The University of the South

The unique mountaintop Tennessee location allows the University of the South, known as Sewanee, to utilize "our beautiful campus not only as a classroom but also as a tool for learning itself." Whether you are studying the humanities-being treated to "a good amount of instruction...outdoors"-or studying the hard sciences the "natural biodiversity of the campus" is appreciated. As the school is predominantly an undergraduate institution, students report that "all of the research opportunities professors have go to us, which rocks." And for teachers who don't naturally have research, the "incredible" small class sizes and low student teacher ratio means there's ample time to make "connections and [get] excellent letters of recommendation for graduate school."

Courses on campus are primarily discussion based, so students are constantly "encouraged to participate and voice their ideas." They also provide a lauded flexibility: "I don't think I've had a stereotypical final exam in my entire time at Sewanee. Most of the time, we are actively applying our studies or content to real-world problems or something that will help us in our field." One first-year student particularly loved "a final project that was both chemistry and art based, joining the two subjects together in a lab setting with the creation of cyanotypes."

"People don't choose to come here just because of the academics. They choose to come here because of the strong community." They also come for the setting, which means you'll find a lot of "nature lovers, the type of people who write songs about a view and sit outside when they study" as well as "athletes, outdoorsy kids, pre-professional kids who are really focused on their studies, and many more groups." Regardless of background, the consensus is that "everyone meshes well together," though some note that the "environment definitely caters to more extroverted people" and that it's "no secret that Sewanee students love to party." Overall, students are united by a "genuine passion amongst our student body for social justice and community service." This sentiment is visible on campus daily as "people at Sewanee smile at strangers when they walk by, even if it feels awkward, out of the innate belief that they might be a friend later or maybe just that it'll brighten someone's day."

Sewanee's 13,000 acre campus, The Domain, "is unbeatable." One student emphasizes that "being on the secluded mountain with your classmates, peers, and most of your professors brings the community closer together." The on-campus farm provides another opportunity for students to enjoy the outdoors: "We get to hang out with animals whenever, make our own food and food for the community, and spend some quality time with our peers outdoors while still getting to work hard to take care of our community."

"The social scene is driven by Greek Life; however, all parties are open to the entire community." There's also the incredibly popular Sewanee Outing Program, which has events that "are always cool" and then there's plenty of celebrated canoeing, mountain biking, running, climbing, and spelunking throughout the Domain, while others love just "looking at the stars with friends."