Sweet Briar College - Possible Freshman (Accepted)

Hi all,

I have been accepted to Sweet Briar College as part of the Class of 2022. I currently attend a small college preparatory private school with about 375+ upper school students and a friend of mine from my school attends SBC as a sophomore. I am very interested in the equestrian program and like the small private school feel. I would appreciate it if you could answer the following questions:

  • What is it like to attend a very small school/women's only college?
  • Are the stereotypes accurate? (ie: girls are only there to find their future husband, very snooty, equestrians dominate student population, etc...)
  • What are the advantages of attending a VERY small private school over a large state school or a medium sized private one?
  • What are the best things to do at SBC?
  • Best SBC traditions?
  • Is it very cliquey?
  • Was it hard to adjust to Sweet Briar when you first came or no?
  • What is the best thing about the equestrian program? (My primary interest)
  • What is the party scene/Mixers with fellow brother schools/UVA like?
  • What are the academics like/overall class size?
  • Is it worth visiting? What should I know/be prepared for when I visit?

Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to answer my questions. I really appreciate it.

  • Sophia

If the women were only looking for husbands, wouldn’t they have better odds at a co-ed school?

We visited, not really knowing what to expect. Ended up being quite impressed… Professors were very friendly and excelled in their areas, classes very very small - like 8 girls. It was all discussion based. That part felt very like Sarah Lawrence when we visited there. While my daughter was interviewing, I chatted to some students here & there. All seemed intelligent & friendly. D said it didn’t feel cliquey to her & she’s a bit introverted. She was surprised at how helpful the students seemed.
Regular interactions/ mixers with guys schools. Girls there said the VMI guys were pretty fun! I think they do Hampton Sydney events too.
Equestrian…they have 90(!) horses on the campus & the indoor training area is HUGE.
We were there for scholarship weekend without having visited before. Had no idea what to expect, heard the same - it’s a finishing school for rich girls seeking an MRS, cliquey, etc. BUT it didn’t seem like that at all! Truly. It was welcoming, very friendly & seemed like you could excel there with all the personal attention.
The new president is

@Msunderstanding - Thank for for your input! Were you there for Presidential Scholars? I was too but I didn’t get a chance to chat w a few of the students just the competitors. Thank you!!!

@Msunderstanding - Thank you for your input. I was also there for PS but I didn’t get to chat w a few of the students. I mostly talked w other prospects and appreciate the feedback. Could you possibly tell me more about the new president?