Sweet Briar named to Princeton Review’s ‘Best Southeastern’ colleges list

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Jennifer McManamay


Students in art class: In the Princeton Review survey, students describe faculty, who “will literally bend over backwards to help you achieve your goals.” In the Princeton Review survey, students describe highly engaged faculty, who “will literally bend over backwards to help you achieve your goals.”


Sweet Briar has again been named one of the best colleges in the Southeast by Princeton Review.

The annual publication’s “2018 Best Colleges: Region by Region” feature says it considers the schools on the lists “academically outstanding and well worth consideration in your college search.”

The Princeton Review, a guide and preparation service used by millions of prospective college students, creates its lists and rankings by surveying undergraduate students across the country. Questions cover academics, administration, campus life, student body and themselves. An online profile summarizes students’ responses.

On academics, Sweet Briar students describe the College this way, according to the profile: “Empowering strong, well-educated women, Sweet Briar College provides a ‘supportive learning environment where students are free to follow their passions and try new things every day.’ … Students praise the individual attention they receive from the faculty, who ‘will literally bend over backwards to help you achieve your goals.’”

Students also report that “a low faculty-to-student ratio means that ‘classes are extremely interactive and discussion based.’ And students say they get a lot out of their classes, in part, because the professors ‘love what they do and are incredibly accomplished in their respective fields.’”

Students also praise the career services office, Sweet Briar’s many cherished traditions and the alumnae network, which is noted for helping students find jobs after graduation.

Students describe themselves as “intellectually curious” and determined to make their marks on the world. Those who responded also noted the small, close-knit sense of community and the support of their peers in pushing them to work hard academically.

“Sweet Briar is unusual,” the profile cites one respondent as saying, “in that it is incredibly motivated in both academic and social-activism settings.”