I recently visited Clemson University in Clemson, South Carolina, where I toured campus and spoke with the admissions office about the latest trends in admissions. Here are some takeaways from my visit:

· Clemson is a public university of nearly 23,000 undergraduates located in its small namesake town. Originally founded as an agricultural college, Clemson remains a powerhouse in agricultural studies and is best-known for its strengths in STEM, especially engineering. Business is also very popular. Both engineering and business students start in a general engineering or business curriculum before specializing in their chosen major.

· Pre-vet students will benefit from the new veterinary college, as well as the abundant supply of large animals in the area.

· Other programs of note include the architecture major, which does not require a portfolio for admission, and the new BS degree in automotive engineering, the first in the nation. Automative engineers will spend their first two years at Clemson’s main campus, then finish their studies at Clemson’s International Center for Automotive Research (ICAR) in Greenville, near companies like BMW, Bosch and Michelin.

· All Clemson students are eligible to participate in co-ops where they work full-time in their field for credit one semester, and the career center consistently rates as one of the top in the nation. Clemson has partnerships with GE in Greenville and multiple corporations across the US.

· The average class size is 27, and only 5% of courses have more than 100 students.

· While the campus is large, all classroom buildings are located within a seven-minute walk of each other. Housing is guaranteed for freshmen, after which point most students move into off-campus housing nearby.

· Campus is directly adjacent to the scenic Lake Hartwell, and the Blue Ridge Mountains are only 30 minutes away. School spirit is robust and football games are huge events. Greek life is non-residential and less pronounced than at some other Southern state schools.

· Similar to some other Southern schools, application deadlines run a little earlier than typical: the Early Action deadline has historically been October 15. Around half of students come from out-of-state.