School Counselor Information

As a school counselor, you play a crucial role in guiding your students through the college admissions process.

At the College of Charleston, we value the work that you do in supporting, mentoring, and inspiring the next class of college-bound students.

We appreciate the opportunity to tell you more about the College and our admissions process as your students consider the College of Charleston.

Counselor Contact & Portal

If you'd like to be added to our counselor database, please complete our counselor information card.

School counselors can register for access to our school counselor portal by emailing admissions. The portal is an easy way for you to review your students' status. 

Access the School Counselor Portal

Deadlines & Decisions

Early decision, early action or regular decision, your students can select the timeline and decision that best matches their plans and interest in the College of Charleston.

Read More on Decisions & Deadlines

Counselor Resources & Information

Let us help answer your questions as you guide your students through the College of Charleston application process.
  • Transcript & Test Score Submission

    Whenever possible, please send transcripts to College of Charleston through an electronic format.

    • SCOIR/Parchment/Naviance upload: College of Charleston (Charleston, S.C.)
    • CommonApp: College of Charleston (Charleston, S.C.)
    • Email: admapplicants@cofc.edu

    Only one copy of the transcript is necessary. There is no need to follow up the submission of an electronic transcript with a mailed copy.

    Timing

    We're committed to providing students with a timely and accurate status of their application.

    There is typically a 4-7 business day processing turnaround during most times of year.

    The week of our application deadlines, we may need 7-10 business days to process new documents.
    All emails prompting students to submit missing documents are timed as strategically as possible to ensure we don’t panic a student whose documents may still be in processing.

    Official vs Unofficial Transcripts & Test Scores

    For application review, we accept both unofficial transcripts and SAT/ACT scores (from students) AND official transcripts and SAT/ACT scores sent directly from the high school and testing agencies.

    We do not have a preference, but self-reported/unofficial documents can greatly expedite the application review process at the busiest times of year.

    Upon Enrollment:

    • Final high school transcripts (verifying graduation and all senior year work taken) must be sent directly by the high school to College of Charleston.

    • SAT/ACT scores (if the student applied using test scores) must be sent directly by the testing agency. Our SAT code is 5113 and our ACT code is 3846. Official scores are due no later than the student’s first week of classes, otherwise a registration hold will be placed.

    • If a student has taken dual-enrollment courses while in high school, their college transcript must be issued directly by the college/university. They must provide it in addition to the high school transcript, regardless of whether or not the college grades are on the high school transcript. 

    • The College awards credit for Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), selected Cambridge International Exams (A Level and AS Level) and many College Level Examination Program (CLEP) exams and DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) exams, based on the student’s scores. Scores must be sent directly by the testing agency.
      For more information, including score-to-credit guide, visit the Credit By Exam webpage

    Please Note: 

    • CommonApp applicants who attend schools where documents are uploaded through a CommonApp connection (MaiaLearning, Naviance, etc.) won’t have their documents released to College of Charleston until the student submits the application. A student's transcript will be processed based on their application submit date, not your upload date.

    • Documents sent via a CommonApp connection (MaiaLearning, Naviance, etc.) when the student doesn’t apply through the CommonApp will NOT be delivered to the College of Charleston.
      CommonApp will not release documents to us for students who haven’t submitted our College of Charleston CommonApp. In these cases, documents need to be sent via an alternate method (email, Parchment, SCOIR, mail, etc.).

    • Submitted school’s transcripts through SCOIR, Parchment or by sent directly to the College via admprocessing@cofc.edu or by mail, will be added to the student’s application even before the student submits their application. We retain all documents for 1 year after receipt.
  • Test Optional Information

    The College of Charleston is test score optional for admissions purposes.

    Students who apply test score optional for first year admission do not submit SAT/ACT scores as a part of their application for admission and we will not consider any prior SAT/ACT scores they may have on file.

    If a student would like us to consider any past or current scores, they should NOT apply test score optional and/or email their admissions counselor to change their application type. They can submit unofficial or official SAT/ACT scores for admission.

  • Application Review

    Applicants to the College of Charleston will be considered for admission from a holistic application review process with high importance given to the student's grades (A/B average), high school courses taken (Honors, AP, IB, Dual Enrollment, etc.) and SAT/ACT test scores (if submitted).

    For South Carolina residents, the South Carolina Uniform Grading Scale (SCUGS) GPA is used for application review. All South Carolina applicants are required to have a SCUGS GPA for application and scholarship review.

    For out-of-state students, we typically use the weighted GPA provided on the student’s transcript. We calculate new weighted GPAs for about 5% of our applicant pool. Some examples of when we may calculate a new weighted GPA for a student include:

    • no GPA provided on transcript,
    • GPA on transcript is not cumulative (grades 9-11),
    • alternative grading scales (5.0, 12 point scale, narrative grading, etc.),
    • international transcripts.
    If the quality points assigned to a higher-level course exceed 5.3, we will use the unweighted GPA provided on the transcript or calculate a new GPA as needed. "What We Look For" in applications
  • Admission Decision Definitions

    Each admissions cycle, we release a variety of admission decisions beyond Admit/Deny:

    First Year Impact: Each year, the Office of Admissions welcomes approximately 200-300 first year students as First Year Impact students.

    • Students are chosen for this program based on their admissions application.
    • Typically, these students show great potential for success at College of Charleston but could benefit from support and personal connections coordinated by the Center for Academic Performance and Persistence.
    • First year Impact is an admissions decision and not a program for which students apply.
    Deferral: Often, the admissions committee needs to assess the entire applicant pool or receive additional information reflecting a more comprehensive academic profile.
    • A small pool of Early Action and Early Decision applicants may be deferred into our Regular Notification round.
    • Students should read over the information in their decision letter and send more information as it becomes available (e.g. first semester grades, additional test scores if applicable, etc.).

    Charleston Bridge: This is our one-semester residential bridge program for select South Carolina students through our partnership with Trident Technical College.

    • Once students complete the requirements of the Charleston Bridge Program during the fall semester, they will have a seamless transfer pathway to the College of Charleston the spring semester.
    • This is an admissions decision and not a program for which students apply.

    iCharleston: iCharleston is a one-semester international bridge program for out of state students.

    • Students completing the requirements of the iCharleston Program during the fall semester, will have a seamless transfer pathway (and guaranteed on-campus housing) to the College of Charleston for spring semester.
    • This is an admissions decision and not a program for which students apply.
    • iCharleston is not available for non-US citizens. 

    Wait List: When we aren’t able to offer every qualified student admission, we place some students on a waitlist.

    • Students placed on the wait list should follow the instructions from their decision letter and communicate with an admissions counselor.


  • Access & Pre-College/Transition Programs

    Pre-College Programs

    Multicultural Overnight Visit Experience (M.O.V.E.): M.O.V.E. is a residential, one-night visit experience that serves students of color/first generation high school juniors and seniors. This program is offered several times throughout the year. There is no fee to participate but space is limited.

    Otto B. German Minority Male Initiative (MMI): MMI strives to empower, support and assist young men of color in creating a strong foundation of success that you can build upon in the years to come. Students who participate in initiatives tend to achieve higher grades, be more academically and socially integrated into campus and graduate at higher rates.

    Junior Project: Junior Project is a week-long, residential, college preparatory program serving multicultural/first generation, rising high school juniors. Participants are chosen based on an application process.

    Senior Project: Senior Project is a week-long, residential, college preparatory program serving multicultural/first generation, rising high school seniors. Participants are chosen based on an application process.

    Transition to College Programs

    Speedy Consolidated and Transition Program (SPECTRA): SPECTRA provides an academic and transition experience for recent African American, Latinx/Hispanic, Asian and Native/Ingenious American (AALANA) high school graduates who have been accepted to the College of Charleston and are enrolling for the fall semester.

    Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation: Named for Congresm member Louis Stokes, the LS-AMP is an academic four-year enrichment program at the College of Charleston for under-represented minorities planning to major in a STEM field.

  • Information for South Carolina High School Counselors

    South Carolina State Scholarships

    For South Carolina students, state scholarships will be awarded based on official test scores only.

    Students are still eligible to apply Test Score Optional and receive state scholarships. In this case, the scores would not be used for application review but will be used for awarding state scholarships.

    South Carolina High School Coursework

    Required and recommended high school coursework for admission is based on an applicant taking a rigorous curriculum. These requirements are also in compliance with the S.C. Commission on Higher Education entry into S.C. four-year colleges/universities.

  • Information for International Counselors

    At the College of Charleston, we strongly believe that diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences are integral parts of a liberal arts education. We attract international students from all over the world, and offer a lively mix of cultural exchange both in and out of the classroom.

    The College of Charleston requires proof of English language proficiency. Students must submit one of the following six exam scores directly to College of Charleston:

    • Duolingo English Test
    • iBT TOEFL
    • IELTS
    • iTEP Academic Plus
    • SAT
    • ACT

    Native English speakers should email international@cofc.edu to determine if they qualify for an English proficiency waiver.

    More on International Admission
  • Information for Transfer Advisors

    Thank you for helping facilitate a seamless transition for your students wishing to transfer to the College of Charleston.

    Transfer Information. Visit our transfer admissions page for information on the transfer admission process, admission requirements, application materials, deadlines and what we look for in admitting transfer students.

    Transfer Credit Evaluation. The Registrar's Office assists students with questions prior to enrolling at the College, and with the official evaluation of transcripts submitted from other universities.  

    The Registrar's Office will complete a formal evaluation of transfer credit once students are offered admission to the College.

    Students who have not yet been accepted to the College of Charleston may submit questions regarding transfer credit evaluation to a Pre-Transfer Advisor.

  • Campus Tours for School Counselors

    The College of Charleston welcomes you to visit campus and join one of our daily campus tours.

    Please email specialtour@cofc.edu with your contact information and preferred date/time to request a tour. One of our staff will help coordinate your visit.

    The Office of Admissions typically hosts two to four campus tours per day, depending on the time of year. Campus tours include a one-hour guided tour led by our Charleston 40 student tour guides with an opportunity to meet with an admissions counselor.

    If you are looking to bring a group to campus, we are happy to accommodate. Group tours are limited to Tuesday through Thursday and availability can vary depending on the time of year. 

    Request a Group Tour