Sweet Briar vs. Hollins

LiftThineEyes
Fri, 16 Mar 2012 15:40:00 +0000

When I was looking for colleges, I was just as torn as you were. Sweet Briar and Hollins were my two top picks and, upon being accepted to both, I faced a difficult decision in choosing between two strikingly different schools. They both have beautiful grounds and extensive histories, but what it truly comes down to is what you want your college experience to be. I chose Hollins and I must say I chose right. The academic prestige of Hollins and a single weekend visit convinced me: if the the beautiful 450+ acres weren’t persuasive enough, the close alumni relations, the abounding opportunities for student leadership, and the inclusiveness of the athletic program made Hollins not only my top choice, but the best choice. I also visited Sweet Briar. I have nothing negative to say about Sweet Briar: the buildings are gloriously austere. But, from my MANY visits there (I was quite determined to go there for awhile), every bit of information I received revolved around the architecture of the buildings, not of the institution itself. I could list founding dates and building construction years by the end of my senior year, but I did not know one thing about the academics, internships, etc. Hollins sold me on everything: unlike Sweet Briar, you do not have to wait until your junior year to study abroad on a school-owned venture. Hollins owns programs in London and Paris and offers internship opportunities (even in Parliament).
A Division III school, our athletic program is growing extensively and becoming more competitive, but that did not stop me and others from trying to be as involved as possible and trying out for sports despite limited past experience. This was my first year ever on a competitive swim team and, not only was the swim team—composed of some very talented swimmers including Margaret Dwyer who was First Team All-ODAC this year—accepting, they were supportive and many of the girls are my closest friends.
I guess I could be very biased, but that’s what happens when you love someplace so much—objectivity gets thrown out the window. I did not come to Hollins for an M.R.S. Degree—I came to receive an education. I’m just lucky enough that fun and friendship is coupled with academic rigor. I am looking to be an English major with a double minor in Business and Communications. The classes are challenging and invigorating. One of my favorite things Hollins offers is a first-year seminar. For the first semester of your freshman year, you choose a seminar (a 4 credit class) that interests you. The professor(s) that teach this class are your advisors. I was in Leadership in the 21st Century, a class that taught us leadership theory on Tuesdays and let us actually put what we learned into action on Thursdays. I learned a lot about my leadership capabilities. One of my favorite memories involves when we did a high ropes course at Camp Roanoke; I was scared out of my wits, but it served as a great bonding experience for me and my classmates. My professor who led this is actually one of the major contributors to the existence of Camp Roanoke; Jon Guy Owens, director of the Hollins Outdoor Program (HOP), maintains a program that allows students to achieve their Outdoor Leadership Certificate. There is an HOP program over the summer for incoming freshman—I highly recommend it if you are at all interested in the outdoors, making friends, and creating memories.
When it comes to dating and nightlife there is so much going on that it keeps you beyond busy! Almost every weekend there is an event: whether it is a concert hosted by the Hollins Activity Board (HAB), a social created by the Student Government Association (SGA), or an Album sponsored poetry reading (Andrea Gibson was just here on Tuesday), there is an abounding number of events. We have two annual formals: Fall Formal and Spring Cotillion. Fall Formal was downtown Roanoke and an absolute blast: it opened with a live band and then switched to a DJ when everyone was pumped to dance! The fact we truly do integrate the school into the urban life of Roanoke makes meeting new people and developing connections extremely simple when not on campus. I was in Lexington last week and, just waiting for dinner, a VMI cadet asked about my Hollins sweatshirt. We talked for quite some time and are even Facebook friends now (thank you, social networking)! Spring Cotillion is coming up in April and we are all very excited! Parties do occur on campus, keeping the weekends buzzing with excitement. When it comes to dating, boys do attend campus-sponsored events and parties, but some of our girls go to Hampden-Sydney or VMI on the weekends. Even though Hollins is an all-girls school, if you want to see guys, you will.
Hollins is an amazing place and, even as a first-year, I dread graduating. I know what a hard decision choosing a college is—it truly determine the rest of your life. But, in choosing Hollins, I know that the rest of my life is something I look forward to and am prepared for thanks to the education I am receiving here.