Rarely do you find a small liberal arts college that is also a Division I school. Davidson is famous for it, but did you know that Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina is as well? If you are a soccer player, a volleyball player, or basketball, baseball or tennis, take note: you can get a small school education and still be DI! And did I mention football is big?
Founded in 1854 as an independent liberal arts college, Wofford is located in a National Historic District on a 170 acre arboretum. Spartanburg, SC is a perfect college town as it’s host to six colleges and universities (USCS, Converse College, Spartanburg Methodist College, Virginia College, Spartanburg Community College, and Wofford not to mention a college of chiropractic medicine and another of osteopathy) with Wofford just north of the central business district.
Wofford has a very specific vision for itself. They educate superior students to prepare them to be exemplary leaders and citizens. To do this they recruit and retain talented young women and men who will strengthen their community. Wofford provides a uniquely sustainable physical campus in order to make their vision a reality. They integrate education and extracurriculars, learning and play, living and work to produce students who will make a difference in the world after college.
Academically Wofford is challenging. Classes are small and the student faculty ratio is 11:1. At Wofford faculty want you to be successful and they want that success to be accessible. Students are encouraged to keep a portfolio of their work so that potential employers can see what they have done. At the Center for Innovation and Learning, faculty are encouraged to collaborate to better serve the students they work with. Students too, are encouraged to participate in the work there.
The Space (their career center) isn’t meant for students to drop by their senior year. It’s well integrated into every phase of college life. Students are encouraged at every turn to take advantage of the resources available to them at The Space. They can help with internships, job skills, interviewing or help launch a business or a start-up.
While there are multiple different studies you can engage in at Wofford, Economics is the top one. That said, there are several pre-health options, the regular liberal arts majors, and several related to government, foreign relations, and international policy. Wofford has a very large number of students who study abroad which is particularly good for those of interested in international business or foreign policy.
Finally, Wofford has a healthy sports culture thanks to their status as a DI school. Students at Wofford enjoy going to games, playing hard, and supporting each other. Join in the fun by playing intramurals or club sports (Equestrian is an option here!). Take advantage of being in the “Upstate” by going fly-fishing or off-road biking. Students here are active.
Student life has plenty going on other than sports as well. Wofford is home to several Greek groups including the Panhellenic Council, the Interfranternity Council, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. But of course there are also plenty of other groups to join. There’s a newspaper, a literary magazine, and a year book, not to mention honors societies, clubs, student government, judiciary, and plenty of performing arts. Do some community service, sing in the show choir, get in on the James Investment Fund, or get cooking with the cooking club. There’s no end to what you can do here!
So is Wofford for you? It’s still a small school, about 1700 students. And it’s private so there is the cost. But remember that they also accept about 70% of students who apply (which is exactly how you get merit aid people). If you are a scholar athlete looking for an environment where you can excel academically and play Division I this is a pretty good place for it.
Pros:
Cons
Founded in 1854 as an independent liberal arts college, Wofford is located in a National Historic District on a 170 acre arboretum. Spartanburg, SC is a perfect college town as it’s host to six colleges and universities (USCS, Converse College, Spartanburg Methodist College, Virginia College, Spartanburg Community College, and Wofford not to mention a college of chiropractic medicine and another of osteopathy) with Wofford just north of the central business district.
Wofford has a very specific vision for itself. They educate superior students to prepare them to be exemplary leaders and citizens. To do this they recruit and retain talented young women and men who will strengthen their community. Wofford provides a uniquely sustainable physical campus in order to make their vision a reality. They integrate education and extracurriculars, learning and play, living and work to produce students who will make a difference in the world after college.
Academically Wofford is challenging. Classes are small and the student faculty ratio is 11:1. At Wofford faculty want you to be successful and they want that success to be accessible. Students are encouraged to keep a portfolio of their work so that potential employers can see what they have done. At the Center for Innovation and Learning, faculty are encouraged to collaborate to better serve the students they work with. Students too, are encouraged to participate in the work there.
The Space (their career center) isn’t meant for students to drop by their senior year. It’s well integrated into every phase of college life. Students are encouraged at every turn to take advantage of the resources available to them at The Space. They can help with internships, job skills, interviewing or help launch a business or a start-up.
While there are multiple different studies you can engage in at Wofford, Economics is the top one. That said, there are several pre-health options, the regular liberal arts majors, and several related to government, foreign relations, and international policy. Wofford has a very large number of students who study abroad which is particularly good for those of interested in international business or foreign policy.
Finally, Wofford has a healthy sports culture thanks to their status as a DI school. Students at Wofford enjoy going to games, playing hard, and supporting each other. Join in the fun by playing intramurals or club sports (Equestrian is an option here!). Take advantage of being in the “Upstate” by going fly-fishing or off-road biking. Students here are active.
Student life has plenty going on other than sports as well. Wofford is home to several Greek groups including the Panhellenic Council, the Interfranternity Council, and the National Pan-Hellenic Council. But of course there are also plenty of other groups to join. There’s a newspaper, a literary magazine, and a year book, not to mention honors societies, clubs, student government, judiciary, and plenty of performing arts. Do some community service, sing in the show choir, get in on the James Investment Fund, or get cooking with the cooking club. There’s no end to what you can do here!
So is Wofford for you? It’s still a small school, about 1700 students. And it’s private so there is the cost. But remember that they also accept about 70% of students who apply (which is exactly how you get merit aid people). If you are a scholar athlete looking for an environment where you can excel academically and play Division I this is a pretty good place for it.
Pros:
- Division 1
- Great study abroad options
- Terrific support at their career services, The Space
- Small liberal arts college
Cons
- Small liberal arts college
- Division 1 (comes with hoopla some folks don’t want)
- Greek life is a big part of life here