All Girls School - Pros and Cons?

[Anonymous]

We are considering an all girls school for our daughter who has gone co-ed through pre & lower school. The school we are considering has a good relationship/link to the close by all boys school and seems to provide good class interaction on the high-school level and other opportunities for mixing (plays, musical groups, dances etc...). The school is a little larger than most all girls schools and has strong academics and sports.

Please tell me the pros/cons you have experienced?

Pro's?
- Based off of studies... potential to increase confidence in particular with the STEM fields. 6X more likely to major in STEM in college.
- Pro-girl camaraderie and community

Con's?
- Mean girls phases or stereotype if the school community is not inclusive
- Weird view of boys/men if there is not co-mingling and normalization of boys

What else do we need to be thinking about??

[Anonymous]

No experience yet but we've been considering the same type of school, same size. One of the things we like is that athletics will be entirely focused on girls. So no time and funds devoted to the football team, or boys basketball etc with girls sports taking a back seat.

Also frees up her mental space that would otherwise be worried about going to school on a bad hair day, or with a pimple, and there's no male reason to roll the waist on the uniform skirt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No experience yet but we've been considering the same type of school, same size. One of the things we like is that athletics will be entirely focused on girls. So no time and funds devoted to the football team, or boys basketball etc with girls sports taking a back seat.

Also frees up her mental space that would otherwise be worried about going to school on a bad hair day, or with a pimple, and there's no male reason to roll the waist on the uniform skirt.

Actually, I went to an area all-girls school and because access to boys was not an everyday thing, most were hyper obsessed in an unhealthy way. We also rolled up our skirts despite not seeing boys daily.

[Anonymous]

I went to a small all-girls high school (not in the DC area) and I loved it. A formerly shy kid, I had a whole new level of confidence as soon as I started freshman year and was a leader in student government, joined sports teams and wasn't afraid to speak up in classes anymore. At my school at least, the hang-ups you mention weren't an issue (pimples etc) but everyone primped for a solid 20 mins before school let out because the nearby all-boys school dismissed 30 mins before us and they boys would wait outside. I loved my high-school experience, still have many friends from my days there and would do it over again in a second. That being said when my dad wanted me to look at all-girls colleges I was adamantly against it! 4 years was enough!

[Anonymous]

OP here.

These are great perspectives! Love hearing these. Hadn't thought about the funding for sports all going to girls versus having to split it up... great point!

And I think the balance of not caring what one's hair looks like etc... all day is great... and then with the primping for the boys school - kind of a nice mix really.

And agree with the one about not following with an all girls college - to me that would feel like too much and would think my daughter wouldn't want that either.

Keep the points coming please! So helpful.

[Anonymous]

I’m interested in Madeira but how socially conservative is it on a scale of 1 to 10? 1 being super straight laced, 5 being friendly and welcoming to all, 10 telling every girl they must be gay/bi/trans?

[Anonymous]

One of the best parts of being in an all girls school is that every leadership position is held by a girl.
This thing about being weird around boys is pretty much nonsense.
What I learned was that my voice mattered and I wasn't afraid to speak up in my male dominated science courses in college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m interested in Madeira but how socially conservative is it on a scale of 1 to 10? 1 being super straight laced, 5 being friendly and welcoming to all, 10 telling every girl they must be gay/bi/trans?

I don't think that any girls' school in the area would be a 10 on your scale.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m interested in Madeira but how socially conservative is it on a scale of 1 to 10? 1 being super straight laced, 5 being friendly and welcoming to all, 10 telling every girl they must be gay/bi/trans?

Not conservative at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m interested in Madeira but how socially conservative is it on a scale of 1 to 10? 1 being super straight laced, 5 being friendly and welcoming to all, 10 telling every girl they must be gay/bi/trans?

Marsha Blackburn has joined the chat.

[Anonymous]

I went to an all girls school for high school and it was a wonderful experience. I was pretty quiet and I felt very comfortable speaking up in class. There were a handful of snobby, mean girls but mostly we supported each other. I'm still friends with many of my classmates and have wonderful memories of high school. I loved wearing a uniform and not caring about what I looked like. I am FB friends with my classmates and go to reunions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are considering an all girls school for our daughter who has gone co-ed through pre & lower school. The school we are considering has a good relationship/link to the close by all boys school and seems to provide good class interaction on the high-school level and other opportunities for mixing (plays, musical groups, dances etc...). The school is a little larger than most all girls schools and has strong academics and sports.

Please tell me the pros/cons you have experienced?

Pro's?
- Based off of studies... potential to increase confidence in particular with the STEM fields. 6X more likely to major in STEM in college.
- Pro-girl camaraderie and community

Con's?
- Mean girls phases or stereotype if the school community is not inclusive
- Weird view of boys/men if there is not co-mingling and normalization of boys

What else do we need to be thinking about??

Go in with a positive attitude and your daughter will follow. There were the meanest girls at our child's coed k8, so you can't avoid them and likely she will find great friends at the girls' school you are considering if your daughter was accepted.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here.

These are great perspectives! Love hearing these. Hadn't thought about the funding for sports all going to girls versus having to split it up... great point!

And I think the balance of not caring what one's hair looks like etc... all day is great... and then with the primping for the boys school - kind of a nice mix really.

And agree with the one about not following with an all girls college - to me that would feel like too much and would think my daughter wouldn't want that either.

Keep the points coming please! So helpful.

The only all girls college I would have my daughter consider is Scripps because the other Claremont Colleges are next door and all coed. The students mingle.

[Anonymous]

I moved from a co-ed high school to private all girls in high school - due to a geographic move rather than issues with co-ed. It was a game changer. I loved an all girls school. I played a ton of sport, was on the debate team and found not having boys that age around all the time a huge relief actually. My girls have been in singer gender school because of my experience and they have thrived. I would never suggest they add on all female college though.
Highly recommend single sex - lifelong friendships and free of the factors that teenage boys introduce into the mix. Plenty of time for that at college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m interested in Madeira but how socially conservative is it on a scale of 1 to 10? 1 being super straight laced, 5 being friendly and welcoming to all, 10 telling every girl they must be gay/bi/trans?

Gross, and your description of 10 would be included in 1.