I had the opportunity to visit the College of Charleston on February 11, 2015. As I walked onto the campus, I was amazed once again at the sheer beauty of the surroundings. Old oak trees with Spanish moss draping from them hung over the brick sidewalks that designate the campus boundaries. There were students walking to class in groups laughing, and young people on bikes making their way through the beautiful paths on campus. As I walked into the information session, I thought. “What is not to love about this incredible campus located in the center of Charleston?”
Madison, our student ambassador, was terrific throughout the info session explaining the various programs that C of C offers. There were several programs that got my attention during Madison’s talk. The Department of Language Cultures and World Affairs offers a Jewish Studies program. There are approximately 700 Jewish students on campus. On Wednesdays and Fridays, the new Jewish Studies Center offers free dinners for any C of C students. This has become a very popular spot on campus, and it has become a terrific way to introduce the Jewish faith as well as the many wonderful Jewish traditions to non-Jewish students. There is a kosher dining facility being built which will be open to all C of C students next fall.
I was also excited to learn more about College of Charleston’s strong marine biology program that is housed in the Department of Science and Mathematics. Many of the marine biology classes are located in the well-equipped Grice Marine Lab at Fort Jackson. This facility has classrooms, teaching and research labs, and it is also located within research facilities operated by both state and federal agencies. The marine lab facility includes small and medium vessels, a wet lab and aquarium, and fish and invertebrate museum collections.
Without a doubt, the College of Charleston has many attributes that make it a wonderful college choice for many students who would like to remain in the South for their college experience. The one negative I did learn is that there are very few merit scholarships offered to out of state students. In this case, if you are accepted to the College of Charleston, plan to pay the full tuition which is $37,800 this year.