Hello, my daughter wants to go to a college similar to Sweet Briar, with its horses and nature and beautiful campus, but now thats closing. Are there any other ‘preppy’ schools similar to Sweet Briar campus and academic-wise? It doesn’t necessarily have to be an all female school, but it should have the same ‘popped collar, upper middle class’ atmosphere with pretty, smart, and nice people. She’s thinking of maybe Colgate, Boston College, or Elon. She loves all the nature thats around Sweet Briar too. It also doesn’t have to be in Virginia but if it is then that would be great.
She’s very academically advanced and wants to have a tight-knit with people that she would feel comfortable with.
Take a look at Hollins.
Vanderbilt and Smith
These were “The Top Ten” from the Preppy Handbook:
Princeton
Hamilton
U of Virginia
St. Lawrence
Babson
Hampden-Sydney (all male)
Lake Forest
Sweet Briar (closing)
Hollins
Pine Manor
Washington & Lee, Wake Forest, URichmond, Sewanee
Second to Washington and Lee. Can’t imagine Boston College would exactly mimic that natural scenery she clearly desires. It sounds like she wants more of a campus with that “grassy college campus” vibe.
Also think about Bryn Mawr, Wellesley, Smith, Scripps, and Mount Holyoke.
Skidmore is also fairly well-known for their equestrian program and has a lot of “popped collar, upper middle class” students. Some other schools (some of which have been mentioned) that come to mind are William & Mary, Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, Wellesley, and Williams.
Too bad about Sweet Briar; it really did seem to be a nice school!
The OP has gone rogue already and has opened a second thread with the same question, but a different stated identity.
Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore don’t read as preppy to me. Neither does Smith.
I also think there is a difference between Southern Prep, which I’d say Sweet Briar is, and New England Prep which Williams and Wellesley lean more toward.
I do think William and Mary is a good suggestion. UVA is pretty darn preppy.
The current Insider’s Guide to Colleges contains a satirical quiz that names Washington & Lee and Hamilton as examples of preppy colleges.
Miami University in Oxford, Ohio!!!
Yale!
Miami University in Oxford Ohio! Nickname is “J Crew U” and I promise it’ll be the prettiest campus you’ve ever set foot on.
The people should be “pretty”? What parent encourages their child to choose a college based on how attractive the other children are?
Maybe it was intended as “pretty smart” - without the comma? Let’s hope…
^ Yes, let’s hope.
Funny, William and Mary doesn’t particularly strike me as that preppy. At least in comparison to UVA. Definitely Washington and Lee. It’s in Virginia and it fits that description almost exactly
If you are considering Colgate, might as well take a look at Hamilton and Middlebury
Bryn Mawr is not preppy. While there might be a preppy student or two, those students are atypical. I’d say that Swarthmore (which is part of a consortium with Bryn Mawr and Haverford) isn’t preppy either.
I agree, and they are pretty serious institutions as well…
@shawnspencer thank you! And I love Psych so much