First-Year Admission

Decision Information

• Accepted

  Accepted students are able to join CougarNation in the fall so long as they take the next steps—from confirming enrollment and financial aid to securing housing and registering for orientation. Acceptance to the College is contingent upon maintaining the high level of academic performance that warranted admission for the duration of the applicant's high school career. The admissions committee will review official final transcripts reflecting any coursework currently in progress. Applicants are encouraged to make lasting memories and enjoy every second of their senior year without sacrificing their standard of academic excellence in order to ensure they are able to take advantage of this opportunity to do something truly extraordinary.

• Pathway Programs

  iCharleston

  Your decision letter may include an invitation to participate in the iCharleston program.

  Through the iCharleston, select students who do not initially receive an offer of admission have the opportunity to gain guaranteed acceptance to the College by successfully completing a first semester abroad.

  After successfully completing the program, you'll transfer your 15 hours of iCharleston credits and begin the spring semester enrolled at the College of Charleston.

  • Visit the iCharleston website.
• Deferred

  Deferred students are early applicants who may very well be eligible for admission once the admissions committee has been able to see the entire pool of applicants or received additional information reflecting a more comprehensive academic profile (e.g. first semester grades, additional test scores, etc.). As long as the Office of Admissions receives adequate information to formulate a more comprehensive academic profile, deferred applicants will be notified by mid-March. Deferred applicants are required to submit Fall semester grades to be considered further for admission. Read the Deferred Student FAQs.

• Waitlist

  While we would love to admit every applicant to the College of Charleston, we must account for capacity limits in our student housing, course offerings and student services. We know there are applicants that would be successful here, and we'd be pleased to admit them should space become available. For now, these students are offered a place on the waitlist. Once a final admission decision is made, we will release decisions through the College of Charleston admissions portal, and email notifications as well.The College of Charleston will try to provide students with a final admission decision no later than June 15. The College will inform students selected for admission of their status for campus housing and any financial aid award before requiring an enrollment decision. Visit our Waitlist FAQ page for more information.

• Denied

  Denied applicants may opt to transfer to the College of Charleston in the future. Denied applicants are only eligible to apply to the College of Charleston again as transfer students after completing at least 12 educational college-level credits and earning a cumulative college grade point average of 2.4.