CKQ College Profiles: Bryant University

Each quarter, The College Knowledge Quarterly will feature a different U.S. College or University for families to get to know a bit better. The aim is not to tell you about a school you know (or at least you think you know) well, but to introduce you to a school you may have not considered a viable candidate before. In this edition, we are pleased to feature a school that offers outstanding opportunities in the world of business and entrepreneurship (a popular field these days), Bryant University.

Bryant University (U.S. News ranked #10 – Regional Universities – North; Forbes ranked #218), is a small, private school in the Smithfield, Rhode Island, serving approximately 3,500 undergraduate students in a large town in a suburban environment, approximately 30 minutes northwest of Providence and 75 minutes southeast of Boston, MA.

Bryant is a homogenization of a business school and a liberal arts college. Programs are designed for business success and for thinking on a grand scale – in a perfect world, students are being groomed to build and run their own companies. Some of the denoted markers of Bryant University include: small class sizes, interdisciplinary learning, a close-knit community, so much so that professors routinely know their students names and interact with them outside of class, and a great deal of discussion-based learning – another hallmark of a great liberal arts-style college.

Students rave about opportunities for graduate school and employment, and that comes from hands-on learning, such as internship placement being an important facet of a Bryant education. Being in the northeast and in striking distance of Boston also helps in this process.

Students at Bryant usually have their hands full. Along with a rigorous interdisciplinary course load, and the aforementioned jobs/internships, students report almost always having one or more clubs or organizations they work with/participate in. Bryant is noted as being a great example of a work hard/play hard environment, with limited activity during the first four days of the work week, but a lot of parties and events on Friday-Sunday. Students also show some school spirit and attend events for many of their NCAA Division I sports programs.

Students tend to come from the northeast and also tend to be upper-middle class, but diversity, both nationally and internationally, is on the rise at Bryant. Students tend to be bright, outgoing, and driven to succeed.

According to Princeton Review, the school ranks in the top 25 nationally in intramural sports, which also helps explain the fervent nature of the student body when it comes to athletics.

The reputation of professors at Bryant University is strong. They are active in the campus community, always appear helpful and interested in their student’s work and projects. Additionally, students boast that many of their professors are not just learned people but ‘know the ropes’ in the workplace as well.

While Bryant is located in the competitive northeast of the U.S., and is a small, tight-knit, liberal arts college with a focus on business, residing in a region known for academic excellence, it is not the name that comes to mind for the best undergraduate business school in the region (both Babson College and Bentley University take the taco there). As such, Bryant has less competitive admission standards than you might think, providing an opportunity for non-A students to get a great undergraduate business education. The admission rate last year was 76%, the average admitted student had a 3.4 GPA and the middle 50% ACT scores were 24-28.

According to the admission office, rigor of high school curriculum and academic GPA are the most important factors in the admission decision, followed by class rank, standardized test scores, application essay, and letters of recommendation. Other factors include: an interview, extracurricular activities, talent/ability, character/personal qualities, first generation students, alumni/legacy, geographical residence, residency, racial/ethnic status, volunteer work, work experience and demonstrated interest.

According to the Collegeboard, the school offers a total of 57 majors, has a student-to-faculty ratio of 13-1, and operates on the semester system.

Bryant University offers an Early Decision 1 application; it is due by November 1st, along with an Early Decision 2 application, due January 15th, an Early Action deadline of November 15th and a regular admission decision deadline is also posted for February 1st.

For more information about Bryant University, please visit their website: https://www.bryant.edu.