The following reviews are the views of students or alumni at this school and are unrelated to the school data and other editorial content on usnews.com. These reviews neither reflect nor impact a school's position within the Best Colleges rankings.
Diversity is definitely missing at C of C. There are some black kids here, but most of them are from South Carolina and stick together. There are a few Asian students and there is a visible population of international students. Also, one thing that kind of sucks is that there are twice as many girls as guys here, so if you're a girl and used to getting attention from guys, do not expect the same to be true at C of C. C of C is a medium-sized school; you will definitely recognize faces as you walk around, but you don't know everyone on campus. Charleston certainly isn't a college town. College kids hang out at off-campus apartments and downtown because a lot of students live off-campus after freshman year. There are a number of bars and restaurants that students frequent in Charleston. School spirit is lacking a bit here; it's no William and Mary, UNC or Duke in terms of spirit. We have a basketball team that has been pretty good in the past, and many students go to these games and generally have a good time with friends. The lack of school spirit is evident because students don't seem to have a visible pride in C of C. A few of the students on my hall transferred after the first semester, which was surprising to me. For good students, the first semester with its introductory courses often seems like a breeze.
Lauren Freshman
I loved going to Charleston. It is the perfect size school. The classes are small (which is good for getting to know your professors), but there are enough students who go here that you constantly meet new people. There are a lot of opportunities to meet people. Sororities and Fraternities are present on campus but are not the center of everything. So if you chose to be in a sorority or fraternity great, but if you don't it's not the end of your social life. Being located in the heart of the city is AWESOME! There are tons of fun bars throughout the city. But, if you don't like the bar scene, house parties are always an option. Most students live off campus after freshmen year. The school is close to the beach, which fun to go to when the weather is nice (and the weather is usually nice). The college is constantly adding onto the campus and fixing the buildings. When I am on campus I usually would be at the library. They have tons of computers for students to use, and great resources. Also one great resource is the Stern Center. It has a food court, gym, pool, study areas, and two ATMs. If I could change one thing about Charleston I would want it to have a higher number of students who attend sports events. The basketball team in the past two years is definitely drawing bigger and better crowds, however, other teams like soccer and baseball play in Patriots Point, which is not directly on campus, so students are less likely to go to those games. I have had the best 4 years at Charleston.
Jordan Senior
This school is very student oriented. The classes are not overbearing. We are not just a number to our teachers. They know us by name and are easy to contact. I feel very confident and secure speaking openly to my professors. I think the stigma attached to going to C of C is that people are typically impressed. C of C has a great reputation of being a strong school academically and socially. I think that employers are confident in hiring students that have graduated from the college. I also feel like we are pretty well prepared once we do graduate. The majority of my time spent on campus is at the library or in class. This year has been one of my hardest, so I was constantly studying or doing projects at the library.Although I spent a my time in the library, it all pays off in the end when you see your grade and summer comes. Since I have been done with classes for the year, I have been able to go to the beach and baseball games. There are a lot of activities that go on throughout the year in Charleston, so there is always something to do around town. I feel that there is a great deal of school pride even though we don't have a football team. People are always wearing cougar apparel and it's an honor when we finally get to walk across the Cistern. The most unusual part about C of C is that we always have tourists and carriage tours around campus taking pictures and talking about the history of the school. It's wierd to me because I find it odd to see someone with their tourist gear standing outside the door taking a picture of the building I have class in everyday. I understand the curiosity. We are (I think) the oldest or one of the oldest colleges in South Carolina. There is a great deal of history that coincides with the college. I think one experiance that I will always remember is when I finally get to walk across the Cistern. I have seen so many people walk across it and receive their diploma. I appreciate the history of the ceremony and I have worked extremely hard to receive the privledge to walk across the Cistern. It will be an honor.
Amy Senior
the college of charleston isn't big by any mean. it is small enough to function like a community, you'll start to recognize people, mostly because they'll say hi as they begin to recognize you. everyone is very friendly. among the college of charleston students exist a fabulous commraderie. sports aren't a huge deal to everyone but they're always a good time. and the students have a particular affection for bobby cremins. he is always warm towards students and very visible in the community. the same can be said of the professors. the commraderie charleston's students share extends into the professors. charleston boasts a number of hugely influential, and truly just cool, professors. they'll be found on benches around campus on sunny days, strolling through the city and even out at folly. most professors strive for accesibility, handing their home phone numbers out with the syllabus and i've never seen an office door closed. the only advice i can give, is don't come to charleston if you aren't trying to stay in school for more than four years. it is possible, but undesirable. i'd gladly be a c of c student for the rest of my life.
leslie Junior
I love CofC. Plain and simple. The professors are wonderful people who are dedicated to their students and genuinely want to see them succeed. There are opportunities for almost anything--volunteer work, internships, study abroad, clubs, sports, you name it. I think one of the reasons I like the college so much is that it's fairly small. classes are no more than five minutes from anywhere else on campus walking. Everyone has a lot of school pride--especially in the basketball team. If there is anything unusual about CofC it would be the lack of a football team. But that's wonderful. The Basketball teams awesome. If I have a complaint, it would be the city and the smoking. Though I love the college, I hate the city. It's really bad for flooding. We're downtown, so all the water comes down our way. Classes rarely cancel for things like this. I'm a small-town country girl and the city just isn't my mug of root beer. This is rarely a problem for anyone else, though. Indeed, the lion's share of the students fall in love with the city... I'm just not one of them. I love the college itself so much though, that I'll live in the city to attend here. About the smoking-- I hate smoking. Everyone has the right to make their own decisions, and I respect that right. However, most of the kids do smoke. It gets really annoying when someone lights up in front of you and then blows their smoke in your face. You can't "go somewhere else" because there IS nowhere else to GO. But these are only my complaints.
Aaron Junior
I think that the best thing about C of C is its location. The campus is located in the heart of Charleston, one of the oldest and most preserved cities in the South. One thing that we definitely take for granted is the architecture of the college and of the city. When I first visited Charleston and the campus, I felt like I was in an old European city. There is a lot of history here. The city withstood both the Revolutionary and Civil Wars. I think the size of the student body is right where it should be. The college limits the number of students to just under 10,000, because there simply is just not much more room to expand, although the college always finds another place to sneak in a building. There are three constructions going on right now, an expansion to the arts center, basketball arena, and a new science buildings.
Konstantin Junior
Reviews provided by: UnigoVisit Unigo to see 305 other reviews and videos on College of Charleston.
