Admissions Holds

Admission holds occur when we have not received all the required documents for your enrollment. Once we receive your missing documents, the hold is lifted.

An admission hold on your record will prevent you from registering for classes at the College of Charleston.

If a hold is placed on your record, you will need to resolve the issue before you can register for classes.

To avoid any delays or further issues with your registration, please clear any holds before your assigned registration date.   

Missing Document Holds

You may receive a hold from the Office of Admissions if we have not received all your required admissions documents including the following:
  • Final Transcripts

    Failure to provide an official final transcript from past institutions will result in a transcript hold on the account, preventing any changes (additions, drops, withdrawals, etc.) to the existing schedule and preventing future class registration.  

    High school transcripts

    Incoming first-year applicants (those entering directly from high school) must provide an official final transcript proving graduation and showing all grades earned since the time of admission. Final high school transcripts are due by August 1 for students entering in August and by the first day of classes for prior graduates entering in January. Midyear graduates (students graduating in December/January when their classmates will finish later in the spring) must submit their final transcript when it becomes available.

    Official final transcripts prove graduation from high school and verify that the student has no lingering obligations to their past school. Transcripts must be sent to College of Charleston directly by the high school (secure document transmission sites like Parchment, SCOIR, CommonApp, or Naviance are permissible) – we cannot accept documents sent via students/parents. 

    Note: Students who have taken collegiate or dual enrollment coursework through a college or university must also submit official college records, regardless of whether those courses are listed on their high school transcript or if they wish to receive those credits. 

    College transcripts

    All official college records from past institutions must be on file by the end of a student’s first week of classes at the College regardless of whether a student wants credits for those courses.

    The College of Charleston requires official final transcripts (with no work in progress) be sent from all past schools directly for both transfer credit purposes and enrollment.

    To be considered official, a transcript must be sent directly from the past institution of record. Secure document transmission sites like Parchment, National Student Clearinghouse, or eDocs are permissible if materials are routed directly to admapplicants@cofc.edu. Students should not have the transcript sent to their own email address.  

    Holds will be released as soon as the College receives the transcript(s). 

  • Official SAT/ACT Scores

    Incoming first-year who used their SAT/ACT scores for admissions must submit an official copy of their strongest score to enroll.

    Official scores must be sent directly from the College Board/ACT website via an official score sent to corroborate unofficial results that were self-reported, listed on a transcript, or provided by a school counselor.

    Students who have not submitted official test results before their orientation session will have a hold placed that prevents class registration.  

    Note: Official score sends can take 1-3 weeks to reach the College once requested. Holds will be released as soon as the College receives the scores. 

  • Lawful Presence Verification

    South Carolina (like most states) requires all students attending a public college or university to provide proof of lawful presence in the United States before being allowed to register for classes. This includes undergraduate students, graduate students and non-degree students. 

    U.S. Citizens will have a registration hold placed on their account immediately after admission. The hold will remain on file until the student either has a valid FAFSA on file with the College of Charleston or proves their lawful presence via the online verification form. 

    Non-US citizens will be verified during the admissions application process and will not see a hold placed.  
      
    Lawful presence is not to be confused with legal residency (which is the establishment of residency in SC for in-state tuition). If you have any questions, please email lawfulpresence@cofc.edu.   

    Learn more about lawful presence