PAST SOUTHEASTERN U.S. "ON THE ROAD" REVIEWS
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy, with its magnificent white sandstone buildings, sits in striking contrast to the water and red-brick Georgian architecture comprising the historic downtown of Annapolis, Maryland, the state’s capital. The campus, brimming with top-flight facilities in every area, is surprisingly compact and easy to navigate. The academics are clearly first rate, with engineering and the hard sciences still at the heart of every Midshipman’s educational experience, though the humanities are surprisingly strong and very much present. Steeped in tradition and an extraordinary opportunity for those who present the “right stuff”–very strong academic credentials and the character and perseverance to handle its various demands, the Naval Academy is truly unique among colleges and universities in this country. Anchors Aweigh!
St. John’s College
Just blocks away from the State Capitol and the Naval Academy, St. John’s is renowned for its “great books” curriculum. Students are required to read many of the timeless texts of the Western intellectual tradition while studying in their major of choice. The beautiful campus is awash in red brick and is surprisingly bucolic and serene. Honestly, the facilities are much better than I had expected them to be. St. John’s is far more than simply a big library of well-worn books…the liberal arts are amply covered in most all areas of study. Like the Naval Academy, St. John’s is a wonderful school for the right student, one who loves to read and who is willing to buy into a different way to approach his or her college education.
University of Mary Washington
Located about an hour south of Washington, D.C., in Fredericksburg, Virginia, The University of Mary Washington is a hidden jewel–a state-supported small comprehensive university with a liberal arts feel and a great option beyond the other, much larger state universities such as UVa, Va Tech and James Madison in Virginia. Possessing solid academics and a beautiful campus, UMW is a great option for our students who are looking south of the Mason-Dixon Line and who are looking for something a bit smaller and more manageable than the large publics that tend to attract much of the attention in that part of the country. And let’s not overlook the fact that historic Fredericksburg is accessible by train to D.C.!
College of Charleston
The city of Charleston and The College of Charleston are something to behold! A state-supported university with some 10,000 students, C of C is clearly mid-sized, but its compact, beautiful campus and its proximity to many of the city’s sights and to all the best shopping and restaurants make the school blend in beautifully. The academic opportunities are considerable and varied, the kids I met on my tour were friendly and outgoing, and the admission staff was most welcoming and helpful. And as urban universities go, C of C is quite a bargain financially. All told, The College of Charleston is a wonderful option for any student interested in a mid-size university in an urban setting, one that still maintains a sense of community and the warmth of Southern hospitality!
The Citadel
The Citadel, located just outside the downtown of Charleston, has a tradition of providing a first-class educational experience within a military setting. Much like the Virginia Military Academy in Lexington, Virginia, The Citadel does not require an additional military service commitment after graduation. As a student there, however, you will certainly feel a part of the military. The picturesque campus, with its gleaming white sandstone buildings, was striking in the brilliant sunshine. I was impressed by the facilities, its wide-ranging opportunities, and the strength of its academic programs. As well, The Citadel has strong sports teams (last fall, the football team played the University of Florida) and boasts the only Division I wrestling program in South Carolina. An outstanding opportunity for any student interested in an undergraduate experience with a military flair and without the military commitment after graduation, The Citadel could be an inviting option.
The University of South Carolina
The state’s flagship university, located just blocks from the state capitol building in Columbia, a mid-sized city with plenty to see and do, USC boasts top-flight programs in the humanities, law and medicine. With approximately 20,000 undergrads on a fairly compact yet attractive campus, USC feels smaller than its numbers might suggest. Still, there is everything under the sun available for the USC students, both in terms of academic offerings and internships/work study. Sports, especially football, are a big draw for the students. The students are happy and outgoing and seem to maintain a healthy balance in all they undertake. What’s more, the cost of attendance, even for out-of-state students, is quite reasonable.
University of Georgia
Considerably larger than USC, with over 30,000 undergrads, the University of Georgia is the pride of the state, with world-class facilities and offerings. While not quite as competitive as UVA and UNC in terms of admission, UGA is certainly not far behind. Many of the Georgia’s best and brightest students head to Athens each year for its nationally recognized educational experience at a very affordable price. And I can’t say enough about Athens, a great college town replete with quality restaurants, shops and… music!! After all, a town that produced such bands as REM and The Black Crowes can’t be all that bad! Just an hour away from Atlanta, Athens really does have the best of both worlds. Like many of large southern state universities, sports (football) are important, but UGA and Athens offer enough of a counter culture to attract all sorts of students. An interesting and exciting place to spend four years!
Furman University
A small comprehensive university of just under 3,000 students, Furman is a bit out of its element among the large state universities that dominate the region. More akin to Bucknell and Colgate up north, Furman is a serious academic environment with able and motivated students. The campus, located just outside Greenville, South Carolina, another mid-sized city with a thriving downtown and easy access to airports, is relatively new and expansive, with a golf course and a lake, and has the look and feel of a Wake Forest or University of Richmond. A pre-professional hotbed, Furman has traditionally trained large numbers of students for careers in medicine and law, but know that the liberal arts are alive and well there. For a student looking for a small university with big-time facilities and good weather, Furman is a definite must-see.
Wofford College
Located in Spartanburg, South Carolina, Wofford College is a hidden jewel for anyone looking for a small liberal arts college in a mid-sized city with great weather. With just under 1,500 students, Wofford is, I believe, the smallest college in the country with Division I sports. While it may be small by most college enrollment standards, Wofford more than makes up for it by offering a surprising array of options and a good deal of flexibility within a fairly traditional liberal arts experience. I was impressed by the natural beauty of the grounds (much of the campus is located within an arboretum) and the facilities. Spartanburg offers plenty of opportunities for student internships and work study, so the students don’t feel as though they’re “isolated” at any level. A student looking for the quintessential liberal arts experience, but with good weather and Division I sports to keep things hopping on campus, should consider Wofford as a most interesting option.
Clemson University
If you want to go to Clemson, you had better like the color orange! In fact, everything–from the welcome signs to the tiger paws on the streets of the campus to the Main Street–is awash in orange and purple, the Tigers’ beloved colors. School colors aside, Clemson is a state-supported mid-sized university with outstanding engineering and hard sciences, along with strong programs in many other areas. As you might imagine, sports are big time there and there is no shortage of school spirit. The kids are happy and have their fun, but they also work hard and tend to be quite capable. The town of Clemson is small, but it does have a cute Main Street with lots of restaurants and shops where you can buy all things orange–from baby strollers to an entire line of women’s clothing! Those who come to Clemson bleed orange, for sure, but it’s not all fun and games. The academics are challenging, and the students really do work hard. All in all, another great place to spend four years!
High Point University
Of all the schools I had planned to visit, High Point was the one that piqued my curiosity the most. In recent years, students have returned raving about this relatively small, mostly regional college that, frankly, hadn’t been on anyone’s Blair college “radar” until about five years ago. High Point, North Carolina, well known as the "furniture capital" of the United States, may not be as charming as Charleston, South Carolina, or have the real sense of a college town like Athens, Georgia, but High Point University certainly stands out like a piece of well-built furniture! First off, the campus was immaculate…if every building isn’t new (many actually have been built within the past four or five years), every building we entered felt that way. From the piped-in classical music around campus to the statues of many of western civilization’s most famous citizens (Twain, Ghandi, Dickens and Pasteur, to mention a few) who sit comfortably on the park benches around campus, High Point has taken a different path toward marketing itself. Its president has managed to lift this sleepy school to national prominence in his own way, and students from up and down the East Coast are noticing. There is much more to say about High Point that deserves mention here, but suffice it to say that I was duly impressed. High Point won’t be overtaking Duke or UNC anytime soon, but clearly the university is serious about earning its niche among the many fine colleges in college-rich North Carolina.
Wake Forest University
What’s not to like about Wake Forest? The campus and facilities are first rate, the kids are capable and friendly, and the school proudly serves as the only member of the prestigious Atlantic Coast Conference that looks and feels like the small college it really is. What is new at Wake is that they’ve gone test-optional–indeed, they are the first “big-name” college in the South to have the courage to do so. Trust me, they are not hurting for applications…rather, Wake has determined, like the growing number of small liberal-arts colleges in the Northeast, that standardized testing too often “gets in the way” of some really great applicants. In the first full year of test-optional operation, the school has seen an increase in yield of first-generations and minority students, and is well on the way to creating a more diverse group of students for the university. Trying hard to shake up its image as the quiet, conservative school it’s been for generations, Wake Forest is moving boldly in a new and exciting direction.
Davidson College
Much has changed in Davidson, North Carolina, since my last visit there some five years ago. First off, the town has grown considerably…I was surprised by the new hotels and restaurants and shops while driving into this once very sleepy little town. As far as Davidson College itself is concerned, the one big change of note is that it was the first liberal arts college in the country to do away with student loans in their financial-aid awards! The Davidson Trust has clearly made a difference in making the cost of attendance more manageable for many current Davidson students. What hasn’t changed is Davidson’s commitment to being one of the top liberal-arts colleges in the country, which I believe it has every right to claim. Big-time academics, a palpable sense of honor within the community, and Division I sports make this relatively small liberal-arts college (enrollment under 2,000) a very special place indeed.
University of Virginia
It’s no wonder why UVA alums are so passionate about their alma mater…everything about the place is great (not so sure about the cost of the UVa clothing in the bookstore, though!). Seriously, I am struck by how happy a place UVa is. The students are capable, they work hard, and they play hard–all within the confines of the quintessential college town that has been expressly designed to augment the university. Because it attracts so many top students from out of state, UVa feels different from many of the other state universities I’ve visited over the years. And, like the other flagship universities in the South, sports are big, but in Charlottesville, you feel like other things are going on during football Saturdays besides tailgating. In fact, there is much to do there besides cheering for the Cavalier sports teams…the arts, music, poetry and other such intellectual pursuits all have their niche in Charlottesville and are welcomed as well. Of course, getting in to UVa remains a major hurdle for non-Virginia residents, but the chance to attend such a vibrant and exciting university is, for top students, well worth the application fee!
Washington & Lee University
Lexington, Virginia, a small town that nestles up against the Blue Ridge Mountains in western Virginia, is home to two well-known universities—Washington and Lee and the Virginia Military Institute. In fact, there is no wasted real estate between the two schools…they literally sit side-by-side, separated only by a road. W & L’s campus is reminiscent of Blair’s in that the main buildings sit rather estate-like on a hill as you drive onto campus. Like Blair, W & L boasts a beautiful campus with wonderful facilities and a true commitment to the development of the entire person. While a small liberal arts college at heart, W & L does have a nationally recognized law school on campus, thus the university designation. W & L is consistently ranked among the top liberal arts colleges in the country, with strong programs across the board (I believe it’s the only liberal arts college in the country to have an accredited journalism major!). Like Davidson, W & L has a very strong sense of community, where doors remain unlocked and where the honor code is alive and well. At every level, W & L is a wonderful option for a student looking for a top liberal-arts experience with a distinctly southern flair.