I’m still skeptical that Sweet Briar College can pull off a long-term save, but I’m impressed by the comeback a year after officials took it to the brink of closing.
Today, Sweet Briar reports record applications, new international recruitment efforts and a continuing unshakable commitment to the school’s survival among students, staff and alumnae. Things are surely moving in the right direction.
But it remains an uphill climb.
Sweet Briar needs more students. To be self-sustaining, President Phillip Stone says the college needs to get to 800 students in the coming years, a dramatic increase from the 240 who are on campus today.
Competition for students across Virginia (and beyond) is vigorous. Will new students and families in sufficient numbers bet on Sweet Briar?
We’ll know in the coming months whether record applications translate into enrollments that keep the college on a viable trajectory.
Yes, I’m still a little skeptical, but I’m rooting for the Vixen.