<p>S and I will be making our first visit to USC next Tues-Wed (NOT for scholarship LOL).
So far we've arranged for the general tour through the Visitor's Center, a departmental meeting with his intended department and a meeting with an Associate Dean from the Honor's College who is responsible for advising honor's students with S's major(already accepted).
We intend to stay withing walking distance at one of two hotels, and not have a car with us.
Can you nice folks give me any suggestions for what else we should include in our visit?Do they include the Thurmond Center on the tour?Are dorms included (S would especially like to see the Honor's dorms like Maxcy and Capstone).
Will we be able to have enough restaurant options locally w/o having a car at our disposal?
Any info/insights are greatly appreciated.Also what type of weather should we expect?</p>
<p>cathy-No suggestions, but I would love to hear your impressions when you get back. My jr is looking at USC. Have a great trip.</p>
<p>my-3
I'll be sure to report in afterwards!</p>
<p>Hi Cathy, You should be able to walk to the five points (I think that is what it is called) or Vista areas easily from the campus. Those are hang out places the students frequent, and there are plenty of places to eat there. We did get to see the dorms, but that was in the summer. I'm not sure what they do when school is in session. Maybe the have a "model room"....we've seen those in a few places. We did see one of the athletic centers...it was very nice. It was the new one...is that the Thurmond Center? The older center is now used as a second facility for students. The center, as I recall, was quite nice....very state of the art. My only advice...wear COMFORTABLE clothes and walking shoes. The tour is almost two hours long...sort of a "walking" info session. We loved it...very thorough. Have a great time!!!</p>
<p>They have a Clarion hotel that is in walking distance and the Marriott is downtown less than a five minute drive away. If you call both and ask for the USC rate you get a far better than posted rate. We opted for the Marriott because it was actually less expensive with the USC rate than the Clarion and is much nicer.</p>
<p>The tour we took in July was quite long (1 1/2 - 2 hrs as mentioned above) and very thorough. It did take us across the street from the Strom (what they call it) but we didn't go in as part of the tour. We had an appt with a specific school that caused us to leave the tour ealry so they may have gone into the Strom after we left. They showed a dorm room in Capstone I believe though it was the summer.</p>
<p>There are many great dining spots. Five Points has a number of restaurants as well as an area that is not far from the capitol and overlooks the river that is literally several streets with nothing but one restaurant next to the other.</p>
<p>It was one of the best walking/info tours we've had in two kids' college quests. Have a great time.</p>
<p>Cathy</p>
<p>I am a USC grad 1981 - I can't believe how much has changed, but more importantly so much is the same quaint way I remember it.
They were supposed to be opening a hotel on campus - I think it is called the Inn at USC. We stayed at the Clarion Townhouse. It was very nice.
If you like history, you will want to visit the state Capitol builiding, a very short walk from campus. The west side of the building has brass stars marking the dents where Sherman's troops fired cannonballs at the statehouse.
There is a Civil War Museum either on the site of USC or very nearby the campus. The South Carolina Museum is on Senate Street, as is an Art Museum.
We toured the campus, and also saw a dorm room, but not an honors dorm. My son was very impressed with the Thurmond Center - it is an amazing gym.
It would be worth a cab ride to the Lizard's Thicket - it is cheap South Carolina cookin at its finest!! It is located at:
818 Elmwood Avenue
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 779-6407
There is a community theatre playhouse on Bull St (I think) across from the TV station. My son wandered over because he loves to tech, and met a retired USC professor in his intended major (history).
There are a lot of church cemeteries near the campus - the headstones are interesting to read.
You used to be able to get to 5 Points by going east on Green Street (the street where the nursing building is), and there were steps going down the back way into 5 Points; you can avoid the busy roads.
I love Columbia, and I hope my son gets enough scholarship money so he can go there, too.
Keep us posted.</p>
<p>Cathy
Correction to my note above, the South Carolina Library is on Senate St - not the Museum, but the Art Museum is there on Senate St too.</p>
<p>Four our visit next week, we made reservations for the Holiday Inn - City Centre at USC... It looked like it was close to campus - has anyone stayed there or seen it?</p>
<p>for, not four :)</p>
<p>mishdoob
I picked the same place,they told me by phone they are right across the street.
I assume you are going for the scholarship weekend?if so,we'll be there first (no scholarship weekend for us :( ) so I'll report back on the hotel for you.</p>
<p>no, unfortunately, we won't be making a scholarship visit... we're taking the S.Carolina college visit trip with my junior!</p>
<p>Unfortunately, our weather is not expected to be too good for your visit. The temp is expected to drop today and stay low for the next week. The front coming through is supposed to stall out giving us showers and rain through Wednesday. </p>
<p>You really don't need a car for your visit. Restaurants are plentiful around campus. There is a strip of shopping and higher end restaurants near the river. The capitol building is right there, and the library is within walking distance. Its supposed to be an architechtural wonder, yet I've never visited even though we've been living in the area for over 15 years. </p>
<p>I hope you have a wonderful visit!</p>
<p>Nickmom
Thanks for the weather,and neighborhood update. Honestly, your low temp will seem high to us...</p>
<p>yes, we keep checking the weather, hoping it will be different, but everyday of our planned visit to SC next week, it seems it will rain!</p>