As you plan for your upcoming visit, keep these tips in mind to help make your time
on campus enjoyable and worry free.
Visiting Guidelines
To help protect the health and safety of the University of South Carolina community
and all our visitors, we have put in place the following measures for campus visitors
based on public health directives from the State of South Carolina and the City of
Columbia:
Monitor our UofSC COVID-19 Dashboard: Our COVID-19 Dashboard is a helpful resource to learn about current campus conditions.
Face coverings are required: Visitors are asked to bring a face covering to wear when coming to campus. In accordance
with UofSC policy, all visitors are required to wear a face covering over their nose and mouth at all
times inside any building on campus. Visitors are required to wear a face covering
when outside a building as well, when physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Maintain physical distancing: Visitors should maintain physical distancing of a minimum of 6 feet of distance from
others at all times while on campus.
Maintain proper hand hygiene: Visitors are asked to maintain proper hand hygiene while on campus by washing hands
or utilizing hand sanitizer that is provided on campus.
Monitor your own symptoms prior to your arrival to campus: If you feel sick and/or have a temperature of 100.4 or above, please stay home and
reschedule your visit, even if it is the morning of.
Please be aware of COVID-19 symptoms: fever, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, chills, muscle pain, headache,
sore throat, and loss of taste or smell. Do not visit campus if you or a guest are
exhibiting any of these symptoms. An updated list of current COVID-19 symptoms can
be found on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Limit gatherings: Meetings or gatherings in public and office spaces are limited to no more than 24
visitors at any time.
Refrain from arriving at the Visitor Center (McKissick Museum) any earlier than 30
minutes prior to your scheduled tour.
If a date (or a campus tour) is fully booked or blocked off, be prepared to waitlist
or show yourself around.
We offer campus tours Mondays through Fridays (except holidays and extended student
breaks) throughout the year. If we make a date (or campus tour) unavailable, it's
for a good reason - to ensure your safety, comfort and enjoyment. Please note that
dates will show as green/available in our system as long as a campus tour is offered that
day. It does not guarantee that a campus tour is available. We do have aself-guided touravailable on our busy days. If you want to check out campus without formal guides,
please come by!
We may be able to accommodate walk-ins for tours through our waitlist. Please note
that the waitlist is reserved for admitted students only. Requests to be added to the waitlist for a campus tour will only be taken on the same
day as the tour and in person. Visitors must be physically present at the Visitor
Center to request to be added to the waitlist. Waitlist requests are first-come, first-serve
and do not guarantee a space on a campus tour. If space becomes available, visitors
on the waitlist will be notified as early as 10 minutes before or as late as 15 minutes
after the preferred tour time. If we are unable to accommodate your waitlist request
at your preferred tour time, we will do our best to accommodate you at another tour
time. Your flexibility and patience are greatly appreciated. Please note that visitors
are limited to choosing one tour time when requesting to be added to the waitlist.
Register for your visit before booking transportation/lodging.
Tours can fill up quickly during peak visit times and in the worst-case scenario, you can
amend your booking by contacting us. If visiting UofSC is a high priority, book your visit as early as you can, before
booking any transportation/lodging. Plane, train and bus tickets cost money and can become very expensive to change or
cancel - so it's better to keep an eye on prices, but to book them after confirming
your visit. If you cannot attend after all, please cancel your registration using
the link in your confirmation email or by calling us at 1-800-922-9755 - it allows
us to offer your spot to another prospective family!
Visit Confirmation
As soon as you complete your visit registration, you will receive a confirmation email with important details. Attached to the email,
you will find your parking pass and our Visitor Parking Guide. You must print the
parking pass prior to your visit. If you will need special assistance while you are
on campus, please notify the Visitor Center as early as possible at 1-800-922-9755. You can also
request accommodations when completing your visit registration. Learn more about guest accessibility.
Changes and Cancellations
You can use the “edit or cancel your registration” link provided in your confirmation
email to make changes or cancel your visit. To reschedule your visit for a different
day, first register for your preferred new date, then cancel your existing reservation.
For assistance, call 1-800-922-9755 or email cvisits@mailbox.sc.edu.
Late Arrivals
Please be advised that we reserve the right to forfeit your seat if you arrive more
than 10 minutes after the campus tour begins. We encourage all visitors to check-in
30 minutes before their tour.
Visitor Parking
The Visitor Centeris located in McKissick Museum on the Historic Horseshoe. Although there are many
metered parking spaces on many of the streets that surround campus, we may be able
to provide you with complimentary parking. Please check in with our parking attendant for more information.
Directions: At the intersection of Pendleton and Bull, enter the small driveway and stop to speak with the parking attendant.
What to Wear
Check the weather and dress appropriately. The student-led walking tour of campus
can last up to two hours, so please wear comfortable, closed-toes shoes and pack an
umbrella in case of rain. We also recommend bringing a refillable water bottle to
campus. We have various locations for you to fill up your water bottle along our campus
tour route.
While You're in Town
If you're planning to stay in town for a while, consult our calendar for events and check out Explore Columbia for attractions and accommodations. Remember to ask about special rates for UofSC
visitors when making your hotel reservations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Campus tours are offered weekdays at 9:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., with an additional
11 a.m. tour on Mondays and Fridays. Please note that tours may be unavailable during holidays and extended student breaks.
We do not offer guided tours on major holidays or weekends. If you're trying to visit on a day when we do not offer guided tours, we recommend
doing aself-guided tour. We have a self-guided tour map that you can pick up at anytime from our mailbox
in front of theVisitor Center.
March and April are our busiest months. Monday and Friday are generally the busiest
days of the week because of their proximity to the weekend. Please remember, many
high schools all over the country often take the same holidays. These days are a great
time to visit our campus; however, they can fill up quickly.
We release campus tours based on current student ambassador availability. Therefore,
we wait until our students have solidified their class schedules and summer plans
before announcing campus tours. During this unprecedented time, we are only scheduling
tours four weeks in advance.
We close our visit registration within 24 business hours of a visit date. However,
you may come in the day of and request to be added to our day of waitlist. View ourwaitlist policy.
No! All of our visits and events are completely free.
While two colleges/universities might be in the same city or geographic region, it
might not be possible to visit them both in one day (without the aid of a teleporter).
Google maps is fairly reliable, but make sure to note how traffic might change depending
on the time of day. Make sure to give yourself time to stay hydrated, well-paced and
comfortable.
You can sign up for a campus visitonline. Please be sure to have the student’s information prior to registering. Coming with
a friend or sibling? All students should be registered separately.
We cannot guarantee space for guests who have not pre-registered. If you are an admitted
student, we may be able to add you to our waitlist. View ourwaitlist policy. If we cannot accommodate you and your guests on a tour, we will be happy to set
you up with ourself-guided walking tour.
We do not recommend signing up multiple students for a visit under one registration.
We ask that each individual student signs up separately online for the visit. We need
each student’s information so that we can have an accurate count of students and guests.
Of course! We love when students visit together, and we will be sure to allow you to
enjoy your visit experience together. We encourage you to email your name and your
friend's name to cvisits@mailbox.sc.edu prior to your tour.
Once your visit is confirmed, you will automatically receive a confirmation email sent
to the email address you provided on the online registration form. Your confirmation
email is very important, as it has information on where to meet, how to get here and
where to park. Attached to the email, you will find your parking pass and our Visitor Parking Guide.
You must print the parking pass prior to your visit.
You can either use the “edit or cancel your registration” link or the “update guest
count” link in the email communication you received post registration. You can also
call us at 1-800-922-9755 to update your guest count. We cannot guarantee that there
will be space for guests who have not pre-registered.
We can only give out or sign school excuses for students who are registered for an
official campus visit (self-guided visits are not considered registered). Excuses
can only be given for the exact day that a student participates in the campus visit.
All visit participants will receive a detailed email 24 hours after the visit experience
to serve as an excuse note for school or work.
You will get to see the main area of campus during your 75-90 minute campus walking
tour. Your University Ambassador will be a current student who will not only discuss
areas of campus life but will also talk about the history of certain areas of campus. As
part of our COVID-19 risk mitigation plan, we are unable to take tour groups into
academic buildings, residence halls or the library. Due to time constraints, we do
not show athletic facilities, Strom Thurmond Wellness and Fitness Center or Greek
Village as part of our regular tour route.
At this time, we are unable to show residence halls on our general campus tour. Inside
the Visitor Center, you can find a mock residence hall room and interactive housing
displays. You can also virtually view ourresidence halls.
Yes! Your tour guide will show you where our bookstore is located on campus. You will
be unable to stop during the actual tour; however, you will have the opportunity to
stop by after you finish with the tour. Don’t forget to use the 10% off coupon that
is emailed to you when you check-in for your tour!
The tour is given by trained current students (called University Ambassadors) who
are able to give the history and current uses of university buildings, inform visitors
of university traditions and provide their own views and perspectives of the UofSC
student experience. Learn more about ourUniversity Ambassadors.
We do not offer private visits.
Yes, we keep our tours small as a way to ensure your safety, comfort and enjoyment.
We strive to provide a quality experience for every student. However, we find that
admitted students have more questions. If ambassador availability permits, we will
separate admitted students from the general campus tour to provide additional time
for questions. In addition, we offer Honors Admit Tours and Capstone Admit Tours.
Students must be admitted/invited to these programs to participate. Information about
these tours will be available through the admitted student’s application portal.
We offer virtual group tours for high schools who are interested in scheduling a visit
for their students. Virtual visits are offered on Tuesday - Thursday at 10 a.m. during
certain times of the year. You may request your group visit online.
Of course! We highly encourage family and guest participation. In order for us to
accommodate the highest number of prospective students, we do ask that you limit the
number of guests you bring to no more than two.
The University of South Carolina welcomes patrons and their service animals to our
campus. Service animals must remain under control of their handler at all times. Pets
and emotional support or comfort animals are not allowed inside UofSC buildings. However,
animals and pets are allowed in outdoor spaces.
We do not provide lunch for our weekday visits; however, you are always more than
welcome to stop by the Russell House University Union for lunch on your own before
or after your tour. Our University Ambassadors can also provide recommendations for
on- and off-campus places to eat.
We do not offer opportunities to sit in on a class. We find it much more beneficial
for you to meet with someone in a specific department rather than sitting in on a
class. One-on-one appointments are typically reserved for seniors and transfer students.
If eligible to request a one-on-one appointment, you will receive an email within
a few days of registering for your visit. Using the link in the email, fill out the
appointment request form. After submitting the form, you will receive an email stating
that your requests were received. If we are able to accommodate your appointment(s),
you will receive an additional email with your specific appointments once they are
scheduled. If we cannot accommodate your appointment(s), you will receive an explanation
email. Please note that all one-on-one appointment requests must be made at least
two weeks in advance for the courtesy of the departments we work with in scheduling
these appointments. Please be patient with us because we process appointment requests
by the order in which the visit will take place.
Due to NCAA compliance rules, our office is not able to schedule athletic meetings.
You will need to contact the athletic office for assistance (803-777-4202).
We hope that it will not rain on your visit; however, if it does, we will still offer
tours. Our tours are mainly outdoor walking tours, so please be sure to check the
weather before you come so that you can be prepared. In the case of severe weather,
your University Ambassador will present a virtual tour to you. You will have the opportunity
to speak with an admissions representative if you would like. If the university closes
for inclement weather, you will be notified via email. Information will also be available
atsc.edu/weather.
Columbia has multiple hotels to choose from, all within a very close distance to campus.
View our recommendations. Remember to ask about special rates for UofSC visitors when making your hotel reservations.
Due to liability, we do not offer overnight accommodations. You are more than welcome
to check out our various hotels located close to campus.
We are not able to store any visitor luggage during tours. We recommend leaving your
luggage at your hotel until the completion of your visit.
The closest airport to UofSC is the Columbia Metropolitan Airport (CAE). It is approximately
a 15-20 minute drive from campus. The next closest airport is the Charlotte Douglas
International Airport (CLT) in Charlotte, NC. It is approximately a 1.5 hour drive
from our campus.
We do not offer a shuttle service to and from the Columbia airport. There are, however,
several taxi companies and car rental companies available. We also do not offer shuttle
service to and from the Charlotte airport; however, there is a shuttle company: Columbia Charlotte Shuttle. Car rental companies are available at the Charlotte airport as well.
Unfortunately, our office does not sell or give away any athletic tickets. You can
purchase these through the athletics ticket office (803-777-4274) or online.
Further Questions or Assistance
Just contact the Visitor Center by email (visitor@mailbox.sc.edu) or call 1-800-922-9755 and we'll be happy to help.