Honors Experience Day

Event Info

• Honors Experience Day Schedule

  Honors Experience Day is designed so that you can customize your schedule based on your interests, passions, and personal goals.  
  
  Throughout the day, you'll have the opportunity to meet with faculty of your choosing, connect with current and prospective Honors students, and learn about the opportunities that matter most to you!

  When you arrive for check-in, you'll receive a detailed schedule with details on all the available info sessions to choose from. For now, check out our sample schedule to get a sense of what's in store for you at Honors Experience Day.

  Sample Schedule

  12:15-1:00 p.m. - Check-in (Rita Hollings Science Center, Room 101) 

  1:00-1:50 p.m. - Welcome Session - Students Only (Rita Hollings Science Center, Room 101)

  • Welcome Message from Dr. Beth Meyer-Bernstein, Dean of the Honors College
  • Student Panel Q&A: Hear from current Honors students about their experiences at the College of Charleston 

  2:00-2:50 p.m. - Academic Interest Meetings - Students Only (Locations throughout campus; you choose your meeting!)

  Learn more about the CofC experience from academic deans, department chairs, and faculty. You get to choose the meeting based on your interests and goals.

  • The Honors College First Year Experience
  • Undergraduate Research, Study Abroad, and Nationally Competitive Awards
  • School of Business
  • School of Humanities and Social Sciences
  • School of Natural and Environmental Sciences 

   

  3:00-3:50 p.m. - Academic Interest Meetings (Locations throughout campus; you choose your meeting!)

  Learn more about the CofC experience from academic deans, department chairs, and faculty. You get to choose the meeting based on your interests and goals.

  • The Honors College First Year Experience
  • Undergraduate Research, Study Abroad, and Nationally Competitive Awards
  • Entrepreneurship Living-Learning Community (ELLC)
  • School of Health Sciences
  • School of Languages, Cultures, and World Affairs 

  4:00-4:50 p.m. - Academic Interest Meetings (Locations throughout campus; you choose your meeting!)

  Learn more about the CofC experience from academic deans, department chairs, and faculty. You get to choose the meeting based on your interests and goals.

  • Honors College First Year Experience
  • Health Professions Adivsing Program
  • School of Education
  • School of Engineering, Computing, and Mathematics,
  • School of the Arts

  4:30 - 6:00 p.m. - Reception - Open to All (Science and Math Building Atrium/Courtyard, weather dependent)
  
  A casual reception to close out Honors Experience Day for all prospective students and all their family members. Meet with other prospective students, chat with deans, college administrators, faculty, staff, and other campus community members, and enjoy a sampling of light refreshments. We welcome families to join us at 4:30 p.m. Visiting students will join the reception after their final meeting finishes at 4:50 p.m.

• Event Check-In

  Your Honors Experience Day begins with a check-in between 12:15-1:00 p.m. in the Rita Hollings Science Center Room 101 (first room when you walk in).

  Once you check in, you'll be provided with a detailed schedule of available events that will guide you through the rest of the day. Your schedule allows you to choose the events you'd like to attend and to customize your experience based on your academic interests and personal goals. No matter what events you choose, you'll get to meet plenty of CofC faculty, staff, and current students, who'll share their various experiences with you.

• Where to Park

  Public parking is available at several city garages located near campus. The College's guide to parking around campus contains parking details for these garages. We recommend the St. Philip Street Garage or George Street Garage. Both are about 2 blocks from check-in at Rita Hollings Science Center.

• Opening Welcome Session

  We're excited to welcome so many of you to Honors Experience Day. Our opening welcome session will take place from 1:00 - 1:50 p.m. At the opening session you'll meet Honors College leadership, faculty, and staff, and hear directly from a panel of current Honors College students about their experiences.

  If you have family members visiting campus with you, don't worry. There's plenty for them to do around campus and around Charleston (see the parent/guardian schedule below for more details).

• Parent/Guardian Schedule

  The Honors College community isn't just for students. Parents, guardians, and family members are an intergral part of a student's success at the College of Charleston, and we hope all of you will join us for Honors Experience Day. Here's what family members can expect:

  1:00-1:50pm - The main welcome session will only be open to your admitted honors students. During this first hour, after you help your students check-in, your students will stay in Rita Hollings Science Center for the welcome. All Parents and guests are welcome to join us in the Cistern Yard to meet in small groups with some of our current Honors Student Ambassadors. They will answer your questions from a student perspective and then show you to Rita Hollings Science Center for the Parent Session at 2 p.m.

  2:00 - 2:50pm - While the visiting students are at their first academic meeting, we will have a parent information session open to all guests.

  3:00 - 4:30 - Please use this time to explore Charleston!

  4:30 - 6:00pm - All parents, guardians, and family members are welcome to join us for the reception. Visiting students will join the reception after their final meeting finishes at 4:50pm.

  The academic meetings in between are a chance for the visiting students to explore what CofC has to offer, and we do ask that you allow them space to experience our campus community on their own. (Don't worry; they're in safe hands!)

  While your student is meeting with CofC faculty and students, there'll be plenty for you to check out on your own! Consider visiting some of our campus highlights like the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History or the Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art. The Charleston Visitors Bureau also has plenty of recommendations for the area surrounding campus. 

• What to Wear

  Honors Experience Day involves events all over campus, so we recommend that you wear shoes and clothing that are comfortable to walk in. Beyond that, you're welcome and encouraged to wear a wardrobe that allows you to be yourself! Be sure to check the weather as you will be walking from building to building and bring a raincoat just in case.

• Travel and Accommodations

  We're thrilled that many of you are able to join us from locations near and far. These campus maps will help you get the lay of the land. 
  
  If you're traveling by air, Charleston International Airport (CHS) is about ten miles north of downtown Charleston and the College. Options for ground transportation include taxis, ride shares, and the CARTA bus services.
  
  For visitors staying in Historic Downtown Charleston, a rental car is likely not necessary. The Francis Marion Hotel is minutes from campus. Additional accommodation options near campus often offer discounted rates if you say you're attending a College of Charleston event.