Bryant University

Bryant University – Smithfield, Rhode Island

Upon arriving at Bryant, I was directed to Admissions in the Unistructure, and immediately thought I had entered the campus of the future in Smithfield, Rhode Island. The Unistructure houses all the academic classes, a few lecture halls, the cafeteria, the Academic Center for Excellence (ACE) as well as the Amica Career Center.

Even though Bryant has a reputation for being a school focused on business, they have an unusual and timely academic requirement. You must have a major and a minor. If the Major is in the College of Business, the Minor must be in the College of Arts and Sciences, and vice versa. This ensures a totally well-rounded graduate.

Bryant is part of the Rhode Island Consortium so students can cross-register with a number of neighboring institutions for other courses, a real highlight.

Bryant is a Division 1 athletic school, but has some unusual and favorite non-varsity sports, including cornhole and bacci. In addition, President Maackley (beloved by the entire student body), challenges any student to beat him in a game of racquetball for a free semester of tuition. No one so far has been able to best him though many have tried.

The Amica Career Center is very active in helping students find internships and full-time jobs. The surrounding areas are ripe with employers like FM Global, CVS, Fidelity Investment, Hasbro, TGX, Alex And Ani, Toys R Us, Sirius, Z100 and Amica Insurance (which financed the career center).

Little known fact – their annual Bingo Night is so well known that the NEW YORK TIMES did an article on it on April 17, 2011.