bicycle theft--my daughter's was stolen right out of her back yard (cable cut), and most of her friends have had bikes stolen too. She now has the best lock you can buy, since her bike is her mode of transport to school and her job (no car). </p>

<p>My D is debating whether to come back to PA this summer or not, she can have a camp counselor job again here, but may be able to do better there and enjoy the beaches too!</p>

<p>If you have any questions about our perspective as northerners at CofC, feel free to ask.</p>

<p>We are visiting C of C during the open house next month. Kpmom, did you visit during this time? My daughter is a junior and has C of C at the top of her list. It sounds like most students move off campus after one year. Why don't more students stay on campus? Also, my daughter wants to know if there are concerts and other campus activities or do most kids do things in the city on weekends. thanks</p>

<p>Hi Candace-
We actually visited the first time in August---HOT! But really not hotter than it is in PA in August. Next month it will be very lovely in Charleston, lots of spring flowers, etc. It's a good tourism time of year.</p>

<p>I think most kids move off-campus because CofC does not have a lot of dorm space, and there are a LOT of apts. in the area. Being in the dorm restricts your coming and going at break time, since the dorms close at certain points. Plus my daughter found she couldn't study well in the dorm and had a wacky roommate (all common college complaints!).</p>

<p>There is lots to do on campus, they are always having concerts, speakers, etc. Check out the main school page and look at 'Today's Events'. My daughter is so busy she looks forward to having a day with nothing to do (part of that is because she has a job). There is also a great Farmer's Market on Sat. mornings 9 months of the year only 2 blocks from campus in Marion Square.</p>

<p>My daugher decided on CofC in this way: she is a voice major, and had to audition at all schools she applied to. We went to Syracuse Univ. in late January where it was -14 with wind. 2 weeks later we flew to Charleston, where it was a balmy 60 degrees. She had her acceptance from CofC but not any other school (early action), and said then and there that there was NO WAY she was going to Syracuse or Ithaca, whether she was accepted or not, she LOVED Charleston! She hasn't regretted it, it's a nice place to spend a few years! Although I did have to send her a ski jacket 2 weeks ago, it's been in the 30s recently but it won't last too long.</p>

<p>Hope this answered your questions!</p>

<p>Thanks Kpmom, your info was very helpful.</p>

<p>They're having some kind of reception/information session for scholarship recipients during February break (Monday, 02/19). Anyone going?</p>

<p>Candace, I've heard that all dorms have sample rooms in the lobby. You can visit any time of year and ask for a key to the sample room from the receptionist and then check it out for yourself. I've heard McAlister and Kelly are the nicest dorms, but Kelly is only available to upperclassmen.</p>

<p>thanks ahha, I am glad to know we can see a dorm room at any time.</p>

<p>My daughter got her first SAT scores. 1740 out of 2400 or 1180 out of 1600. Do you think if she raised then next time she will be in the running? Her math was 630, so she needs to raise her verbal.</p>

<p>My D had lower SATs than that, low 1100s (can't remember exactly what they were anymore), with a GPA of 3.2 (included honors and APs and was weighted). Since she was out-of-state we thought it might be a reach, but she found out around Thanksgiving her senior year that she was in. I have heard rumored that the school is raising the bar a bit, but since it's a rumor don't know how true that is.</p>

<p>thanks Kpmom, I hope my daughter still has a shot. Her gpa is over 4.0 when weighted. She is taking 2 aps this year and 2 more next year. But her ecs are weak. I don't know how much they look at that. She is involved with the on site preschool with her child development class and will peer tutor next year at an elementary school. I hope that will show her strong desire to become a teacher and that will be enough.</p>

<p>My D was accepted at C of C, but surprisingly received no notification of any scholarship money. She comes from a tough private school in Massachusetts, has about a 3.75 weighted GPA and stellar recommendations from AP teachers. Can people post what their stats were and what scholarships they received?</p>