<p>travelfun: I was going down the coast from the MidAtlantic. I would have included Rutgers but NJ might be a tough sell for an OOS student. For SC, CofC is urban and less fratty-preppy than USC or Clemson. There are beaches nearby and beach (surfer) types at the school and the M-F ratio is a plus if the OP is male. I almost included Emory for GA but it is a little fratty and has an elitist vibe (Southern Ivy) the OP didn’t seem to want. The OP might want to look at it. Duke or Vanderbilt were excluded for the same reasons. </p>
<p>New College of FL is smallish but is a possibility for far-left. It’s more left than liberal and decent academically.</p>