Hollins University

Date: Mar 01 2010
Major: English (This Major's Salary over time)
Hollins is a very specialized school. In my opinion it's important that you already know a bit about yourself and about what you want in your college education. For the people that Hollins suits, Hollins is the perfect college experience. For people it doesn't suit, it can be boring or lack opprotunities. Hollins does have many things to do, but only in the areas that the school specializes in. If you're thinking about going to Hollins you should probably be interested in a certain unique aspect of the school - such as the creative writing program, the riding program, the single sex education, the small college size, a liberal arts education, a beautiful campus, that kind of thing. Hollins is not a good choice for people who don't have a clue what they're looking for in life, and it's not for people who want their college experience to be full of hookups and parties.

All that being said, I spent my freshman year at Hollins and though I loved Hollins as a creative writer and because of the wonderful people I met there, it was what you might call "too accepting." Meaning, I didn't feel that I was being challenged to grow, to step outside my comfort zone. Hollins went the extra mile to make sure you felt nurtured and accepted, but that meant I didn't need to face my fears or make positive changes in my life. I know this is pretty subjective, and I assure you that many of my friends at Hollins are having wonderful experiences and actually need the nurturing and acceptance.

However, I left due to financial reasons and transferred to a state school. Here it has been lonely and uncomfortable, and I feel that Hollins did nothing to prepare me for it, though it's not really Hollins' fault. Hollins kept me in a safe bubble, and when I left it I was shocked to find out that the world can be very unfriendly and cold outside of it. But this experience has also forced me to grow, and to try a wide variety of different things, and take a more proactive hand in my education. A state school is perfect for someone who wants a lot of options, a lot of variety, maybe isn't quite sure what to do with their life, and wants an affordable education.

So I guess to reiterate, I'd recommend Hollins if you know a little about yourself already or if you want to pay for a "nurturing atmosphere", because that it was Hollins does best. But choose a different school if you are seeking variety in your majors departments and organizations. Or if you enjoy sports. One fun fact about Hollins is that they are terrible at all sports, with the exception of their excellent riding program.