Freshman Students Choose SMC for Immediate Engagement and Long-Term Success

Spartanburg Methodist College will move close to 600 students into the College’s seven residence halls beginning on Saturday, August 15 when incoming freshman arrive, and on Monday, August 17 when sophomores return to campus.

SMC is South Carolina’s only private, residential college exclusively for freshmen and sophomore students. That fact is the reason many high school graduates choose the small, close-knit community of students, faculty and staff which is SMC. Another key reason is that SMC enrolls over 73% of students with 3.0 or higher GPA’s, and rewards them with SMC Scholar financial packages. In fact, SMC financial aid packages, including over $14 million in scholarships awarded each year, help 98% of SMC students with the cost of housing and tuition.

The College’s intimate level of exclusivity means SMC’s 500+ incoming freshman class, will be immediately immersed into a values-oriented, student-centered atmosphere that encourages academic excellence, intellectual exploration, social awareness, and character development within the liberal arts tradition. SMC’s student-faculty ratio of 19:1 allows students to know professors personally and immediately engage in the classroom.

For many students, figuring out what they want to study in college (as well as what they actually want to do for the rest of their lives) is difficult. SMC provides the time and support freshman and sophomore students need to sort through their many options; and with one of the most comprehensive career mentoring and field of study placement programs around, 87% of students that graduate from SMC continue their education. SMC has transfer agreements with over 200+ colleges and universities to allow for seamless transitions.

SMC has been awarded an Advance SC grant to provide incoming freshman students the opportunity to participate in a pilot interest/career identifying assessment program based on the Strong Interest Inventory. The program, entitled Pioneer Pathways, is directed by Kathleen Brown, SMC’s Director of Learning Community and Director of Freshman Year Experience, who also serves as Adjunct Professor of Biology. According to Brown, “the inventory will be used to help identify each student’s area of strength and interest. Results will then be provided to the student and their advisor, giving them the tools to select courses that will strengthen their choice of majors. Students will also have the opportunity to intern at businesses and organizations during the summer following their freshman year to help verify that they have made the correct choice for the area of study they plan to focus on during the remainder of the college career. Upon successful completion of the internship, a $1500 scholarship will be awarded for use in the fall of 2016 at SMC or any transfer institution.”

“Spartanburg Methodist College is committed to building our students’ strengths and our dedicated faculty make students excited about their futures. SMC’s overall goal is the development of engaged students into successful, healthy and happy individuals who thrive performing meaningful work and contributing to society,” summed up Brown.