Academics
Belmont Abbey College is “a small, Catholic, liberal arts college” that boasts a broad and “challenging” core curriculum and intimate classes. Evidence of the school’s Benedictine tradition is all over the place. Belmont Abbey is “very focused on the Catholic faith” and on “trying to teach Catholic principles.” The administration and the professors “are very capable and genuinely care.” “I love all of my professors,” gushes one enthusiastic student. “Unlike at large institutions, you can really get to know your teachers, and your teachers can really get to know you.” If you fall behind, one-on-one tutoring is available in a number of subjects. BAC was the first school in the country to offer a Motorsports Management concentration in the business degree program. The program includes courses in sports marketing and racing management in addition to traditional business-related course work. Belmont Abbey is also one of the few Catholic colleges in the U.S. that is connected to a monastery. Having “a monastery full of monks” on campus is “really cool” and “pretty handy.” They celebrate Mass “every day” and the “daily common prayer of the monks” is “open to all students.”
Student Body
“Everyone is friendly and easygoing” at Abbey and “It’s easy to find a close-knit group of friends.” Virtually everyone knows everyone else, too, which can cause “a lot of drama.” Obviously, many students are Catholic. However, a substantial proportion of students aren’t Catholic, and BAC’s ethnic diversity is noteworthy. There are “traditional and nontraditional students” here. “All the students seem to meld together and work well with each other; it doesn’t matter if they are old or young, male or female, [or of any] race and religious belief.” Typical Abbey students have “attended some type of private school” their whole lives. Many are “from small high schools.” There is a large group of “athletes here on scholarships to play a sport.” Overall, “Students are generally happy about being here and very welcoming to all. The ones that are really active in the school’s politics and [extracurricular] groups are really interested in creating an environment where students can grow into healthy, proactive, successful adults---spiritually, mentally, and physically.”
Campus Life
The campus here is “very peaceful” and “especially beautiful.” “The view of the Gothic spires of St. Leo’s Hall breaking through the evergreens is enough to take your breath away,” enthuses one student. Schoolwork keeps students busy, as do intercollegiate and intramural sports. “There are always sporting events to attend around campus.” “Soccer is a huge part of Abbey life in the fall, and just as it winds down, basketball season begins, and lacrosse and baseball after that.” Concerts and theater performances are a big hit as well. “It’s fun to watch your fellow student friends compete and perform, because you know everyone on a personal level,” says one student. Students say Abbey offers “partying,” but sometimes “There isn’t much of a social life on campus.” “Most of the time we rent movies from Blockbuster,” says a first-year student, or “play board games.” “For those who like to go clubbing, there’s a party bus that picks people up [off campus] a few times a week and takes them to Charlotte.” Students appreciate their “close proximity to Charlotte”---“only a short, 10-minute drive”---making it easy “for students to sample the nightlife, go out for dinner at a nice restaurant, or shop.”
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