Erskine has a beautiful campus, fantastic professors, and a great community. There is too great of a focus on academics, though, and the administration/Student Services are not always working with or for the students. Overall, worth it because of the people I have met along the way.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Make sure that you speak with those outside your tour group. You want an honest picture of the college, that way you know if you will fit in here. I know many people who had a lifestyle that wasn't fit for the small town of Due West and a great deal of my class has transferred out. Talk to the professors and students in your major.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Most classes are rigorous and you learn a great deal.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
I have lived in all of the female dorms. Carnegie, the freshman dorm isn't great, but Bonner is decent, and Kennedy is the best. Carnegie rooms are fine, but the bathrooms are community bathrooms are often disgusting. Bonner is suite-style, so it has a shared bathroom between two rooms. Kennedy is a small, quiet dorm with community bathrooms that are kept up well. Campus police are located next to the freshman women's dorm, which is nice. There is also a women-only dorm in Bonner.
The housing regulations get worse every year. Now, both genders must sign in and the punishments for breaking rules are outrageous and build on each other. Four strikes and your are out. Thankfully, I have yet to break a rule, but it sucks for freshmen.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Erskine has the average dining hall. It also has a restaurant and coffee shop. Off campus there is a Subway, small restaurants, and further away there are more chain restaurants.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
There are a LOT of clubs and groups to get involved with. Additionally, sports and such are a great option. However, other fun things are in surrounding towns such as Greenwood, Anderson, or Greenville.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
I haven't gotten many scholarships or grants, other than what Erskine has given me, so I pay a decent amount to attend. That being said, it is expensive for a college most have not heard of. Yet, I am glad that I attended because I am an involved student and have met great people.
Share any unusual traditions or locations on campus
Candlelight: it is a ceremony that we hold to announce an engagement. We sing a song and pass a candle around in a circle, the person to blow it out is the one who is recently engaged. They used to get dumped in the fountain, but now we pour water on them and they have to show us the ring and tell us how he proposed.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
This college is fantastic for students who are serious about their studies and want a solid professional relationship with professors. It is also a place for "genuine" people who want to be involved or make life-long friends. This is not a party school; you need to take your classes and yourself seriously, or no one else will.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There are so many organizations for such a small campus. Most people get Erskinitis where you overcommit, but it provides a great deal of chances to be in a leadership role.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There are some "Greek" societies, which are here and only here. I am a member of one of these. They are fairly active on campus and a decent way to get involved. Some can be drama-heavy, though.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
It is a fairly safe campus. There have been times where people have gotten creeped out by strangers or a car was stolen (once, and they found it and the thief). Other than this, it is pretty safe.
Erskine has a beautiful campus, fantastic professors, and a great community. There is too great of a focus on academics, though, and the administration/Student Services are not always working with or for the students. Overall, worth it because of the people I have met along the way.
Make sure that you speak with those outside your tour group. You want an honest picture of the college, that way you know if you will fit in here. I know many people who had a lifestyle that wasn't fit for the small town of Due West and a great deal of my class has transferred out. Talk to the professors and students in your major.
Most classes are rigorous and you learn a great deal.
I have lived in all of the female dorms. Carnegie, the freshman dorm isn't great, but Bonner is decent, and Kennedy is the best. Carnegie rooms are fine, but the bathrooms are community bathrooms are often disgusting. Bonner is suite-style, so it has a shared bathroom between two rooms. Kennedy is a small, quiet dorm with community bathrooms that are kept up well. Campus police are located next to the freshman women's dorm, which is nice. There is also a women-only dorm in Bonner. The housing regulations get worse every year. Now, both genders must sign in and the punishments for breaking rules are outrageous and build on each other. Four strikes and your are out. Thankfully, I have yet to break a rule, but it sucks for freshmen.
Erskine has the average dining hall. It also has a restaurant and coffee shop. Off campus there is a Subway, small restaurants, and further away there are more chain restaurants.
There are a LOT of clubs and groups to get involved with. Additionally, sports and such are a great option. However, other fun things are in surrounding towns such as Greenwood, Anderson, or Greenville.
I haven't gotten many scholarships or grants, other than what Erskine has given me, so I pay a decent amount to attend. That being said, it is expensive for a college most have not heard of. Yet, I am glad that I attended because I am an involved student and have met great people.
Candlelight: it is a ceremony that we hold to announce an engagement. We sing a song and pass a candle around in a circle, the person to blow it out is the one who is recently engaged. They used to get dumped in the fountain, but now we pour water on them and they have to show us the ring and tell us how he proposed.
This college is fantastic for students who are serious about their studies and want a solid professional relationship with professors. It is also a place for "genuine" people who want to be involved or make life-long friends. This is not a party school; you need to take your classes and yourself seriously, or no one else will.
There are so many organizations for such a small campus. Most people get Erskinitis where you overcommit, but it provides a great deal of chances to be in a leadership role.
There are some "Greek" societies, which are here and only here. I am a member of one of these. They are fairly active on campus and a decent way to get involved. Some can be drama-heavy, though.
It is a fairly safe campus. There have been times where people have gotten creeped out by strangers or a car was stolen (once, and they found it and the thief). Other than this, it is pretty safe.