Shideler Explores Carolina Colleges and Universities

In June, Assistant Director of College Counseling Emily Shideler toured 10 colleges and universities, driving over 350 miles through North Carolina and South Carolina. Along the way, she experienced the wide range of visit opportunities available to prospective students and their families, including admission presentations, student-led tours, self-guided tours, and one-on-one meetings with Admission Representatives. 

Shideler toured three public universities, Clemson University, NC State University, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as seven private institutions: Davidson College, Duke University, Elon University, Guilford College, High Point University, Wake Forest University, and Wofford College. 

While on each campus, Shideler noted the qualities that FWCD students most often seek in a college. Her observations are organized around five key areas: school spirit, safety and campus, sports, Greek Life, and distinctive experiences. 

School Spirit: FWCD students often seek a strong sense of community and school spirit when choosing a college. While school spirit is largely associated with athletics, it can be found on all campuses. Among the institutions visited, Clemson, NC State, Wake Forest and Wofford were memorable for their especially spirited campus environments. Students proudly wore university apparel and enthusiastically spoke about their schools and local communities.

Safety/Campus: While each university possessed its own unique charm, High Point and Wake Forest were identified as the campuses that felt the safest, while Duke and Wofford were among the most beautiful. High Point and Wake Forest are gated campuses with staffed entrances. At night, the gates are closed, allowing access only to students and authorized individuals with proper identification. All four campuses are immaculately maintained, featuring beautifully landscaped grounds, recently renovated facilities, and, in Duke’s case, impressive Gothic architecture. 

Sports: Many FWCD students are drawn to universities with large sports programs, particularly football. Leaving the Lone Star State does not mean leaving big-time college sports behind. Clemson, Duke, NC State and UNC Chapel Hill have large sports programs supported by enthusiastic fan bases. At Clemson, Duke and UNC, football stadiums and basketball arenas are located in the heart of campus, making it easy for students to experience the excitement of game days.

Greek Life: While all of the institutions visited offer fraternity and sorority life, Elon, Wake Forest and Wofford have the highest levels of student participation with 35%, 50% and 50% of the students involved, respectively. At Elon, fraternities and sororities utilize university-owned houses. Wake Forest’s Greek organizations share campus housing, with each chapter maintaining its own dedicated chapter room. At Wofford, each fraternity and sorority has its own chapter house that serves as a meeting space but does not include residential housing.

Distinctive Experiences: Each institution also offers special programs that shape the student experience. Both Elon and Wofford have a January interim term, allowing students to study abroad, conduct research, or complete internships on or off campus. High Point places a strong emphasis on teaching life skills, including communication and networking, to prepare students for success after graduation. Davidson fosters community through its unique Eating Houses, where students gather for meals and participate in philanthropic activities. Duke’s distinctive residential housing system, known as Quadex, assigns students to a first-year residence hall that is linked to a quad where they live sophomore and junior years, creating a strong sense of community that extends well beyond the first year.