While Virginia Private College week gives the Commonwealth's private learning institutions a chance to put on their best faces and gain valuable exposure, the Aug. 1-6 event also provides some worthwhile incentives for students.

Students who visit four colleges during the week and turn in the appropriate form will receive three application waivers free of charge, according to a release from the Council of Independent College in Virginia (CICV). The CICV-sponsored event accommodated nearly 2,000 informational visits to Virginia colleges last year — and drew about 56 prospective students to Sweet Briar College.

"In two hours of time [prospective students] can get a good idea of what an independent college is like." — Ken Huus, SBC dean of admissions

Sweet Briar is participating again this year. The SBC Admissions Office staff will provide information sessions and campus tours each day of the week beginning at 9 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. Ken Huus, dean of admissions, said the event is geared toward prospective students who may not have the state's independent colleges at the top of their list.

"It provides a great target audience for ‘out-of-the-box' pleas — students who have not thought a great deal about private colleges," he said. "Those would be the ones who benefit the most."

A benefit of Virginia Private College Week, he added, is that it promotes all independent colleges simultaneously. Institutions can concentrate on the common goal of promoting the benefits of smaller, more individualized campuses.

"I think it's appealing for private colleges as a whole to band together and to share marketing resources to encourage students who might not otherwise explore an independent college in an easy, cheap, and efficient way," Huus said. "They don't have to spend 24 hours on our campus."

The CICV stresses the affordability of private colleges in its promotions of Private College Week, which include brochures that Sweet Briar and other colleges send to students on mailing lists. Last year, according to the CICV, private colleges gave students more than $200 million in scholarships and grants. All full-time students from Virginia are eligible for a $2,500 Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG) while attending an in-state private college.

Those who choose to attend Sweet Briar will be granted an additional $7,500 with Sweet Briar's own Virginia Grant. It was created so that every female in the state has the opportunity of attending a private, women's college.

Though it is not required, Huus encourages families to call and make reservations for their visit. They are welcome to simply to show up. "We try to reach students from states in our general region as well as outside of the state of Virginia," he said. "We have sent an e-mail invitation to everyone in our database."

Huus feels the program is something any curious prospective student should take advantage of, regardless of their feelings about smaller schools. "If she doesn't explore [private colleges], she doesn't know what the other side of the fence looks like," he said. "In two hours of time they can get a good idea of what an independent college is like."

For more information on Virginia Private College Week, please contact the CICV at (540) 586-0606 or www.cicv.org or visit the Sweet Briar Admissions Office Web site at SBC Admissions.