Academics
Kentucky’s Berea College is one of the nation’s few entirely tuition-free private colleges, providing a liberal arts education “to those who otherwise couldn’t afford college but who are deserving of the opportunity.” Berea is “truly a different world when it comes to the atmosphere of the college,” and the “wonderful opportunity” offered to students is truly appreciated. The school takes a “holistic approach” to education and “expects a lot from students both in and outside of class,” including labor (everyone is required to work at least ten hours per week) and convocations.
Professors take an active role in helping students learn: “If you miss a class, professors will email you to find out why.” They “care about not just your learning but also about who you are as an individual” and “lively and passionate about their subjects, and it is very evident within their classrooms.” “I’ve never felt more challenged than when I stepped foot in a Berea classroom,” says a junior. The small student-to-faculty ratio gives professors the opportunity to get to know their students, and “[allows] them to adapt to their students’ needs.”
Dating back to 1855, the college is “very deeply rooted in Appalachian culture and history, but unafraid to address issues outside of that.” The school gives low-income students the opportunity to pursue higher education while participating in a labor program, and so “produces well-rounded, hardworking students fully prepared for grad school or the workforce.” “If the labor program is used to its fullest extent, each student has the opportunity to graduate with a fantastic résumé and many network connections,” says a sophomore. It also offers “a huge scholarship to study abroad,” of which many students take advantage.
Student Body
Berea students are “creative” and “incredibly resilient” and almost everyone “comes from the Appalachian region [and] limited resources.” Many tend to be first generation college students, and “most student’s priorities are not in having the best material items or joining the best sorority.” The most typical thing you’ll see is “an overworked, but generally content student shuffling between classes and work.” Also, “the one thing that ties us all together is the fact that we had to work so hard to get into Berea,” says a freshman. (“You have to be either an outright nerd or a secret nerd to get [here].”) As some have noticed, there “seems to be a great divide between traditional students and non-traditional.”
Campus Life
“Berea is a calm place” and “there isn’t much going on unless you make something happen.” Students are quite busy with studying and work, so “naps are rare” and “we usually don’t sleep in because there is just so much to do.” Most students are taking a full course load and then doing at least one or two extracurricular activities as well. “The town life is simply atrocious” but on campus, “student organizations are constantly holding events to keep Berea students occupied and having fun,” including “movie nights, game nights, dances, [and] bowling.” Heritage activities, such as Contra dancing, are big.
The town of Richmond is just a fifteen minute drive away (there is also a campus shuttle, and Lexington is a bit further), so getting out of small town life for some shopping or restaurant dining “is a must” from time to time. It is illegal to sell alcohol in the town of Berea, and it is against school rules to have alcohol on campus, so “there isn’t a big party scene.” There also happen to be “a lot of couples on campus,” and “people take relationships seriously” here.
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