Does anyone have a review of Sweet Briar College?

College Search & Selection
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<p>Hello everyone,
Since I've searched Sweet Briar College on CC and come up with so little, I'd like to start a thread specifically asking for feedback on this school. CC has been a great source for learning about colleges and I'm sure there are some out there who have been to SBC or have heard things about it. This is for the benefit of others looking for inside info on SBC as well as for me.</p>

<p>Feel free to move this post, as I don't know if I'm putting it in the right place.</p>

<p>Thanks guys!
~Grace</p>

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<p>Here is some info. that may help you assess SBC. It is a small women's college @700 students. The location is a gorgeous 3300 acre campus in a rural area of Va. If you are comfortable with those facts, and are seeking an education that allows (almost requires) you to be fully engaged with professors and classmates in small classrooms, the school has much to offer. There are superlative advising and career services, excellent study abroad programs, professors who are largely devoted to being accessible, lots of opportunities to benefit from alum relationships, a committment from the school to provide internships to all who seek them, and a sense of community that is very strong. I know a first year student who has had the opportunity to have dinner at profs. home with international authors, met with alum on at least 2 occasions so far, attended internship/career info. sessions and met with her advisor several times around course/major selection. The work load is significant; most of the women there are motivated and devoted to getting the most out of their class time. If you arrive unprepared to small classes, it is likely to be noticed by your peers and profs and appreciated by neither. Conversely, you will not be alone if it is your priority to complete your work. There are many opportunities (formal and informal) to develop leadership skills on campus, as well as to be involved with extracurricular activities. The admissions office is thorough and available. They seem very interested that the school be the right place for you, as opposed to being all things to all people. It is well worth contacting them if you are interested.</p>

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<p>Thanks sep200, that's a lot of great info!
To add to what you said: I recently contacted the admissions office, as I had a few questions, and I was very impressed by the staff. Everyone was helpful and very professional. The fact that I was taking time out of their day didn't seem to distress them, as has been the case with other colleges I've contacted. The admissions guys gave me a very good impression of SBC.
Another thing I like about Sweet Briar: its school colors are pink - that's right, I said PINK - and green. May seem superficial at first, but think about it. It really says a lot about a women's college.</p>

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<p>Agnes Scott in Atlanta has a similiar culture if you prefer city living.</p>

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<p>Another "Southern Sister College" that may bear looking at is Hollins University, also in Virginia.</p>

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<p>I've heard at least one sketchy story about it being very traditional and socially conservative, esp. compared to most Women's Colleges. Maybe that appeals to you - I would visit to check out the atmosphere.</p>

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<p>kelseyg, is the story you heard something you'd be willing to share? Maybe you could PM me. I'm definitely interested to hear it.</p>

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<p>Sweet Briar College has an outstanding reputation in the Washington, D.C. area. It's a favorite school for the children of government officials and international diplomats.</p>

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<p>Being traditional and socially conservative is NOT sketchy.</p>

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<p>Agreed, very odd choice of words. It's an all female school in rural Virginia featuring horse boarding and trails as one of its major attractions. Not the type of place to attract the Goth-Emo set. But it's not some redneck backwoods place either. Most students come from wealthy areas of larger cities.</p>

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<p>A nice school, but it's small size can be a hinderance in terms of connections. I had a terrible experience there and ended up leaving, after the school failed to appropriately respond to the situation. I now deeply regret not having chosen to attend a much more prestigious liberal arts college in the northeast.</p>

<p>The student body is difficult to pinpoint. Because it is an all-women's college, you get the girls who, if I may be completely honest, are chubby, wear glasses, are acne-ridden, and are therefore more comfortable in a male-free environment. On the other hand, there are the southern belles in their Lilly Pulitzer dresses, Burberry trenches, Sperry Topsiders, and Wayfarer sunglasses, who spend quite possibly every weekend at Hampden-Sydney College searching for their future husbands. HSC is an all-male school about an hour away in Farmville, Virginia, with an intense frat scene. If you're more of a normal girl who falls in between these two groups, then you may find yourself feeling stuck on campus and miserable. Be forwarned, SBC is VERY isolated. Almost all the girls have cars on campus, but really only take them to Wal-Mart or Hampden-Sydney. Needless to say, it is not a very intellectually stimulating environment in terms of culture. </p>

<p>The admissions staff was friendly all along, which made me feel even more betrayed and bitter when things didn't work out for me there. They were terrible in terms of email though- I only received a response after emailing my admissions counselor at least three times (after having met in person on campus). Don't let yourself get too caught up in the "most beautiful campus", pink and green, and clever advertising/pamphlets, because it's more the location and student body that will influence your time on campus. </p>

<p>Now, even though this comes off as a negative review, I would never dissuade you from exploring the school more in-depth. Many girls have had great experiences there, just not this one.</p>

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<p>It also is only 45 minutes from UVa and there is lots more shopping and restaurants etc. than WalMart in Lynchburg just 10 minutes to the south.</p>

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<p>The fact that so many SBC girls frequent Hampden-Sydney's beautiful campus speaks highly of their taste and refinement.</p>

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<p>My uncle and aunt both taught there for a while (they now work at NASA). I think they enjoyed teaching there though.</p>

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<p>Hi all,</p>

<p>Since I began this thread I went and visited Sweet Briar College for myself. I’d like to share what I found, in no particular order of importance.</p>

<p>–Arriving on campus, I had an overwhelming sense of being surrounded by fluffy pink and spring green. It really is a feminine place. </p>

<p>–It was cloudy the whole time I was there. </p>

<p>–I enjoyed the classes I went to. One of the creative writing professors let out a few swear words, and everyone giggled. I think the students enjoy his style but I’m really prudish about things like that and didn’t appreciate it. </p>

<p>–Traditionally only seniors are supposed to use the front entry doors to the dining hall. While I was there I felt extremely frustrated by this. I felt frustrated by ALL of the traditions I encountered while I was there. I am a very focused person and I don’t want to be distracted by throwing paint at posts, singing in the middle of the night, or ghost homage. Leave me alone and let me study!!</p>

<p>–What a previous poster said, I found to be true: many girls there take advantage of not having the pressure of guys around and are overweight or acne-ridden. Many don’t bother with makeup. </p>

<p>–The Sweet Briar lady I stayed with told me she wants to be president of the United States. (Serious.) I told her that would never do, because I wanted to be first lady, and we hated each other instantly. No, I didn’t really say that. But I wanted to. It was my least favorite part of the visit.</p>

<p>–The student body is overwhelmingly white and the staff are overwhelmingly black. It’s especially noticeable in the cafeteria. Having come straight from living in Africa, this made me VERY uncomfortable. </p>

<p>–It would be easy and exciting to jump in and be a part of the Sweet Briar community. There are plenty of opportunities to get involved. The outdoor club looked like SO much fun! Everywhere I looked there were places to get involved.</p>

<p>In all, I didn’t go to Sweet Briar College because I had better opportunities elsewhere. It would have been hard for me the first month or so but I believe I could have really enjoyed it.</p>

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<p>So, you have a problem with working black people?? You would prefer they stay home and do nothing?</p>

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<p>Oh my goodness, you totally missed the point. The situation would have been a lot more comfortable if there were more racial diversity in the student body. It was too clearly divided between white girls and black staff. It’s great that those people have jobs, but that’s irrelevant.</p>

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<p>Very well said, Grace.</p>

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<p>I don’t know which college guide it was (Fiske maybe?) but Sweetbriar kept coming up on top in the categories they listed. (and NOT husband hunting!)…things like student teacher ratio, student satisfaction with curriculum, etc…The grads I"ve known over the years are all career women, some married, some not.</p>

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<p>The point?? You expected lots of black female students at a horsey preppie semi-finishing school in Central Virginia whose colors are proudly Lilly Pulitzer pink and green. What world are you living in? Would you go to the University of Alaska in January and be surprised by the lack of sun and 70 degree weather?</p>