College Highlight: Coastal Carolina

Coastal Carolina is a public university located in Conway, South Carolina. It is located close to South Carolina's beautiful beaches, and this fact attracts many in and out of state students.

Coastal offers 41 undergraduate majors and 37 minors. The largest major is Business Management. Coastal is also known for its marine science major which features its own coastal lab. Check out all their majors here.

Getting in:
GPA: Average is a 3.3 for entering freshmen
SAT: 1040 for the critical reading and math only
ACT: 22 for the composite score

Living:
All freshmen are required to live on campus. All residence halls have internet access. All residence halls are co-ed either by apartment or wing.
Residence halls are first come, first served.
Cars allowed? Yes

Coastal Carolina is offering the ability to have your application fee waived at their "Carolina Comes First" Application Reveiw Day on November 13 at Coastal. All South Carolina and North Carolina students will receive a $45 application fee waiver for attending the program and submitting a completed application! You must sign-up for the program by calling the Office of Admissions at 843-349-2027.

Explanation Needed: When to explain a deficiency in a transcript

Your test scores are stellar. You took rigorous courses. Your grades are superb....except for that one semester. So you ask yourself, "do I tell the admissions office why?" When should you explain the low grade or the semester of low grades? Let's take a look at when you should explain and when you should not.

The following may be included in reasons you should explain.
You suffered from an extended illness or injury that kept you out of school.
Your home life was significantly changed, either through divorce or the death of a parent or sibling.
You moved and changed schools in the middle of a semester.


Just as important as knowing when to account for a deficiency, is knowing when to avoid clarification. Never use excuses. Never try to blame others. Justifications that include "the teacher was unfair, " "I broke up with my boyfriend/girlfriend," or "the class was boring" are best left unspoken.

Use these guidelines to help you decide whether to expound on your transcript! Happy searching!

Choose the right test for you!

Taking the SAT or the ACT this month? Knowing what to expect may help you choose the test that is right for you. Here is a breakdown of the two tests:
SAT
10 sections: 3 Critical reading, 3 Math, 3 Writing(includes essay),1 Experimental (unscored)
Length: 3 hours, 45 minutes
Scoring: Total score possible 2400
3 scores: 200-800 each section
Score: Each correct answer=1 point
Incorrect answer subtract 1/4 point (except math grid-in answers)
Leave blank=0 points
Guess: Collegeboard publications recommend guessing if you can rule out one answer

ACT
Sections: 4 sections (5 if you choose to take writing)
1 Reading, 1 Math, 1 English, 1 Science (optional writing section at end of test)
Length: 3 hours, 25 minutes if taking optional writing
Scoring: 1-36 possible on each section, Composite score with average of all sections 1-36
Score: No wrong answer penalty, always guess

College Resource

US News and World Report has published their newest edition of America's Best Colleges 2010. As with any ranking, please use this in conjunction with a variety of resources to find the best college fit for you.