Mary Baldwin University Reviews

"If you're thinking about going to Mary Baldwin, don't. The tours are purposely designed to make the school look good, but it's not. The dorms are falling apart and several don't have air conditioning. My senior year, there was a water leak in our ceiling, which I told maintenance about as soon as I noticed, and it was so bad that it caused the tile to break and fall a day or two later. The food is also bad and they only stopped limiting portions recently after there were student protests about how students were being treated. Classes are set up so that you have to be on an extremely tight schedule or delay graduation, which I and most of my friends had to do. I consistently had to take over 20 credit hours a semester to graduate on time (which I was still unable to do). Credits also do not transfer well, so you're stuck unless you want to start over. While many of the professors are wonderful, most of the departments are understaffed and lack resources for a proper education. Security is also terrible and condescending with students when they have concerns. Administration is unhelpful, often doesn't know what they're doing, and will try to cheat you out of money. There's also nothing to do after 11 PM, and even before then, you're pretty limited unless you have a car. The only reason I'm glad I went to Mary Baldwin is because I met some of my best friends, my partner, and some of the faculty. Other than that, there's nothing about the school I would recommend."

"I found Mary Baldwin to have an extraordinary teaching program. The professors were very supportive of your studies and always willing to help as needed. It is a relatively small campus so your classes and professors' offices were easily located. Mary Baldwin offers a range of degree studies and even offers a PEG (students 16 and under) program. I did not feel like I got the most social experience here. There are very limited sororities and fraternities. With that being said, there are many club and sport opportunities here."

"I would not recommend coming to MBU. The school should be condemned. I lived in dorms with a rodent infestation, some doors have very little heat in the winter, and some dorms have no air. The hot water was often missing in action. When I voiced my concerns, nothing was done about it. When you tour the school watch out for mouse traps outside the dorms. Theyre obvious. The school only shows you what looks good. All of the advertisements and media is not an accurate representation of the activities or college experience. The administration is not transparent about issues."

"Mary Baldwin is a great school that provides their students with the support that they need throughout the entire school year. The teachers are very supportive, helpful, and willing to help you with anything you need to help you become successful in school. The school is definitely working on their diversity and has many events on campus that recognize the different ethnicity's and give the students a look into each background."

"Mary Baldwin is primarily a liberal arts institution. As a math major, I can honestly say that the math and science courses are lacking in instruction, often leaving students lost and confused as even office visits can prove unhelpful in studying and learning the curriculum past simply copying from one example to another similar one on the test. In some cases, the study guides posted for tests are completely inaccurate to the actual material on the test, making studying potentially difficult for students. In some cases, grading can be subjective where it should not be, with professors grading on perceived effort or personal opinion on the students as opposed to competency level. Tests and quizzes can comprise of as little as two questions in some cases, and grading tends to be ridiculously harsh in all the wrong areas. Many students turn away from the few science and STEM majors that are offered upon hitting a wall on the intro-level classes that they feel like they simply can't pass; lectures are far too confusing to follow, and they often feel so lost that even tutoring or additional help doesn't quite make up for the gap. Biology is perhaps the one exception I know of (at least, for those who intend to go into pre-med). As the school is not geared towards the sciences, it really does not put forth much effort to maintaining their curriculum to a satisfactory level. The math department, for example, currently only has two full-time professors, while the physics department only has one. Many high level classes that are core requirements for a major are only offered once every two or even four years, making scheduling difficult. Finding the right professor is extremely important in this institution, and is something that is very difficult when there are so few to pick from. To fulfill certain core requirements, many times students do not have the luxury of picking their professor and end up with someone hated by a majority of the student body; of which there are several. Most students either love or hate certain professors with very little in between, and the difference in quality of professors even leads students so far as to change their major one, two, or even three years in to their program. Some departments are clearly better than others, particularly in the humanities department. While I don't have extensive experience in many of these departments, I do know that the history and criminal justice programs are beloved by all students, not just the history and cj majors. Psychology is another favorite, as is the biology program. If you're seeking a degree in any of those majors and want to go to a (very) small, diverse, all female school, I would highly recommend it. Do note that the school is going co-ed as of 2018, however, and although it will still likely be mostly girls, there will start to be an increasing amount of males on campus. For other programs, math and science in particular, however, I would recommend you look elsewhere unless you are completely sold on the mostly female and diversity aspects. The food is pretty bad, and there are few opportunities for networking and extra curricular activities compared to other schools; very few events are held. However, it is also fairly cheap, and if you do decide to go, I highly recommend looking for a professor to build a relationship with early, rather than later or not at all. While some of them have left as of recently, many students get the most enjoyment out of their time here by really connecting with a single professor who then becomes their major advisor and thesis project advisor. Just remember that while it is possible and encouraged to do so, you may have to try a few different departments before you find the right fit for you."

"Mary Baldwin College gave me the voice and the courage to stand out and be bold. At this college you are given the opportunity to no only nurtured academically but you're encouraged to develop leadership skills that will follow you throughout your career. I enjoyed living on campus, it was a wonderful experience. There were many activities for all interests and whatever wasn't established, students were encourage to create it. I graduated with a major in American Studies and a double minor in Political Science and Leadership. I was challenged with each course to find the answer and to defend my thought process. I developed research and communication skills, along with making lifelong friends."

"Mary Baldwin is a small school that was able to provide me with small student centered classes where the professor knew every student. The largest class I ever attended in my four years was a class of 32 students. There are endless student involvement opportunities; I was able to be a student athlete, a student ambassador, work on campus, and be a co-chair for the Student Athlete Advisory Committee all. Mary Baldwin allowed me to grow not only academically but also as personally. They provided opportunities for research and projects that at other universities would have been reserved for graduate students. During my four years there I was also able to watch the college transform into a university that now offers many graduate programs."

"M. B.is one of the best school I attended. The environment was great. The professors give you a lot of attention and want to help you out in every way they can. Plus you will meet life long friends There is a great diversity on campus. We get a lot of international students who come over and study at Mary Baldwin. Plus Mary Baldwin is really big on traditions."

"Great place to receive an ivy-league level education (my best professors were from Harvard and Oxford) while also getting that small, liberal arts feel. Not only did I form close relationships with my professors but also with other like-minded female peers."

"I feel that the Occupational Therapy program at Mary Baldwin is a rigorous one. It requires long hours of study but is ultimately worth it in the end. I feel that the professors provide sufficient experience to better the quality of education. I feel that after graduation I will be completely ready to dive head first into my career. The only true con I have is that they were not able to provide any scholarships themselves as OT is a new program to the school. Other than that I am happy where I am at and feel lucky that I go to such a great school."

"This program is a new program and is ever changing. The faculty and school have put a lot of time into making sure everything runs smoothly and that any issues are handled quickly. I wouldn't trade my time in this program to be apart of any other."

"My college/ degree program is very difficult but extremely rewarding. The instructor's work you hard but they are consistent with pushing you towards your full potential. Part of my degree program is strictly educational and the other part is hands on. Considering this, students enrolled in this program have the opportunity to become grounded in their career field."

"Our program is very specific: to study Shakespeare in its artistic, historical, directorial and educational contexts and mesh these contexts together. The work is specific to our interests and is consistent with the academic work of a Masters student. Our faculty are limited, but they are dedicated to their subject and students. We do live in a small town, but we work hand and hand with the American Shakespeare Center as well as the Blackfriars Playhouse in Staunton, VA."

"Pro- Excellent faculty and support Con- Not yet fully accredited"

"I've tried to go back to school at a few campuses. This has, by far, been the most pleasant college experience I've ever had."

"I believe there are many pros and cons when entering a graduate program. Obtaining a Master's Degree in Education is extremely beneficial for me to teach in the future. The advantages of Mary Baldwin's graduate program are: smaller classes, one on one support with professors, adjunct professors, reasonable program of requirements, financial aid is available, and conveniently located regional campuses. Although there are few disadvantages to this program, the overall out of pocket cost for two years would be considered a negative factor. Overall, I believe this is an excellent graduate program and I am excited to achieve an advanced degree."