Longwood University

Statistics

Students Say - Academics
"Longwood University provides "a small college feel with a state college cost and a top notch education" to over 3,800 "city kids stuck in the middle of Virginia in a place that we lovingly refer to as Farm Vegas!" Business and education are the best and most popular disciplines here, and students pursuing the latter rave about the "superb teacher preparation program" that "gets you into the classroom early with Practicum I and keeps you in the classroom with Practicum II, Partnership and finally Student Teaching." Teachers aren't the only ones earning real-world experience here. Longwood "requires every student to do some sort of internship or field placement" in order to graduate. Other departments earning student accolades include social work, psychology, and theater (Longwood offers a unique BFA in theater technology and/or stage management). Students tell us that Longwood is "a great school for those looking for a small campus where you know most of your professors [and where] your professors know you and will make the effort to learn your name and speak to you outside of class." Longwood's Achille's heel may be its student body; according to some, "A significant portion of the student population coasts through Longwood without ever taking difficult courses or doing real work.""

Students Say - Campus Life
"Longwood is located in Farmville, a small town about halfway between Richmond and Lynchburg. Some say the town is "great to just walk around on a nice day." Many appreciate the "cute" shops on Main Street and the "comfortable" "small-town feel," while others complain that "Farmville doesn't have too much to offer, so drinking is a major weekend activity." Students here "tend to go out every weekend starting on Thursdays and many times extending through Sunday nights." Greek-sponsored activities are popular, which means that "Most people go Greek for the social benefits." Those who spurn demon alcohol note that "Christian clubs are extremely popular." There are also "many organizations [that] have meetings, and people go hang out with friends or they hit up a sporting event." Or they might explore Farmville, which offers "a movie theater, bowling alley, putt-putt course, and a number of restaurants." Richmond is about an hour's drive to the east."

Students Say - Student Body
"About half of the Longwood student body is "from Southern Virginia (i.e. the Virginia Beach area or Richmond)" and the majority of the other half hails from elsewhere in the state. They "tend to be preppy [and] conservative... Greek life is huge, but you don't have to be in a sorority or fraternity to fit in." The typical student is a female education major affiliated with a sorority. "This is the most populated subcategory of persons at our school," explains one student. "There are a few atypical students [but] they do not seem too different and [they're] still sociable." While "more and more minorities are attending" each year, the campus remains "predominantly white.""

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