USC gushes with Southern charm and hospitality. Step onto the brick walkway and you’ll find yourself on the historic Horseshoe. That’s the stretch of campus that houses the original USC buildings. Trees create a shady canopy over the lushly landscaped campus as well as Gibbes Green, a peaceful hangout spot complete with Wi-Fi access. Fresh air and high-speed Internet make the perfect pair. When the weather is warm you can take a dip in the pool outside of “The Strom,” officially known as the Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center. Or if you’re looking for social and leadership activities stop by Russell House University Union. Here students can sign up for local weekly service trips or catch a game of laser tag. Russell House is the place to grab a fresh batch of chicken fingers every Wednesday. Why? It’s tradition! On Tuesdays students can stroll through the farmer’s market on Greene Street and stock up on sustainable products and produce. In fact, if sustainability is your style, consider living in Green Quad. It’s where 500 students learn and live green values while enjoying apartment-style housing and weekly yoga. Do you thrive on living an active and fast-paced lifestyle or prefer to keep it calm and mindful? Either way you can create your ideal college experience at USC.

You can enroll in online programs through Palmetto College. Palmetto is part of the USC system. They offer online bachelor’s degree completion programs in health promotion, nursing, organizational leadership, business administration, criminal justice, liberal studies, human services, and elementary education. You can also explore their online graduate program options. U.S. World & News Report ranked the graduate nursing program number one in the nation in 2016. For online graduate degrees, the school offers public health, teaching, health information technology, educational administration, and curriculum and instruction. Further, career changers and developing professionals alike can benefit from the university’s continuing education programs. For example, you could earn a grant writing certificate on-campus or a paralegal certificate online. Plus, you always have the option to take an individual online course to learn new information and skills just-because.

The USC Gamecocks are “something to crow about.” For one, USC breeds national championship-winning equestrians. The equestrian team took the Southeastern Conference championships in 2013 and 2014 and landed their third national championship in 2015. The Gamecocks have collectively scored numerous conference championships in soccer, baseball, track and field, basketball, and golf. They’re also a team with a dream: to reduce the incidence of childhood obesity. USC partners with elementary schools to run the Active Gamecocks program, where kids who make time for regular physical activity can win free tickets to upcoming Gamecock events. These student-athletes also complete service activities throughout the year. They take time out of their busy training schedules to visit hospitalized veterans and read to children. A team that does good deeds together succeeds together, right?

It all starts with the Carolina Core. Every student, regardless of major, is required to take 10 core courses as an undergraduate. These courses will help you to build a strong foundation of communication, problem solving, analytical reasoning, and multicultural skills. You can put your skills to work by getting involved in a research project. USC is the only university in South Carolina to have been designated as one with high research activity by the Carnegie Foundation. Students can apply to be a Magellan Scholar and receive up to $3,000 in funding to research a topic of interest. Magellan Scholars have studied a little bit of everything: math anxiety, maternal mortality, sexual assault, ADHD diagnoses, and underwater cave mapping. Also, you can access additional Magellan research funds if you are a student in the Honors College. Like the online graduate nursing program, USC’s Honors College has been ranked number one in the nation. A This accomplishment appeared in the 2012 publication of A Review of Fifty Public Honors Programs. Honors College students have access to honors-designated dorms, scholarships, advisers, and courses. Where else could you take Football Writing or Knitting and Philosophy? All in all USC offers a solid education coupled with specialized support and a vibrant student life.