Admissions Criteria

Applicants must:

• Have a personal desire to attend CarolinaLIFE and work toward individual goals and independence, with a willingness to attend all USC and CarolinaLIFE classes, employment commitments, and coaching sessions.
• Be between the ages of 18 – 26 upon enrollment to be considered for residential programming.
• Students over age 26 may still be considered for admission as commuter students.
• Have completed high school (a high school diploma is not required).
• Have a documented diagnosis of intellectual disability as defined by the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities due to the program’s federal designation as a Comprehensive Transition Program (CTP).
• Prospective students who do not specifically have an intellectual disability whose support needs align with our current student population and model may be considered if cohorts spots are still available.

• Have the ability to live, learn, and function on campus, in all settings, independently, with only minimal and scheduled support.
• Have the ability to functionally communicate wants, needs, desires, and goals.
• Have functional reading, writing, math, and technology skills.
• Be able to undertake activities of daily living without direct supervision (e.g., personal hygiene, self-administering medication, basic first aid and safety needs, etc.).

• Be able to navigate campus independently (e.g., cross roads independently, ask for assistance when needed, etc.).

• Demonstrate respect for self and others, including respecting individuals of backgrounds, values, and life experiences different than our own.
• Be able to follow all policies and procedures outlined in the University of South Carolina Code of Conduct [pdf], Carolinian Creed, and CarolinaLIFE program expectations.

Note: Applicants will have typically received extensive special education services in their secondary schools and are not candidates for degree-seeking programs.

 

Admissions Process

CarolinaLIFE is a non-degree certificate program. Transfer credits from other colleges or postsecondary programs do not apply. The application for the 2027 - 2028 CarolinaLIFE cohort will open on June 1, 2026. It is to your advantage to plan ahead and apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis (for details on this review process, see bulleted list below). Applications with missing items, or those submitted after October 23, may not be considered. After submitting the required documentation, candidates will be invited to participate in a 1:1 virtual interview with a CarolinaLIFE staff member. Based on committee review, final candidates will be invited to an on-campus interview. Admission to CarolinaLIFE is selective and competitive. Meeting basic requirements does not guarantee admission to the program.

 

Admissions Materials

• Completed CarolinaLIFE online application
• Most recent Individualized Education Plan (IEP)
• Psychoeducational Evaluation completed within the last 3 years (see guidelines below)
• 3 completed reference forms from non-family members or friends (*one must be completed by a mental health/guidance/VR counselor – see Reference Forms section below)

 

Psychoeducational Evaluation Guidelines

• Assessment: Testing must be current to represent the applicant’s aptitude as an adult (testing must have been completed within the last 3 years), and should address the following areas:
• Cognitive Ability: The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV), the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-Cog), the Stanford-Binet, Fifth Edition (SB-V), and the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test are acceptable. Other cognitive assessments must be approved by CarolinaLIFE.
• Achievement: The Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement (WJ-Ach), the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT), or the Kaufman Tests of Educational Achievement (KTEA) may be submitted. Other achievement tests must be approved by CarolinaLIFE.
• An assessment of Social / Emotional Scales is preferred but not required for the 2027-2028 applicant cohort: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition or Adolescent Edition (MMPI-2 or MMPI-A), Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), or the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) are acceptable. Other social / emotional assessments must be approved by CarolinaLIFE. 
• Report: The results of these assessment tools should be presented in a thorough and comprehensive interpretative report (psycho-educational or neuro-psychological), that includes:
• Recommendations for accommodations must be based on objective evidence or a substantial limitation to learning and be supported by test results and clinical observations.
• Actual test scores must be provided, along with an interpretation of test results. Test protocol sheets or scores alone are not sufficient. WAIS-IV results must include subtest and index scores.
• The evaluation must include and describe co-existing conditions such as mood, behavioral, neurological and/or personality disorders.

 

Fall 2027 Cohort Admissions Calendar

All application materials must be completed by the APPLICANT. Applications completed by family members or support personnel will not be considered. Applicants may have support in physically typing responses; however, responses must be their own. We are interested in learning about the applicant in their own words.

• Applications Open: June 1, 2026
• Early Action Application Deadline: September 4, 2026
• Early Action Zoom Interviews: June 8 – September 10, 2026
• Early Action On-campus Interview Invitations Sent: September 11, 2026
• Early Action On-campus Interviews: September 21, 2026
• Early Action Admissions Decision: October 2, 2026

 Please Note: On-campus interviews are by invitation only.

• Wave 1 Application Deadline: October 23, 2026
• Wave 1 Zoom Interviews: September 14 - October 29, 2026
• Wave 1 On-campus Interview Invitations Sent: October 30, 2026
• Wave 1 On-campus Interviews: November 13, 2026
• Wave 1 Admissions Decision: November 20, 2026

 

 

• Wave 1 Application Deadline: October 17, 2025
  • Wave 1 Zoom Interviews: September 24 - October 24, 2025
  • Wave 1 On-campus Interview Invitations Sent: October 31, 2025
  • Wave 1 On-campus Interviews: November 14, 2025
  • Wave 1 Admissions Decision: November 21, 2025

 

 

*CarolinaLIFE has the right to continue to review applications after the October 23^rd deadline if cohort spots remain available.  Review of applications after October 23^rd is NOT guaranteed.  Please contact the CarolinaLIFE office (carolinalife@sc.edu) with questions about the Wave 2 consideration process.  Admissions priority is given to Early Action and Wave 1 applicants.

• Wave 2 Application Deadline*: January 15, 2027
• Wave 2 Zoom Interviews*: November 2 - January 21, 2027
• Wave 2 On-campus Interview Invitations Sent*: January 22, 2027
• Wave 2 On-campus Interviews*: January 29, 2027
• Wave 2 Admissions Decisions*: February 5, 2027

Waitlist Decisions: no later than February  5, 2027

 

A Note About the Waitlist

CarolinaLIFE uses the term Waitlist in the same way that the college admissions process uses the term Waitlist, not like many social service organizations use the term.  It is not a “wait your turn” model.  A ‘waitlist’ status from our program is not a guarantee of admission, nor is it an outright rejection.  It means that your application materials are still under consideration.  While we may occasionally extend offers to waitlisted applicants, this is not guaranteed and does not occur automatically when spots become available.  The waitlist status is made final on the deadline indicated and there is no carry-over from year to year.  If a candidate is not accepted from the waitlist, they would need to reapply the following year. We encourage students who receive an offer of ‘waitlist’ to continue their college search and application process for full consideration at other IPSE programs.

 

How to Apply

Our application for the Fall 2027 Cohort will open on June 1, 2026 at 8:00 am EST.  Use this link to apply.

 

Application Checklist

Expand all

Complete Online CarolinaLIFE Application

Complete Online Application

Please note that the application cannot be saved and reopened.  The application must be completed all in one sitting, or the tab/browser must be kept open.

Supporting Documents

The required supporting documents can be submitted via email to carolinalife@sc.edu.

Please note:

• CarolinaLIFE does not have a fax machine. Email submission of documents is required.
• Documents MUST be submitted as complete PDF files. Photographs of individual pages of documents will not be accepted.

Required supporting documents include:

• Most recent IEP
• Psychoeducational Evaluation completed within the last 3 years

Psychoeducational Evaluation Guidelines

• Assessment: Testing must be current to represent the applicant’s aptitude as an adult (testing must have been completed within the last 3 years), and should address the following areas:
• Cognitive Ability: The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale, Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV), the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability (WJ-Cog), the Stanford-Binet, Fifth Edition (SB-V), and the Kaufman Adolescent and Adult Intelligence Test are acceptable. Other cognitive assessments must be approved by CarolinaLIFE.
• Achievement: The Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement (WJ-Ach), the Wechsler Individual Achievement Test (WIAT), or the Kaufman Tests of Educational Achievement (KTEA) may be submitted. Other achievement tests must be approved by CarolinaLIFE.
• An assessment of Social / Emotional Scales is preferred but not required for the 2027-2028 applicant cohort: Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory, Second Edition or Adolescent Edition (MMPI-2 or MMPI-A), Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition (BASC-2), or the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) are acceptable. Other social / emotional assessments must be approved by CarolinaLIFE. 
• Report: The results of these assessment tools should be presented in a thorough and comprehensive interpretative report (psycho-educational or neuro-psychological), that includes:
• Recommendations for accommodations must be based on objective evidence or a substantial limitation to learning and be supported by test results and clinical observations.
• Actual test scores must be provided, along with an interpretation of test results. Test protocol sheets or scores alone are not sufficient. WAIS-IV results must include subtest and index scores.
• The evaluation must include and describe co-existing conditions such as mood, behavioral, neurological and/or personality disorders.

Reference Forms

o submit a reference form, please copy and paste the following link and send it to your references to complete.  You will need to submit three references using this form: CarolinaLIFE Applicant Reference Form

Please note that one of your reference forms must be completed by a counselor (mental health, guidance, VR).  Your other 2 reference forms can be completed by a person of choice but should not be family members or friends.

CarolinaLIFE WILL NOT review your application until ALL THREE reference forms are received.  Please note that references may be contacted by CarolinaLIFE to ensure that their form is reflective of their true opinion of the applicant's ability and/or drive to be successful in college.  Falsification of this information is subject to immediate loss of consideration.  Applicants are responsible for ensuring the completion of reference forms.  CarolinaLIFE will confer with the applicant once all materials are received.

The reference form must be completed in one session.  The form cannot be saved and reopened.

The reference form will open on June 1, 2026 at 8:00 am EST.

 

 Please Note

• All application materials submitted will be destroyed immediately after final decisions are made for those students who are not accepted.
• Students are required to complete the application process in full if they are resubmitting an application.