College of Charleston Top Questions

There really are not many foreigners at our school at all which is too bad. The girls get unbelievably dressed up in the beginning of the year for class, but after a while people chill out and act normal. There a re alot of rich kids, but most of them are cool and don't brag or anything like that. Most kids wear jeans and a t-shirt, or shorts and flops to class. Girls wear lots of dresses.

This is where all the stereotypes come into play. Kids are usually white, well off, liberal, etc. There are a number of diverging opinions though, and plenty of people can mix and match without clashing.

I think all students can find some group on campus to feel comfortable with. You never see a loner kid around, everyone is always with a friend. You don't have to dress up to go to class. Jeans and a t-shirt are common for me, but some people come in sweatpants or running shorts or way too dressed up. A lot of students are from the state of South Carolina of course, but there are a lot of students that come from up north to the College as well. Financial backgrounds are not really prevalent but you can tell usually who has the most money. Students are very politically aware on campus, especially with the upcoming 2008 election. There are probably an equal amount of liberals and republicans.

Kids on campus are pretty racist as is the city in whole due to the divide between the wealth. Girls that aren't wealthy or attractive would probably have a hard time enjoying the college because of its shopping district that attracts so many wealthy attractive southern girls. However if they do come they'll be forced to enter either the hippy or preppy crowd. There's not much of an in-between. Class attire often includes Jeans, Khakis, Polos, Greek Life T-shirts, Pearls, Jack Rogers shoes, Rainbows, New balances (preppy). Otherwise it includes jeans, old t-shirts (etc.).

There are so many different groups of people at CofC it would be hard for a student to feel out of place. Almost everyone dresses for class, rarely do you see someone walking to class looking like they just rolled out of bed. The girls will be in summer dresses and the boys in polos. Most students are from Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, New England area and South Carolina. Financially, most of the out of state students come from well off families. Students are politically aware and very outspoken about their political views.

I have run into maybe two racist people while down here which isn't bad I guess. The black kids usually keep within their own groups, seemingly not because white people don't want to hang out with them, but because the black people don't want to hang out with the white kids. I don't know... There are religious and LGBT groups on campus and they are all widely accepted. I think a quiet student would feel out of place at C of C because it is very friendly and to get involved you have to put yourself out there. Most girls get pretty dressed up for class while boys usually wear khakis and a t-shirt. Most C of C students are from the east coast, lots of southern and northerns. It seems there are a lot of rich kids, or middle class kids there. A lot of kids are politically aware and the campus is mostly democratic. We have had many prominent political figures on campus.

Primarily white.

The school does appear to be segregated racially, whether it is intentional or not, I cannot say. Most students wear anything from PJ's, athletic wear, to their best Sunday's dress ranging from way too informal to formal. Students with well-to-do backgrouands are most prevalent.

It's such a mixed group socially. The school is 75{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}+ white, which can be a little weird sometimes. I can't think of any student who would feel out of place at College of Charleston. Maybe only those who don't like to party or go out. It's not always necessary to do this, but it's a big part of C of C. A lot of the students are from South Carolina. Maybe... 55{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c}? The rest? New Jersey, New York, Connecticut. I've met more people from the Northern states than from, say Georgia or Alabama.

Everyone who is a minority on campus is generally welcoming. Occasionally, you will run into groups that aren't comfortable with the majority. This is the South after all. However, if you are kind and nice to them and they realize that you aren't the same stereotype that they have encountered, then it is okay. It's a lot of work but the experiences you have with these groups can be life changing, to say the least. Flip flops are the thing to wear at CofC. Everyone wears flip flops, jeans, tshirts and when it is warm outside, I am proud to say that our students go the extra mile to look good. CofC has some of the more stylish students I have seen. Most of the people from CofC come from an upper middle class background or better. They are mostly white people. The minority voice is being heard on campus now with diversity becoming an issue. However, it can be kind of daunting for those who aren't from the same background. I wasn't from an upper class white family so I know what challeges people face.