College of Charleston - an urban campus with Southern charm

I enjoyed my visit to the College of Charleston, only a few short blocks from my hotel in the downtown historic district.  College of Charleston is a truly urban campus but with plenty of green space and easy access to the water.  With just over 10,000 undergraduate students, it is a manageable size while still offering the resources of a large university.  Here are some facts I learned about the school:

• 62% of undergraduates are from South Carolina; 38% from out-of-state. (My tour guide was from Connecticut!)
• Notable unique or interesting majors include: Historic Preservation, Hospitality and Tourism Management, Computing in the Arts, and Data Science.
• The college contains six schools: School of the Arts, School of Business, School of Education, Health and Human Performance, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Languages, Cultures and World Affairs, and School of Sciences and Mathematics.  The School of Business is the most popular, and they have a robust International Business program. 
• The lead guitarist from Hootie and the Blowfish teaches a course in the Arts Management program. 
• Students in College of Charleston’s well-regarded Marine Biology program have access to the Grice Marine Lab a few minutes from campus.
• College of Charleston recently joined the Colonial Athletic Association where they are strong competitors in Division I basketball and baseball. 
• Boeing recently relocated to Charleston and provides numerous scholarship and internship opportunities. 
• College of Charleston has a sizeable Hillel on campus, with approximately 800 Jewish students enrolled. A new Jewish Studies Center is scheduled to open next year with a vegetarian dining facility. 
• College of Charleston offers Early Action (November 1) and Regular (February 1) deadlines.  Students should apply by December 1 for scholarship consideration.  Applicants are automatically considered for merit awards (typically given for 1300+ SAT / 30+ ACT, combined with high GPA). 
• The middle 50% test scores for admitted students are 1060-1220 SAT and 23-27 ACT for in-state applicants and 1140-1280 SAT and 25-29 ACT for out-of-state applicants. College of Charleston does not superscore the ACT. 
• Roughly 20% of students are part of the Greek system. 
• College of Charleston has a strong relationship with the nearby Medical University of South Carolina (4 blocks from campus).  Applicants to MUSC get a .5 GPA boost when applying to medical school there! 
• There are four tiers of dorms, ranging from newly built to “historic” (and differing in price). Laundry and toilet paper are included in your rent! 
• The undergraduate library opened in 2009 and is currently undergoing an improvement project,  including a brand new Starbucks opened on the first floor with lots of outdoor seating overlooking a courtyard. 
• The shops of King Street are just one block from campus, and the famous Charleston City Market is a short walk. Charleston is known for fine dining, and there are tons of restaurants within walking distance of campus! I ate at SNOB, Cru Café and Cypress – all delicious (and great for parent visits)!