Admitted Cougar Events Welcome New CofC Students

Making the transition from high school to college can be challenging. For nearly every first-year student, college life represents unfamiliar territory. That’s why it’s reassuring to know that the College of Charleston makes every effort to address questions and concerns in advance to help college-bound students – and their parents – stay fully informed regarding what to expect for their first year as an undergraduate.

As part of that effort, the College’s Office of Admissions is rolling out a series of virtual school showcases over the next several weeks to highlight the CofC’s academic offerings and experiential learning opportunities. Those gatherings (to be held on Zoom) will give admitted students the opportunity to connect with faculty members from every academic department and program on campus.

“It’s more important than ever to showcase the talent of our faculty and our students,” says Amy Takayama-Perez, the College’s vice president of university marketing and enrollment planning. “For admitted freshmen and transfer students, our expanded virtual offerings give us a chance to highlight the academic and student experience even if the audience can’t be here in person. In the end, global pandemic and all, I am struck by students’ and families’ desire be part of an exciting milestone in their lives, and we’re happy to bring CofC into their homes and get them excited about joining the Cougar Nation.”

These school showcases are just one offering among many in a series that’s been dubbed Admitted Cougar Events. Much of this is the brainchild of Devan Thompson ’10, the College’s senior associate director for admissions events. According to Thompson, she found ready partners in the deans, department chairs and program directors at each of the College’s six schools.

“We understand that admitted students and their families have big decisions to make and need questions answered as soon as possible,” Thompson explains. “National Decision Day on May 1 is rapidly approaching. So, our series of Admitted Cougar Events was designed as the perfect opportunity to highlight the College’s academic offerings as well as its many resources and support services. When admitted students connect with current students and faculty members via these forums, they get a realistic idea of the people they’ll be surrounded by and supported by once they enroll, and that’s important.”

Thompson adds that the individual school showcases will enable faculty members to explain the exceptional programs in their respective schools such as the new electrical engineering major and the new minor in medical humanities. In addition, these forums will offer information about many of the distinctive opportunities at CofC such as the Honors College, the Jewish Studies Program, the College’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiative, as well as the many engaging activities offered through the Office of Student Life, including more than 220 student clubs and organizations.

“When we look at the data from admitted student events in past years,” Thompson says, “it’s clear that these occasions have an important impact for the students who end up enrolling. We know that assessing colleges during a global pandemic poses a big challenge for everyone, and that’s why our staff has gotten really creative in developing these showcases. We want all admitted students and their families to be comfortable, excited and fully informed about the College of Charleston.”

The school showcases will begin on Tuesday, March 9, 2021, with a presentation by faculty and students from the School of Sciences and Mathematics. Additional offerings within this series include virtual open houses, a progression of town hall meetings with CofC President Andrew T. Hsu designed expressly for admitted students and their parents, and several opportunities to participate in expanded virtual visits to campus.

Additional information and the opportunity to register for any of these virtual events can be found on the Admitted Cougar Events webpage.