How can you recognize a good education when you see it? There are three things to look for: what happens in the classroom, what happens outside the classroom to prepare you for the working world, and what happens after graduation.

In the classroom

• Will you be making a real contribution to the give-and-take of the classroom experience — or will you be just one in a sea of faces? Most Hollins classes have 20 or fewer students, which makes meaningful exchanges between students and the professor the norm.
• Will you learn how to respond intelligently to essay questions and write thoughtful papers — or will you be taking true-false tests? At Hollins, we value the written word, which is why you'll be asked to write a lot, no matter what your major is.
• Will you be exposed to more than your major courses — or will too many requirements keep you from experiencing the joy of discovery outside your field? At Hollins, our innovative general education program will take you on an exciting educational journey that crosses curriculum divides and develops important skills.

Outside the classroom: internships

• Approximately 50% of Hollins students complete internships during their four years.
• For nearly 45 years, internships have taken our students all over the country, from hospitals to newsrooms, from museums to government agencies, and from movie studios to law firms.
• We connect students with successful alumnae through an annual career conference. During our 2012 conference, students will take workshops from and network with more than 50 alumnae, who will share advice on everything from writing effective resumes and cover letters to translating the liberal arts to a career.

After graduation

• In a recent survey, 94% of graduates in classes from the previous 10 years said that Hollins prepared them well to extremely well for the "real world." You'll find more career data here.
• On average, a year after commencement, 98% of our graduates are employed or in graduate school. Read more...
• The class of 2012 is already spreading out across the country and the world. See where they're working (green ballons), going to graduate school (yellow), interning (blue), exploring options (red), or traveling (orange).
• To Hollins student Kelsey DeForest, here's how you prepare for a lifetime of change: get a liberal arts education. She wrote an opinion piece about her Hollins experience that ran in The Roanoke Times.

Other links of interest

• About the State Council of Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV) Wage Outcomes Report
• Recent graduates talk about their experiences during their years at Hollins.