Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC)

Hampden-Sydney College “provides young men with a liberal arts education steeped in brotherhood and tradition.” Students are proud of the school’s nearly 250-year history and status as one of the oldest institutions of high learning in the nation. That status also affords them a staff of “very involved teachers, faculty, and alumni who care about your learning and future after college.” Academics at H-SC center focus on communication— there’s a studio dedicated to it—and all students take courses and an exam in rhetoric. Consequently, academic discourse is “stimulating” and “rewarding,” and popular class projects involve creative twists on the subject: asking students to simulate high-intensity leadership scenarios, role-play as activists from the 1920s, and collaborate in collective oral chemistry quizzes. There are also plenty of experiential learning options, including beekeeping and documentary filmmaking, and study abroad destinations, like Oxford University in England and Akita International University in Japan. The professors at H-SC are “brilliant, accomplished scholars” with whom students forge “phenomenal” relationships. Students also consider “excellent career preparation” and “huge alumni network” to be major perks of enrolling in H-SC. It’s “hands down the best alumni network I could have imagined. I have one-on-one calls with alumni once a month to orient myself towards my career after graduation.” As one student sums it up, H-SC is “a great place to become a man.”

The connection between students at Hampden-Sydney College meets the "true definition of brotherhood, united with an unbreakable bond." Students say, "the HSC community is one that makes you feel at home," one that is "inclusive and collaborative" and which "upholds and uplifts." Students can be found "supporting each other, helping each other, and sometimes even stopping each other from doing something stupid." The school's honor code maintains that and sees to it that Tigers are generally "solid blokes. They value each other's well-being over themselves." Students enjoy "a lot of freedom to act how we please because we have respect for each other. You don't have to worry about someone stealing your things, [and] you sleep with the doors unlocked without worry." In short, Hampden-Sydney men are "kind, care about each other, and are seeker[s] of knowledge in all that they do."

There are plenty of opportunities to connect with other students at Hampden-Sydney College. Academic clubs such as the Union-Philanthropic Literary Society are popular and host debates as well as social events, such as "an annual ball to which alumni are invited, weekly teas with cheese and meat spreads, and holiday parties." And with about a third of students joining fraternities, "Greek life is huge" and one of the school's "greatest strengths," with events "generally open to the public, and everyone is on such friendly terms (and close by enough) that people generally mix around different fraternity houses." The Division III Tigers are a joy to watch (the "tailgates are unmatched") and there's a robust intramural program. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy "a variety of trails and hiking paths" throughout their 1,300-acre campus, as well as "disc golf, lakes, and zip lines." One student's various favorites include "playing sports on campus with friends as a hobby, in addition to working as a firefighter for the town's volunteer fire and rescue service." With a population of around 7,500, "Farmville is a very nice and beautiful town," providing Tigers access to golf, food, and fishing. "The Tiger Inn serves as a secondary food facility," and students can venture to nearby Richmond for "plays [and] music productions." Students note that "homework can be hectic," so the overall goal for many students is "spending time with the boys" to relax in whichever of the many shapes that entertainment may take.

An old saying around here is that “you can do anything with a degree from Hampden-Sydney College.” The school works hard to help students get a leg up in an ever-competitive job market, and the “reputation [of the] alumni network” at Hampden-Sydney is a major draw for applicants. One way that the school uses its impressive alumni network is through Handshake, the centralized online platform for recruiting, career resources, and applying for jobs and internships. Students can build out their resumes through the school’s micro-internships, which are paid, short-term projects undertaken with employers in various fields. The Ferguson Career Center provides helpful Tiger Tracks to students to act as a guiding framework of classes, activities, and alumni beneficial to a specific career. The center also provides scholarships for students who may not be able to afford an unpaid internship, summer research, or experiential learning activity. According to PayScale.com, Hampden-Sydney grads report a median starting salary of $68,800, and 52 percent say their jobs give them a high level of meaning.