Charlotte, the largest city in the Carolinas, with a population of more than 500,000, is a commercial, banking and cultural center of the South. The area is rich in historic landmarks and the city features an impressive skyline and a revitalized uptown. From the community service projects to internships, from cultural events to professional sports teams, area students draw on Chalrotte's advantages for education and entertainment. Institutions of higher learning include the University of North Carolina-Charlotte, Johnson C. Smith University and Davidson College.

Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU), established in 1867 as a college for African Americans. The campus and grounds occupy 100 acres in the city of Charlotte. There are forty-six buildings, including the University chapel, administration and classroom buildings, modern residence halls, faculty houses, and the Honors College Center. The University provides an environment in which students can fulfill their physical, social, cultural, spiritual, and other personal needs and in which they can develop a compelling sense of social and civic responsibility for leadership and service in a dynamic, multicultural society. Currently, there are 621 men and 925 women enrolled at the University. Students hail from the majority of the fifty states and several other countries.

Founded in 1837, Davidson College ranks as one of the most competitive liberal arts and sciences colleges in the United States. The student body is made up of 1,600 students from forty-seven states and thirty-four other countries, chosen not only for their academic promise but also for their character and leadership. The liberal arts curriculum at Davidson is designed to give students knowledge and skills that they will put to use throughout their lives. Davidson offers more than 850 courses in twenty major fields and in special interdisciplinary programs. Students benefit from the careful attention of 156 full-time faculty members who are dedicated to teaching and guiding undergraduates. Close relationships between faculty members and students are a hallmark of the Davidson experience. The Honor System serves as a foundation for life at Davidson. The Honor Code represents a declaration by the entire College community-students, faculty and staff members, and alumni-that an honorable course is the most just and, therefore, the best. Davidson's 450-acre campus is located in Davidson, North Carolina. Davidson students tutor children at the area elementary school, build houses for Davidson's chapter of Habitat for Humanity, bike and jog throughout the residential neighborhoods, or gather with friends at the local coffee house. Davidson owns 106 acres of waterfront property on Lake Norman, the largest lake in North Carolina, where students participate in a variety of water sports. As one of the only colleges of its size in the nation competing in Division I of the NCAA, Davidson supports true scholar-athletes in twenty-one varsity sports.