Berry College

I have loved my time at Berry. I wouldn't argue that it is perfect for every student, so it's important to do the research and know what is important to you in a college before making a final decision. But it has definitely been perfect for me. The coursework is tough but manageable because professors are willing to meet with students outside of class time. The ability to work on campus was also a major positive for me because I now have a full resume of work experience to go along with the education I have received. It is also, by far, the most beautiful place I have ever lived, which could be a negative when I graduate because no where else could live up to the standard Berry has set!

3rd Year Female -- Class 2012

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Surrounding City: B

Before you read the rest of my review, here is some context. I attended Berry from New England. I am a fairly liberal person. Berry was not my first choice for college, however, they were the most accessible of their competitor liberal arts colleges in the Southeast. It was the most affordable option, but it ended up being the best one.

Berry is not for everybody.
The faculty are wonderful. I had many engaging classes, even those that were not within my major. Even if I only had one of their classes either for a gen ed or something I took out of interest, they remembered my name and always asked how my course of study was going. The education I received was truly top-notch. I found work outside of Washington DC and feel that my education was superior compared to what my new friends received at places like the University of Maryland, the George Washington University, Virginia Tech, etc. But, you need to be prepared to write and think. You cannot just coast and expect a reward for a piece of paper. I was a history major and had three job offers before graduation in business and education. Outside the region because I knew how to construct a resume and leverage the skills I learned in my work experience (see below).

If you are not from the South, the student body is interesting. One third are from the Atlanta suburbs who are from progressive families originally from outside the area that recognize the value of liberal arts colleges. One third are wicked sheltered students that cannot think for themselves and are disrespectful about other students non-white protestant faith or their parent sent them there knowing they wouldn't be exposed to the vices found at state schools. The remaining third are a little bit of everything. I did make some of my most treasured friends here, but in general, if you don't fit in or make an effort to find a niche, you will be miserable. Dating is difficult. Many girls will expect you to want to put a ring on it. There is also a fairly large LGBT population on campus, despite the unwelcoming (although I believe it has improved some) atmosphere on campus. Yes, there is a large cross section of close-minded, almost outwardly racist students, but the faculty does a good job in cultivating an understanding of other cultures.

The work experience program is also what you make of it. I had a wonderful department with supervisors who "got it." They knew they could trust me with responsibility and gave me a lot of independence to work. I had "a real job" on campus and it motivated me to pursue a career in Higher Education. If you do not take initiative, nobody will hand it to you. Many of the students are entitled and do not know how to work, but like the idea of it (if that makes sense).

Athletics are great. If you are an athlete and have the opportunity to be a recruit, go for it. Many programs are nationally competitive, the coaches are excellent, and the teams are pretty well funded. It is not the Division I experience, but there is a fairly large cross-section of sports fans on campus.

It is not a party school, if you do not know where to look. Partially it is because a large cross-section of the student body are na?ve, but if you are into that kind of fun you can find it. Bar prices are cheap in Rome, especially compared to DC. You can do well after as well if you apply yourself. I have alumni friends in the DMV who work at the State Department and the FDA. Many others have found success at local firms in Atlanta and some of the best graduate school across the country. While I did not enjoy my entire experience at Berry, I had the opportunity to do some incredible things. While I did not necessarily value my Berry degree at graduation, I am proud of the school and the education I received there. It just took a couple of years.

4th Year Male -- Class 2014

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Surrounding City: D+

I was overall pleased with my experience at Berry. You are not treated as an ID number. It is extremely easy to seek out assistance, whether it be from professors during office hours or constructing your resume through career services.

Don't expect an academic "walk in the park" just because the school doesn't attract Ivy-League caliber students. Most classes have tough courseloads and there is no such thing as an "Easy A" here. The professors are required to have 10 office hours a week and I never encountered one who was inaccessible. Most of the Gen Ed courses seem like unnecessary busy work, but when you get into the upper level classes in your major and minor (if you choose one), the classes become more relevant to the professions you are interested in or the graduate programs you wish to pursue.

Make sure there are activities that interest you at Berry before you decide to enroll... whether it be intramurals, Christian life organizations, or Student Government. There are very few organized activities on campus, and fewer on weekends. KCAB, the student entertainment organization, does an excellent job trying to think of new activities, but most receive little participation. Many RAs seem to be more interested in enjoying their larger dorm rooms than actually facilitating hall get togethers. Berry has no Greek system, though most students (including myself) prefer it that way. The school really has no cliques... other than the Campus Entertainment Committee seems to have inflated egos at time.

Berry does a nice job of keeping the dining halls, student athletic facilities, and library open at reasonable hours for the weekend. I wouldn't call it a "suitcase college," but there isn't much to do on-campus. I would advise that you have some friends nearby at some of the state schools so you can road trip.

All students have the ability to work on campus. I believe 90% do. Be advised that you only make minimum wage... However, on-campus employment is a lot more flexible than if you look for a job off campus. I never pursued an on-campus job, because working hard for $6.25/hr. in between classes wasn't worth it to knock off at most 10% of tuition.

Even though alcohol is banned from campus, it's not too hard to find off-campus parties if that's your thing. Granted they are much tamer than Greek parties you'd find at say UGA, but it's your best hope if you want to blow off some steam on the weekends.

Berry has the prettiest campus of any college that I have ever seen. It encompasses over 26,000 acres, though the school buildings are close together. It's kind of a welcome relief, because once you leave campus you are thrust into Rome, Ga., a town of 50,000 with nothing but fast food restaurants, two Wal-Marts, a dinky mall, and a downtown full of dilapidated buildings. I would recommend getting the largest on-campus meal plan possible, unless you really like ordering fast food.

For a campus that is incredibly beautiful, all the dormitories are absolutely fetid and poorly maintained. Maintenance does the best they can when there are major plumbing problems or structural problems, but some things are too old for them even to fix. Every dorm is in desperate need of renovation. Just do the best you can to deal with it and eventually you can move into the New Residence Hall when you are a junior or senior.

If you're a rabid sports fan, you might want to think twice about going here. Athletic events are poorly attended and few people watching sporting events on television. Intramurals aren't that popular and don't seem to be particularly well organized. Still, if you like to keep in shape, Berry just opened the Cage Center which, for a school of Berry's enrollment, may be the nicest in the country. There are numerous basketball courts, a natatorium, a fantastic workout facility, and several racquetball courts.

One misconception about Berry is that it is a school for right-wing conservative Christians. Granted there are a segment of students whom religion is very important to them, but they aren't proselytizers. Berry is not affiliated with any church, so the school has no agendas.

Also, if you are a guy, don't choose Berry because it is nearly 70% women. If you are looking for a hookup culture, look elsewhere. I would posit that the majority of Berry women are more concerned about their Mrs. degree. Many Berry students are in serious relationships too, as in almost engaged type, not the serious relationships which last a month that you see at bigger schools.

Two things which did surprise me about Berry:
1. There is a decent marijuana culture there. I'm not into pot, but it's not hard to find and quite a few smoke on campus.2. There are surprisingly quite a few out-of-the-closet homosexuals. While I'm sure that it ruffles some feathers of the super-religious, most students are okay with it.

2nd Year Male -- Class 2008

Education Quality: A+, Social Life: F