A College Choice Blog: 2010

COLLEGE TOURS SUMMER 2010

Two weeks on the road and 22 colleges and universities was how I spent the last part of June 2010. I now have seen all but one of the 20 private schools in South Carolina. Several pounds later and way too many desserts, I am now a knowledgeable consultant about the following schools.

Monday started in Columbia, SC at Columbia International University. As a Christian college, all students must major in Bible and something in a vocational field. Their curriculum is based on five core values: authority of scripture, prayer and faith, evangelical unity, world evangelism (involvement in 140 countries), victorious Christian living. Students on campus represent over 130 countries. They have a very unique program with an adjacent State prison. The college president has a goal of have an expanding athletic program.

Monday afternoon we moved on to Allen University located in the urban part of Columbia. This HBCU school is affiliated with the AME church. There is a very family-oriented atmosphere where students have strong bonds from faculty as friends and supporters. There are a number of historic buildings on campus which have lovingly been restored.

Tuesday morning we visited Newberry College in Newberry, SC. Located on edge of a small Southern town with a restored opera house, it has an ideal college setting. Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, they are celebrating their 150th anniversary. I found the campus similar to Emory & Henry and Erskine. They participate in the Call Me Mr. Program, which encourages black males to teach in elementary school. Newberry has a laptop program that provides each incoming freshman with a computer for all four years. The nursing program at Newberry just celebrated its first graduation and is expanding. One unique program is the forensic program with a chemistry basis that has a working relationship with SLED.

Lunch was served at Anderson University in Anderson. This Southern Baptist institution has evolved over the past 100 years. The campus has grown in size from 68 acres to 271 acres. Anderson has an accredited interior design major and their graphic design department has won many awards. This school has 2300 students and strives to grow to be even larger. Afternoon tea with a student panel was the highlight of the visit.

Wofford College with its unique Boston terrier mascot was the next host school. Located in Spartanburg, this campus shares its surroundings with several other colleges. Currently at 1500 students, they hope to grow to 1600. The strongest majors are Biology and Foreign Language. Many students study abroad--68% and many are Greek--60%. Wofford has a beautiful housing complex for Seniors with a village-type atmosphere. This is one of the more demanding schools academically.

Wednesday started with breakfast in the outdoor courtyard with fountains at Converse College in Spartanburg. I can still taste those delicious scones! Converse has a dynamic female president with an Ivy League educational background. As a women's college, this institution provides many opportunities. Their athletics program is growing. The newest sports are equestrian, lacrosse, and swimming. Study abroad is enjoyed by 33% of their students. Gorgeous sculptures abound throughout their lovely, expansive campus. Music and visual arts are strong majors. They are going to open their new School of Arts.

The afternoon was spent at Spartanburg Methodist. This is one of those rare two-year colleges which give a strong, supportive environment to its students. They have extremely generous financial aid packages. If you are Methodist, you receive a $1,000 scholarship. Degrees can be earned in Arts, Science, Religion or Criminal Justice. This school has 3 males to 1 female, a very different scenario than most . The cobblestone buildings on campus have a history which began as a school to educate textile workers.

The late afternoon we visited Limestone College in Gaffney. Situated on the edge of a quarry, this institution began as a women's college in 1845. The oldest building on campus was originally a hotel for those who wished to visit nearby healing springs. Limestone is most known for its strong lacrosse program. Business is the most popular major. Another plus for Limestone is that they have a LD program. Life coaches are an important part of this alternative learning program.

Thursday we traveled to Sumter to Morris College. They are a HBCU affiliated with the Baptist Education and Missionary Convention of South Carolina. Criminal justice is their fasted growing major. Those in engineering or nursing, benefit from the agreements with Clemson, NC A&T, and USC. This school also participates in the Call Me Mr. Program. The biggest boost to this school is a $10 million gift from an alumnus who won the State Lottery. Their will be new buildings, campus improvements, and additional scholarships. Morris served the world's best fried chicken and wow, what a dessert bar!!

A bit of a ride on country roads and we arrived at Coker College in Hartsville, just a bit from Florence. Dinner was hosted at their historic 1820 Thomas Hart House, followed by a tour of the campus's Kalmia Gardens. On Friday morning we returned to Coker. They hosted a lovely sit-down breakfast in the beautiful Coker home which was adorned with rare, expensive Dresden and Waterford chandeliers. Coker got my star for this tour. Set in a lovely Southern town, with an expansive, green campus--it is just beautiful--columns and bricks abound. The Governor's School shares this same setting. Round-table learning is the predominate style for this campus. There are an abundance of choices in dance and music--choreography, music/piano--to name a few. There are 630 students from many states. This is a wonderful, small liberal arts school with excellent academic opportunities for students.

Friday afternoon was a trip back to Columbia to travel back home. There was just enough time to go home, unpack, do laundry, repack and be back on the road on Sunday.

I made my way to High Point, NC to begin the Central portion of the North Carolina private colleges and universities.

After starting at High Point University, everything else was lacking in the shine and precision experienced at HP. High Point is the Disneyworld of college campuses. Inside and out the campus sparkles and shines and offers the best of the best to its students. The staff and President of HP were very polished and professional in all that they did, said, and offered to the tour counselors. Purple banners, fountains, flowers, life-size sitting figures of great historical individuals, classical music piped throughout the campus--including the outside, finely furnished student areas, fine art throughout the campus are just a few of the things to be found on this growing campus. A new Greek village with million dollar homes is to begin construction. Growth to an enrollment of 5,000 is the goal. HP is a Steinway campus. This school is on an upward trajectory which will surely be reached under the leadership of President Nido R. Quebein. This is soon to be the next Elon. Counselors were treated to dinner in the campus Steak House, movies with popcorn, candy and drinks, and chocolate chip cookies wrapped with a thank-you card at our room doors. The amenities that are offered to the students in their comprehensive fee is not to be found on any other campus that I have visited thus far. In their own words, they have an "elegant, pristine, boutique" campus. All I can say is WOW about HP.

Monday afternoon we proceeded to Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem. WF is a test optional school. They have a lovely new stadium that is guarded by a gigantic Demon Deacon. Wake Forest own properties in England, Austria and Italy with 65% of students taking advantage of study abroad. Early decision is the way to get in to this highly competitive university. One-third of the freshmen class is admitted Early Decision, which is rolling and binding. Business is the most popular major. After having lunch atop the new stadium, we moved on to another location in Winston-Salem.

Salem College in the historic Old Salem district hosted us for dinner. We first had a chance to explore the Old Salem section. The bakery was not to be missed. Founded in 1772 by Moravians, this is the oldest women's college in the United States and in North Carolina. New majors are exercise science and public policy. They have a strong School of Music. There was extreme passion for this school exhibited by the President, faculty and students.

Tuesday started at Catawba College in Salisbury. They hosted breakfast in their Center for the Environment--a lovely building set into the hillside with a waterfall running beside it. They have a strong environmental program that is supported by a 189-acre ecological preserve and a 300-acre wildlife refuge. The German Reform Church founded this school. The core values of scholarship, character, culture and service are stressed. With 1,000 students and 40 majors, one should not have to worry about overcrowding. One unique concentration is popular music. A learning specialist is on staff. Lemonade and cookies at the lovely campus guest house was a nice touch farewell send-off.

Livingstone College in Salisbury was our next stop. A HBCU it was founded by the AME Church. A former plantation with ties to the Underground Railroad and Harriett Tubman are part of this campus. This school provides an excellent setting for at-risk students. There is a Bridge Program, as well as scholarship incentives, for good academic performance. The school population is primarily first-generation--73%. This is another campus that has a three-to-one, male-to-female, ratio. This campus has the only library funded by and named for Andrew Carnegie.

Wingate University in Wingate was our dinner stop. This school strives to have students graduate in four years. As a Baptist institution, their motto is Knowledge that integrates Faith that inspires Service. New sports are diving and track. They hope to grow to a campus of 4,000 undergrads. The entire Junior class participates in the Winternational Program, which involves study abroad for ten days. Religious activities, though voluntary, play a large role on this campus.

Thursday morning began at Cabarrus College of Health Sciences in Concord. This is a very regionally based college which offers a variety of medical majors from the AA to BS level. Many of the students were non-traditional.

Pfeiffer University in Misenheimer hosted us for lunch. There were so many tasty sandwich choices that it was difficult to make a final decision. They refer to their setting as a village with a Methodist Church that is run by the students. The Bonner Leaders Program, which is connected to AmeriCorps, is on this campus. There is a train that runs through the campus. This institution was founded by the Pfeiffer family from Upstate New York. A student would be comfortable on this campus if they have strong religious values. There is a certified learning center. Snow cones were our treat at the end of our visit!

Elon University was our last stop of the day. Since my last visit to this campus, there has been a big building boom, which is still in progress. This school is connected to the United Church of Christ. Experiential and engaged learning seemed to be the current terminology on the campus. The acorn and the oak (there are many oak trees on campus) are integrated into campus traditions. Elon is moving to a four-credit system--as is High Point. Elon is a Phi Beta Campus. Elon is the school that High Point is striving to become.

Guilford College in Greensboro was our overnight host. After breakfast on Thursday, we were given a golf-cart, progressive campus tour. There are a number of renovations throughout the campus. Green is the important word. Quaker values are an integral part of life on this campus. Strong LD services are provided. The Bonner Scholars Program is on this campus. Guilford is a writing-intensive school.

Bennett College for Women in Greensboro was our next stop. This is a HBCU affiliated with the United Methodist Church. This is another campus that was supported by the New York-based Pfeiffer family. There are many traditions connected with this historic school. Rolling admission and test optional admissions make things easier for applicants. This is the only campus that has a headstone in memory of Miss Gossip.

Thursday evening we spent in downtown Greensboro, right down the street from the Civil Rights Museum. Just up the block was the lunch counter that was the center of so much activity in the sixties. We were treated to a Grasshoppers baseball game, the local farm team, at the nearby stadium.

Friday morning marked our final visit of the tour. We toured Greensboro College. This is a United Methodist school that began as a women's college. Their brother school was Trinity (now Duke.) Athletics are strong on this campus with a male-majority population. This is one of the few schools that have a Learning Service Program with no additional fees connected to it. Generous financial aid packages are offered at Greensboro. The four-credit system is now being used on this campus. The most popular majors are athletic training, criminal justice, and business.

At the conclusion of our Greensboro tour, we returned to High Point. Driving home gave me time to formulate a plan to lose all of those lovely calories that I consumed as I took my college (culinary) tour through the Carolinas!