Meredith College (MC)

The all-female Meredith College aims to “build strong, independent women willing and able to go into the workplace confidently.” Students who were once discouraged from stepping into positions of leadership report that’s not the case here: You’ll “discover your strengths and how to use them,” with classes “designed to make you think” and which “are beneficial to your Meredith career as well as in real life.” That goal is brought to fruition by professors who are described as “amazing,” “wonderful,” and “passionate about what they teach.” They “know you by name and want to get to know you,” which is facilitated by the school’s smaller class sizes. In fact, students assure us that “it’s hard not to pay attention in classes” thanks to the level of excitement professors bring to the material. In all, this “challenging but comfortable” learning environment serves to “push you . . . to help you grow.” As one pleased undergrad tells us, “My favorite part of Meredith is going to class.”

Undergrads at Meredith feel “bound by the school’s traditions and by [their sense of] sisterhood.” Overall, it’s a “very close-knit community” where the “prime trait … is being very supportive of one another.” While plenty comment that they’re able to interact with people from a variety of backgrounds (including non-traditional students who enroll later in life), race, and political beliefs, many also note that their peers feel “mostly white,” and that they hail from affluent backgrounds. Don’t let that fool you, though: The school is “becoming more diverse with every new class,” and one shares, “I feel like I meet unique and impressive people every class I have.” And no matter what crowd you’re drawn towards, “it’s easy to create strong friendships at Meredith.”

Because of the rigor of the school’s curriculum, the women of Meredith often find they “often don’t have time for much more” than studying. Their additional time is typically “composed of workouts [or] practices,” as many choose to participate in athletics on top of their schoolwork. They also almost universally praise the Big Sister/Little Sister program on campus, calling it “amazing” and a “wonderful tradition.” Those students with any free time left make the most of the campus’s “beautiful and … ideal location” and note that Raleigh itself is “a great city to live in.” There’s “always so much to do”: sporting events, concerts, museums, a state fair, and farmers markets just to name a few. However, students warn that Meredith has some “strict dorm rules,” so those looking for nightlife often head to Raleigh for that as well, especially over the weekend, where “most fun has to be found off campus” at schools like North Carolina State, which is “right down the road.”