Getting to know the College of Charleston, what Accepted Students Weekend is all about.
Spring is here, and you know what that means? No, not spring break, but something just as momentous at the College of Charleston – Accepted Students Weekend.
Each spring for the past seven years, students who have been accepted to the College have been invited to campus to get a better sense of the life they’ll soon be enjoying come fall. This Friday and Saturday, roughly 1,000 students and their families from all around the U.S. will tour campus; meet with faculty, staff and students; eat in the dining halls and generally get an idea of what student life is like at this 244-year-old, mid-sized urban university.
“Accepted Students Weekend,” explains Jimmie Foster Jr., Assistant Vice President for Admissions and Enrollment Management, “is an ideal way to get a strong sense of what we have to offer at the College of Charleston. You can take in a TEDx-style presentation by a faculty member, sit on a panel with current students discussing specific topics about student life, see the entire array of student clubs and organizations on campus and check out a residence hall.”
Foster adds that the College does all that it can to make new students and their families feel welcome in Charleston. This year, the university will have student and staff concierges available to meet arriving families at the Charleston International Airport and direct them to the baggage claim areas and rental car desks. In addition, students and their families can ride a Charleston city bus downtown from the airport for just $1 per rider.
“Spring is a wonderful time to be in Charleston,” says Foster. “And it’s the perfect time to get to know the College. We’ll have almost 3,000 new faces on campus for the weekend. The students and families come because of the event, but we hope they leave having had an informative experience. We hope that the experience is so fantastic that each student decides to enroll at the College and then go tell all of their friends about it.”
Foster’s enthusiasm regarding Accepted Students Weekend is widely shared around campus. Senior Admissions Counselor Seaton Brown ’09, who coordinated this year’s event, sees the weekend as an ideal opportunity for incoming students to get to know Charleston.
“That’s one of the best aspects of the event,” says Brown. “Our city is renowned for its hospitality and the neighbors surrounding campus are perfect examples of that. Because the College and the city are inextricably connected, we enjoy strong relationships all around town. Whether it’s internships or job opportunities, the Charleston community is welcoming and its members want College of Charleston students to feel at home just as much as we do.”
