Sweet Briar vs. Hollins

bretschneiderea
Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:05:30 +0000

Hi Briana,
Choosing a school that is the right fit for you is one of the hardest things you’ll have to do! I think it is really great that you are taking the initiative to ask questions and advice about your decision! While it is ultimately your decision to choose which school to go to, asking for advice is a really great way to figure it out! This is my last semester at Hollins ( so I obviously have a major bias) and I am so thankful for everyday that I get to spend on campus. I am from New York, and I was really nervous about coming to the south for school. I thought that it would be completely rural and boring. I knew the second that I stepped onto campus my freshman year however, that I had made the right choice.

The thing that I hated most about looking at schools is when they would say things like “at _____ you can be whoever you want to be”. That phrase annoyed me so much because I wanted to stay the same old me I was in high school, just grow into the person who I already was. Hollins is a place that really helps you to develop those things about yourself that you love, and foster creativity, independence, and new interests you never knew you had before. When I came to Hollins I really didn’t know what I wanted to get involved in on campus, and honestly spent my first year here not too involved. By my second year I had found that I really loved Student Government and I loved film. I joined SGA and HUTV. As my time went on at Hollins I began to find myself having more and more interests that I had never thought that I would, or even that I would be good at! Now, I am the editor of our yearbook, Chair of the Hollins Activity Board, and Executive Producer of HUTV. What other school can you do that at? I love that I can love so many things at Hollins, I am not simply tied down to one interest.

Hollins also gives you some really amazing life experiences that you are unable to get at a lot of other universities or colleges. I studied abroad TWICE at Hollins (both times on scholarship)! My Sophomore year I spent a J-term abroad in Berlin with the film department, and as a third semester college student, it was an amazing experience that I will never forget. Later, during the spring of my Junior year, I spent a semester abroad in London. It was great because Hollins has a school right in downtown London. That semester I had friends in Ghana, Ireland, Rome, Spain, and Japan! I got to travel all over Europe to Barcelona, Paris, Budapest, and Italy. Studying abroad was not the only great opportunity that Hollins gave me, I also got to participate in two really amazing internships. During the most recent one, I got to work under the CEO for a major Nonprofit organization in New York City. Hollins set me up with the internship, paid for my dining, housing in NYC, and an additional stipend! It was an amazing learning experience and helped me to decide what I want to do next year when I graduate!

As far as nightlife goes, Hollins is in a really great location because it is right near downtown Roanoke. We have a shuttle that runs downtown wednesday-Sunday making stops at the local mall as well. The great thing about downtown is there are tons of shops and restaurants. A lot of times my friends and I will go downtown to Mill Mountain Coffee shop or to Frogurt during the day on the weekends. At night they’re are open mics, and bands that play downtown. Once you turn 21 there is a lot more to do because a lot of the bars have themed nights. For example, one of the really fun bar / restaurants downtown is having a “Hollins Night” a week from Friday! I know my friends and I are really excited to go downtown for that! The other great thing about our location is we are right near Roanoke College, Virginia Tech, W & L, Radford, VMI, and two hours from H-SC. A lot of times there are people carpooling to their schools too! Every weekend our Activity Board Sponsors events both on and off campus. Last week we had the slam poet Andrea Gibson come, soon we are having Jake Oustly, a BLACKOUT party, Spring Cotillion (downtown), and The Dean’s List!

Clearly, I really love Hollins and would be happy to answer any more specific questions you might have in an e-mail. I hope that you can come visit Hollins this Spring, we are having so many great events! I am sure that you will make a great decision, and I hope that you are happy wherever you decide to go! Even if Hollins isn’t the school for you, I hope that you get to experience the same amazing college experience that I got to here at Hollins!

On a final note, stereotypes are often times not accurate. You will have all of those kinds of people you mentioned at ANY school you go to, single-sex or not. Don’t worry so much about the stereotypes surrounding the school if it is the place you think you will be most happy! I am confident that you will make the best decision for YOU!
GOOD LUCK and enjoy the rest of your senior year!