Berry College

Berry College is a place to learn. If you want to go somewhere to be serious about your degree, this is a good choice. You should just be aware that it is not the typical University experience. There is no Greek life, most dorms are single-sex, and it's actually a dry campus. However, there are abundant apartments off-campus, and several bars in town. It's located in Rome, Georgia - which is a very small town. It has the small town charms such as fairs, small concerts, some theatre, white Christmas lights on trees and bridges year-round, and lots of wide-open country. I think the first Starbucks will be opening this year. It's a quiet area, and lots of students go to Atlanta or Chattanooga for fun - about an hour to either city. There are lots of clubs and team sports, I'd recommend crew (rowing). There are also a number of Christian clubs and a lot of outreach. Some people find the Christian atmosphere oppressive, I would have to disagree. You can participate if you want, or do your own thing. I found nearly everyone to be kind and helpful. There are 3 chapels on the 28000 acre campus. My degree, horticulture, was cancelled much like someone else described the computer science program in their comments. It was a very frustrating experience that I still harbor resentment over. Even after going through the chain of command from the ground up, twice, I was not told the whole truth. I was told the program was expanding when I first visited only to become one of the last graduates with a BS in horticulture. The experience made me realize that to get a very thorough education I needed to make it happen on my own. There are numerous opportunities for students to become leaders at Berry. There is also a fantastic study-abroad program. I spent a year in England that changed my life. By becoming president of a club and doing a little travelling, you can work your way into organizations outside of Berry, nation-wide. That is how I made great contacts who I still use for recommendations. The faculty at Berry are great. I loved my professors and was able to talk to them about any subject, any time. Thanks to the hard work I put in at Berry and abroad, I now have a prestigious position at a leading organization in my field.

4th Year Female -- Class 2002

Faculty Accessibility: A+, Social Life: D+

The administration is horrible to deal with, especially the business office and financial aid. They will bleed you dry. When I was accepted as a low-income student I heard that they would be willing to work with me financially and make it work. What they did instead was trapped me into over 15,000 in student debt by promising me it would work out I just needed to trust them. So I start classes and then am hit with an excess of 8,000 when they finally finish my financial aid packet- which they did not finish until AFTER drop/add period. After agreeing to withdraw in return for them to return this semesters portion of my loans, they hit me with another 4,000 bill. As a student with NO parental support, trying to navigate higher education on my own- They have made it impossible for me to continue my college education and stay on track. By the time I can afford to pay off this semesters W's I will have used up my 6 month loan deferment period and will be unable to save for the tuition to attend another institution next fall or spring.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2016

Campus Aesthetics: A-, Education Quality: F