Admissions Information

Office of Admissions

843.953.5670
admissions@cofc.edu
international@cofc.edu
https://charleston.edu/admission

For non-degree students:
https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/non-degree

The College of Charleston encourages applications from all academically qualified persons. There is no discrimination in the admission process based on the applicant’s gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, race, color, religion, national origin, veterans’ status, genetic information, or disability. Applicants who do not initially meet the College of Charleston’s admission requirements may be considered for admission when there is sufficient evidence to suggest the ability to do satisfactory work at College of Charleston.

The following policies and procedures are applicable to all degree-seeking applicants and matriculating students:

Final, official copies of all relevant transcripts from each institution attended must be filed prior to enrollment. Failure to provide information regarding each institution attended or to submit official transcripts may result in withdrawal of any offer of admission, restrictions on registration and/or dismissal from the College. For some applicants, we may require additional documentation specific to application questions.

Eligibility to return to prior institution

Applicants to the College must be eligible to return to the last institution attended and must not be serving academic suspension at that or any other institution. Students who are on disciplinary suspension or have other disciplinary or criminal violations, including pending charges, will be conditionally considered for admission in accordance with the College of Charleston policy 8.1.15 Admitting Applicants for Enrollment with a Criminal or Disciplinary History. These students as well as other applicants are required to provide disciplinary records to the College of Charleston and give written consent and FERPA waiver(s) to have College of Charleston officials discuss their disciplinary history and status with officials from their previous institution(s) and other relevant parties, in the sole discretion of the College.

Financial Aid

Federal financial aid is only available to students in a degree-seeking status.

Transfer Credit

Policies governing transfer credit and credit by exam (AP, CLEP, IB, etc.) and equivalencies are managed by the Transfer Resource Center. Detailed information can be found through the Transfer Resource Center (https://transfer.cofc.edu/).

Distance Education

Students, who take courses via mixed modalities, including distance education and online courses, must meet all appropriate admission requirements. Admissions applications for all students, including those intending to access coursework online may be filed online.

Risk Management Assessment

All applicants are required to answer questions relating to their criminal and disciplinary history, as outlined in College of Charleston, Policy 8.1.5.

Privacy and Security Policies

Information on the privacy and security policies governing applicants’ personal information can be found online at the College’s policy website at https://charleston.edu/policy.

Appeal of admissions decision

Every student that is not offered admission to the College has the right to appeal their decision. The committee only accepts student-written letters of appeal. An applicant should only appeal if there is substantial new information that the committee was not aware of at the time of the original decision. An applicant should not appeal just to request a second review of their application.

Special circumstances are considered and appeals are evaluated on a case by case basis by an admission professional.

Health Requirements

All students are required to complete a health form and show proof of immunization. Health forms may be downloaded from our website at https://charleston.edu/student-health. Physical exams are not required.

Admissions Procedures

First-year Admission (degree seeking)

A first-year applicant is a person who has not attended a university, college, or technical school since time of high school graduation. Applicants who attended a post-secondary institution while still in high school are classified as first-year students.

First-year applicants must have earned either a high school diploma or its international equivalent, or the General Educational Development Test (GED) and submitted verification of this credential prior to enrolling (GED Diploma).  If a GED is submitted in place of a high school diploma, students must also provide their high school record complete through the most recent period of high school attendance. The results of the GED will normally be used in place of the high school diploma only if the applicant left secondary school at least two years before intended enrollment at the College of Charleston. Applicants must provide information about their activities during the time that were not enrolled in school.

Application requirements, deadlines, and detailed information can be found at https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/undergraduate. Options for fall admission include early decision, early action, and regular notification. Consideration of scholarship awards may require that application deadlines are met.

Decision-Making Process

The College of Charleston maintains a holistic review process involving both quantitative and qualitative components which guide the Office of Admissions in reaching their final decisions. The admissions committee carefully weighs the student’s academic preparation (which includes grades, rank in class, and rigor of courses taken), SAT/ACT results if submitted, personal statements and essays, leadership qualification, and special talents. Special circumstances are considered and each application is reviewed and evaluated individually by admissions professionals.

Applicants for first-year admission must submit:

1. A completed application form with a nonrefundable application fee, or application fee waiver.
2. Official or unofficial high school records complete up to the time of application.
3. Results of the SAT or ACT are not required for applicants but may be submitted and will be considered unless the applicant chooses to apply as test score optional. The College’s ACT code no. is 3846 and SAT code no. is 5113. Submission of the optional writing scores for either test is encouraged but not required.

Students who enroll must submit:

1. Official final transcripts of secondary school work, including verification of graduation and receipt of a diploma, or GED results and diploma.
2. Students who have completed post-secondary work, including dual-credit, while in high school must submit official final transcripts of their college work whether or not they expect to receive credit, and whether or not the coursework is posted to their high school transcript.

Some students must submit:

1. Official SAT or ACT test results sent directly from the testing agency if applicable. Enrolling students must request that the results of the tests be sent to the College of Charleston directly from the testing agency prior to orientation.

South Carolina homeschooled students must be registered with a fully accredited and recognized homeschool organization. If it is not, we require a GED. College of Charleston will respect each state’s homeschool laws. If the state does not require an accredited homeschool curriculum, we will abide by those rules for admission consideration. For all homeschooled students, regardless of residency, we require the full academic history of all high school coursework and grades.

To be well prepared for the challenging academics at the College of Charleston, first-year applicants should take a rigorous secondary school program of study that includes a variety of subjects. The following curriculum shows the best preparation for enrollment at the College of Charleston. This curriculum will also ensure that students are in compliance with the course requirements from the SC Commission on Higher Education for entry into S.C. four-year colleges.

The College of Charleston admissions committee can consider applicants who have not taken all of these courses due to circumstances beyond their reasonable control.

A college preparatory course in computer science (programming, not keyboarding) is recommended. Other acceptable electives include college preparatory courses in English, fine arts, foreign languages, humanities, laboratory science, mathematics or social sciences.

Cougar Advantage Admissions Initiative

Public school students from South Carolina, applying for admission for the 2020 fall semester and thereafter, will be automatically admitted based on a rank in class that places them in the top ten percent. Additional information about qualifications is posted on the Cougar Advantage website.

First Year Impact Admission (First-year students)

Some first-year students are required to participate in the First-Year Impact program as a condition of their admission. These students are identified by the admissions staff during the admissions process. Upon matriculation, First-Year Impact students are assisted by special academic support services to ensure that they are given a solid foundation on which to build their academic success. The First Year Impact program is managed by the Center for Academic Performance and Persistence.

Transfer and Bridge Programs

Students participating in transfer and bridge programs must successfully complete program requirements and then complete an application before enrolling at the College of Charleston for the subsequent semester. Additional information about transfer and bridge programs is available from the Office of Admissions.

Charleston Bridge

Charleston Bridge is a one-semester, residential program that will give selected applicants admission to the College of Charleston, following a semester of work at Trident Technical College.

Charleston Bridge participants are identified and invited to participate through the College of Charleston’s admissions process.

At the end of the fall semester, students who have met bridge requirements will be eligible to transfer to the College of Charleston in the January immediately following the end of the fall semester and will be required to participate in the First Year Impact Program.

iCharleston

iCharleston is a one-semester, international, residential program that will give selected applicants admission to the College of Charleston following a semester of work at an international partner collegiate institution.

iCharleston participants are identified and invited to participate through the College of Charleston’s first-year admissions process.

At the end of the fall semester, students who have met bridge requirements will be eligible to transfer to the College of Charleston in the January immediately following the end of the fall semester and will be required to participate in the First Year Impact Program.

Deferred Enrollment and Gap Year

First-year students who have been admitted are eligible for deferred enrollment or a gap period up to one academic year. A gap semester or year typically consists of a program or period of non-credit bearing experiential activities that are undertaken after high school graduation. Scholarship awards will not be deferred but be based on the new entry term. Transfer students are not eligible for deferred enrollment or a gap period.

College Coursework Elsewhere during gap period

If a student takes college coursework during their gap period, first-year acceptance to the college will be voided and the student will be considered a transfer applicant.

Please note: a change in status from first-year to transfer will void any previously offered institutional scholarships and/or financial aid. Additionally, South Carolina residents should be aware of the state scholarship eligibility requirements once college coursework has begun.

Transfer Admission (degree seeking)

Students who have previously attended, or are currently attending, either a two-year or four-year college since their high school graduation should apply as transfer students and submit a separate transcript from each college or university attended. Prior to matriculation a final official transcript is required from each college or university attended, whether or not credit was earned or courses completed. Failure to provide information regarding each college or university attended or failure to submit transcripts may result in withdrawal of any offer of admission, restrictions on registration and/or dismissal from the college.

Students are considered in attendance at an institution if they are registered for classes after the end of the drop/add period. Academic and/or disciplinary information from previous collegiate institutions is required whether or not a student was considered in attendance at that institution. 

Transfer applicants must not be serving academic suspension at that or any other institution. Students who are on disciplinary suspension or have other disciplinary or criminal violations, including pending charges, will be conditionally considered for admission in accordance with the College of Charleston policy 8.1.5 Admitting Applicants for Enrollment with a Criminal or Disciplinary History. These students as well as other applicants may be required to provide disciplinary records to the College of Charleston and give written consent and FERPA waiver(s) to have College of Charleston officials discuss their disciplinary history and status with officials from their previous institution(s) and other relevant parties in the sole discretion of the College.

To be competitive for transfer admission, applicants should have a cumulative GPA of 2.400 from a regionally-accredited institution, calculated on a 4.000 scale. Special circumstances are considered and each application is reviewed and evaluated individually by admissions professionals. First-year credentials are also evaluated unless a student has completed 12 credit hours or more.

Application requirements and deadlines can be found at https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/transfer.

Information about the College of Charleston policy related to the statewide transfer articulation of coursework from South Carolina two-year colleges is available via the Office of the Registrar.

Readmit Students (degree seeking)

For undergraduate students returning after an absence from the College of Charleston, a cumulative College of Charleston GPA of a 2.000 or greater is required for admission. If a student has attended another college or university in the interim, official or unofficial transcripts must be submitted for review.

For students who left the College with less than a 2.000 overall GPA, the Center for Academic Performance and Persistence will individually evaluate and make a decision on the conditional readmission of the candidate based on their current potential for academic success. If a student has attended another college or university in the interim, official or unofficial transcripts must be submitted for review.

Application requirements and deadlines can be found at https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/readmitted. Readmit applicants with a College of Charleston GPA of less than 2.000 must meet specified application deadlines: Fall term - June 1; Spring term - Nov 1.

Prior to matriculation a final official transcript is required from each college or university attended, whether or not credit was earned or courses completed. Failure to provide information regarding each college or university attended or failure to submit transcripts may result in withdrawal of any offer of admission, restrictions on registration and/or dismissal from the college. 

Note: For additional details see the Readmission  section of the catalog.

Bachelor of Professional Studies 

The Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS) program provides adult students with the skills they need to succeed. Students are reviewed for admission using transfer or readmit admission policies. To become a student in the Bachelor of Professional Studies program one must be 21 years of age with an earned high school diploma (or equivalent) and at least 30 credit hours or have completed an Associate’s degree and at least 30 credit hours of completed coursework in the following:

Oral and Written Communication (6-7 credit hours)

• English 101 or English 110
• Public Speaking (COMM 104 or equivalent)

Humanities and Fine Arts (6 credit hours)

• Art History/Music App/Theatre/Philosophy/Religious Studies/Ethics/Literature (choose two courses from two different disciplines)

History (3 credit hours)

• History-U.S./European/World (choose one)

Social and Behavioral Sciences (6 credit hours)

• Psychology/Sociology/Anthropology/Political Science/Economics or Geography (choose two courses from two different disciplines)

Natural Science/Mathematics (12 credit hours)

• Chemistry/Physics/Biology/Astronomy or Geology (choose one)
• Statistics (MATH 104 or MATH 250)
• One additional MATH course beyond developmental math
• An additional 3 credit hours to be fulfilled by either an additional math or natural science or logic course.

Note: Students who have earned as Associate of Arts (A.A.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree from a South Carolina technical college may waive all program prerequisites.

Veteran Admission

Students who have previously served active duty, in the reserves or in the national guard should apply as transfer students and submit an official or unofficial Joint Services Transcripts (JSTs) or Community College of the Air Force transcripts (CCAF) from their respective branch of service in addition to transcript(s) from each additional college or university attended. Prior to matriculation, a final official transcript is required from any college or university attended, whether or not credit was earned or courses completed. Failure to provide information regarding each college or university attended or failure to submit transcripts may result in withdrawal of any offer of admission, restrictions on registration and/or dismissal from the college.

Students are considered in attendance at an institution if they are registered for classes after the end of the drop/add period. Academic and/or disciplinary information on their service record or from previous collegiate institutions is required whether or not a student was considered in attendance at that institution. 

Applicants must not be serving academic suspension at that or any other institution. Students who are on disciplinary suspension or have other disciplinary or criminal violations, including pending charges, will be conditionally considered for admission in accordance with the College of Charleston policy 8.1.5 Admitting Applicants for Enrollment with a Criminal or Disciplinary History. These students as well as other applicants may be required to provide disciplinary records to the College of Charleston and give written consent and FERPA waiver(s) to have College of Charleston officials discuss their disciplinary history and status with officials from their previous institution(s) and other relevant parties in the sole discretion of the College.

To be competitive for transfer admission, applicants should have a cumulative GPA of 2.400 from a regionally-accredited institution, calculated on a 4.000 scale. Special circumstances are considered and each application is reviewed and evaluated individually by admissions professionals. First-year credentials (high school record and SAT or ACT scores) are not required for evaluation. A student’s service record and ACE credits obtained while in service will take the place of high school credential requirements.   

Second Degree Students (degree seeking)

Students interested in applying to the College of Charleston for a second degree of any kind should apply as transfer students. Candidates with prior Associates’ degrees should apply as transfer students.

International Applicants (degree seeking)

https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/international/

International applicants, being defined as anyone who is not a citizen of the United States or a U.S. permanent resident, are required to provide additional documentation. United States citizens who are applying with educational credentials from outside of the U.S. may need to submit international documentation and testing, but are not required to provide the financial certification information.  In addition to submitting first-year or transfer application materials, international students must provide proof of English proficiency, certification that they have adequate funds to meet their educational expenses and the following documents: 

These documents include but are not limited to:

1. A copy of their current passport ID page. Additional documentation regarding citizenship and citizenship status may be required. 
2. An official copy of secondary and post-secondary transcripts with certified word for word English translations. 
3. A course-by-course foreign credential evaluation of post-secondary work (university-level course work or 13th year of secondary school) from any non-U.S. institution. For transfer credit to be evaluated an official evaluation must be submitted from a NACES-approved credential evaluation agency along with course descriptions/syllabi for each course. A current list of preferred evaluation services can be found on the website. 
4. Demonstration of English proficiency via official submission of one of the following six English proficiency scores. For specific scores requirements and additional information, please reference the website. If English is the applicant’s native language, an English proficiency waiver may be granted upon international admissions professional review of documentation. 

• iBT TOEFL (code: 5113) minimum score of 80 
• IELTS minimum overall score of 6.5 
• iTEP Academic Plus minimum score of 3.8 
• SAT (code: 5113) minimum Evidence Based Reading & Writing (EBRW) score of 500 
• ACT (code: 3846) minimum Reading score of 18 and English score of 20 
• Duolingo English Test minimum total score of 105 
• EF Level C1, via MOU with EF Education First Ltd.

Special circumstances are considered and each application is reviewed and evaluated individually by admissions professionals. Application requirements and deadlines can be found online. Students should allow 2-4 months for completion of these requirements. 

Upon depositing and in order to receive their Form I-20, international applicants must provide a certificate of finances that gives specific information on their ability to meet the financial demands of tuition, fees and cost of living at the College of Charleston. Details about required financial certification documentation can be found on our website.

International Students (non-degree seeking and exchange)

International applicants seeking to enroll for credit courses without intent on earning a degree from the College of Charleston need to complete a non-degree application (please see https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/non-degree for the application and additional information) and must provide proof of their English proficiency and certification that they have adequate funds to meet their educational expenses.

International students seeking to enroll into one of the College of Charleston formal bi-lateral exchange programs are required to complete the non-degree admissions application and submit it to the contact individual of the program. Please refer to the Center for International Education for information regarding the various offerings.

Non-Degree Admission

843.953.5670
https://charleston.edu/admission/apply/non-degree

Access into many of the College of Charleston’s undergraduate courses is available to citizens of the South Carolina Lowcountry and others and facilitated through non-degree enrollment via the Office of Admissions and the Office of Summer Sessions. Senior citizens, high school dual enrollment students, visiting students from other post-secondary institutions as well as individuals who wish to obtain higher education for employment purposes, graduate school preparation or for personal interest are encouraged to participate. Non-degree students must submit credentials that are appropriate to demonstrate their ability to satisfactorily complete coursework at the College of Charleston. Guidelines recommend an evaluation of transcripts from high school or previous colleges and test scores where appropriate. Students may need to show proof that course prerequisites have been met.

Applicants for admission as non-degree students must submit:

1. A completed non-degree application for admission.
2. Non-degree applicants who have not attended college may be required to submit their secondary school transcript(s).
3. Non-degree applicants who have attended college may be required to submit a transcript from each college attended, including coursework completed during a summer term.
4. All applicants must also submit any additional items requested in the application materials or by the Office of Admissions.

Students who wish to take courses at the College prior to high school graduation should complete the application for dual enrollment located here. All requested transcripts and official signatures are necessary before being considered for enrollment.

College of Charleston participates in Teacher Cadet coursework at selected local high schools. Participating high school students can receive college credit of six credit hours for EDFS 105 and EDFS 106 following successful completion of this course. Contact the School of Education at 843.953.5613 for additional information.

60+ Tuition Exemption Program

South Carolina residents who are at least 60 years old qualify for a tuition exemption under South Carolina State law (Section 59-111-320).  If you are 60 years old or older, and a resident of South Carolina you can apply as a degree or non-degree seeking student on a tuition-free basis.  While 60+ students do not pay tuition, there is a $50 registration fee.  Students are responsible for paying any fees. Books and fees (i.e. application, lab, course, program fees) are not exempt. 

• Students must apply and be admitted to the College of Charleston.
• Students must provide proof they have been an SC resident for at least 12 months.

Visit 60+ Tuition Exemption Program (Undergraduate) for admission application instructions. 

Verification of Lawful Presence

Section 59-101-430 of the South Carolina Code of Laws, as amended in 2008, requires that, to attend a public university in the state, a student must be a citizen or national of the United States or an alien lawfully present in the United States. College of Charleston is required to verify the status of all students prior to their enrollment. The Board of Trustees of the College has approved a verification process to comply with the law.

Procedures for U.S. Citizens

Every student must provide proof of U.S. citizenship before being allowed to register for coursework. Students may verify their lawful presence in one of the following ways:

• File a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal-Student Aid) to College of Charleston- our code number is 003428;
• Present a valid South Carolina driver’s license issued after January 1, 2002;
• Present a current U.S. Passport or U.S. Passport that has not been expired more than 10 years
• Present an original U.S. or U.S. Territory Birth Certificate (not hospital certificate), Certification of Naturalization, U.S. Government-issued Consular Report of Birth Abroad of Certificate of Citizenship.

Every student must provide proof of U.S. citizenship before being allowed to enroll.

Questions about the College’s policy and procedures regarding this matter may be sent to lawfulpresence@cofc.edu.

Procedures for Non-U.S. Citizens

Your admissions officer will verify your lawful presence in the United States when you apply to and enroll in the College. When your document expires or your status changes you must provide a copy of your current or renewed document to the Center for International Education. Students are not allowed to attend classes unless their lawful presence proof documents are current.

Proof of Lawful Presence Documents for Non-U.S. Citizens:

1. Current Permanent Resident Card
2. Current Visa Documentation (NOTE: If you are in F1 or J1 status, your lawful presence will be confirmed by the Center for International Education.)
3. Any other appropriate document which verifies lawful presence in the United States in accordance with the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (“SAVE”) operated by USCIS.

Completion of a FAFSA or possession of a South Carolina driver’s license is not sufficient proof of lawful presence without one of the above documents.

NOTE: International students should contact the Center for International Education by phone at 843.953.7661 or by email at studyabroad@cofc.edu.