COLOMBIA, SC – Walking down the streets of Colombia, the city life instantly vanishes as students step onto the cobblestoned college campus. Following college street dumps students, parents, and visitors at the infamous Horseshoe, surrounding them with red brick buildings dating back to the 1800s. Giant white pillars rise up in support of the typical southern style architecture, and green grass invites various activities including Frisbee, sun-bathing, or even yoga. Welcome to the University of South Carolina.
Nestled in the heart of Colombia, home of the Gamecock – The University of South Carolina is determined to supply a melting-pot of students with excellent teachers, specialized courses, high-end resources, and a welcoming atmosphere where students can grow and develop.
The university includes 324 degree-programs within its 14 schools all located in South Carolina’s capital of Columbia. Rising from a single building built in 1805, the school withholds a lot of history. Old Southern style architecture dots the green grass campus, pulling students out of the modern city into 17th century history.
The college was founded in 1801, where it flourished before it found itself in the heat of the civil war. The civil war provided many hardships for the institution; however, since it’s restoration as a university in 1906, the school enhanced national standings, developing all through the past centuries.
Now, with a high-end staff (Five faculty members awarded Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2011, contributing to a total number of 29) and with a large student base (numbers reaching 22,556 undergraduate students as of November 1, 2011) the school proudly flaunts its prestigious status: not only does the honors program hold the title as having the top honors program in the nation, but it is also granted number one school in the nation for International Business – part of the Moore school of Business. In 2010, 856 undergraduate students got the opportunity to study abroad. Overall, the school is ranked within the top three according to U.S.News & World Report’s guide, “America’s Best Colleges.”
Their success pours into their sports team, and gamecock fans pack the football stadium every fall, last year’s season including an 11-win streak, and ultimate victory against Nebraska in the Capital One Bowl. Not to mention, the baseball team kept champion ship title in winning the College World Series for their second consecutive year.
Like all other universities, USC admissions are in the process of reviewing thousands of applications and high school transcripts; however, their admission requirements make them unique as all applicants are required to produce the following credentials:
-a $50 application fee
-official high school transcript – 3 core courses of Laboratory Science is mandatory
-offical SAT or ACT scores, and at least one writing score – Three-fourths of admitted fall 2012 freshmen received a 1120 or higher on the SAT or a 24 or higher on the ACT, while also attaining a GPA of at least 3.6 on a 4.0 scale.
-a guidance counselor evaluation form
USC uses their own application, and even though it is not required, a personal statement is recommended, which can all be found online at www.sc.edu.
The specialized schools require specific applications in addition to admission, and their information can be found online as well. Students are also encouraged to apply to the honors college, and for scholarship/ financial aid. For the 2012-2013 school year, out-of-state tuition is rounding up to $27,644, not including traditional housing, meal plans, nor books and supplies, all which can add up to nearly an additional $10,000.
USC is cited for affordable tuition, granting more than 1,000 need-based and merit-based scholarships and aid to upcoming freshmen class, each year; overall eighty percent of undergraduates are receiving financial aid.
USC’s respected academic programs and esteemed faculty leaders, as well as our diverse student life and energy-ridden Columbia community ultimately contributed to their review by The Princeton Review as one of the “100 Best Value Colleges for 2011.”
Within the confines of a major city – South Carolina’s capital –the campus location provides many students within walking distance of many internship sites at local hospitals, government offices, and businesses. Not to mention, the location allows students to take part in the city life, discovering the many restaurants, shops, and museums the city holds. The Colonial Center on campus hosts various big-name concerts and special USC events, and student life after class is highly active, whether the student is involved in the hundreds of school clubs or not.