How I Chose a College: Students Explain

Late winter and early spring are exceptionally important times in the life of a high school senior. This is when a majority of these students are deciding what college to attend. And the factors that go into making those choices are all over the map.

Many students are influenced by tuition concerns and the amount of financial aid they can get. Some students just want to enroll anywhere other than in their own hometown, while others scrutinize the caliber of an institution’s academic programs, its student:faculty ratios, and its proximity to desirable amenities such as the beach, mountains or urban life.

Students choose the College of Charleston for an equally wide range of reasons. In honor of this stressful yet exciting season, here are few of their stories:

Justin Herp, senior accounting major

Meet Justin Herp from Grand Rapids, Mich. He’s a senior accounting major who says: “When it came time to look for colleges, I realized that I wanted to start in the Southeast. At the same time, I’d heard good things back home about the College of Charleston and its academics, and after a couple of visits, I realized that I wanted to come here. It seemed to be the perfect size. I really was focused on size of the school because I knew that meant I’d get more personal attention.”

EXPLORE: Check out the Class of 2018’s profile

Carter Rhea, junior astronomy and math major

Carter Rhea, a junior astronomy and math double major (with minors in Russian and geology) from Charleston, SC, says: “I didn’t plan to go to the College initially, but I looked into it more and realized that there were strong science programs here. Also, I really liked the liberal arts approach. I like the idea of a well-rounded education, because it’s helpful to be able to talk about anything whether it’s literature, science or history. It’s very useful for me when I’m trying to explain to someone what I do to be able to bring up history or literature; to be able to talk about more than just science.”

Deirdre Carr, senior urban studies major

Deirdre Carr, a senior majoring in urban studies, transferred her credits from South Carolina State University in Orangeburg because she wanted to diversify her life. She chose the College because of its Urban Studies Program. “I went online and realized that this field of urban planning was exactly what I want to do, and the College has an excellent program.”

WATCH: Top 10 Reasons for Choosing the College

Clerc Cooper, senior history major

History and African American Studies double major Clerc Cooper – a senior from New Orleans, La., – says: “I researched the College only because I knew about it through sailing. I first checked out the history department’s website. I knew that would be my major, and I discovered the work of Scott Poole. He he was doing research on American cultural history, and he had just published Monsters in America. I was very excited about the possibility of studying with him. So, he and I emailed back and forth for a few weeks at the time. Learning about him was certainly one of the reasons why I came here.”

Rosie Escalante, a marketing major from, Goose Creek, SC explains: “I had never really considered the College because it’s so close to home, but one day I found out about the Senior Project program, which brings rising seniors to campus from high schools around the state. So I signed up, still not thinking I was interested in the College, but I opted to do that program anyway. Wow, that first campus tour just made me fall in love with the place. Everyone I talked to was genuinely interested in my story. And I really liked the size and setting of the campus. I didn’t feel like I was just another student, I felt valued. I had been to downtown Charleston a bunch of times, but it’s totally different when you get the student experience here. After that, I was pretty much sold on the College.”