Do *any* straight women apply to Wellesley or the 7 sisters any more?

[Anonymous]

I spent a few years teaching at an international school in a conservative South Asian country. Most kids at the school from "local" families were incredibly wealthy, and all were expected to go to the US, UK, or Canada for university. It was really common for these parents to insist that their daughters could only attend an all-women's college because they were going to have an arranged marriage eventually and the parents didn't want them interacting with boys. Wellesley was a top choice.

[Anonymous]

I question your verbiage.

YOU are considering a school for your daughter.

Isn’t that her role?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can you just shut up already? I hate these adults harassing people who aren’t like them.

Right, characterizing this (alleged) development as problematic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is also at a big university and surprised by the lack of dating or hooking up. The ratio is close to 51/49 or 52/48, so it’s not problematic. Every guy she meets is either already in a relationship from before college or it’s not to paying any attention to girls. She’s smart, funny and quite attractive, so I’m a little surprised. I keep telling her enjoy time with her female friends and guys will eventually come around. I hope I’m right.

I'm a mom of boys. I think one factor here is the sharp rise in the number of boys who are neurodiverse. I feel like I will get flack for saying this, but the boys I know best who fit this description are on a slower track and started dating in their twenties, rather than teens. I think they will be good partners eventually but it's going to take some time. The typically developing boys do seem to date. But there just aren't as many.

Perhaps.

My attractive, fun, smart daughter attended a CTCL and had no dates in college.

She met a geeky boy in grad school , and it was his first relationship also.

That timing is fine with me (though I am it thrilled with the prospect of them marrying their first serious partner. I think it can be valuable to have some frame of reference.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Vassar is now coed, dating scene is good for straight women/men.

Vassar has been coed for over 50 years.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My straight DD applied to Wellesley and Smith.

Serious question: Why ?

How do you know your daughter's sexual orientation ?

Why would a straight female apply to all female schools one of which is often referred to by former students as "the gayest place on earth" ?

Thank you in advance for your response. (Sorry for these questions, but it just seems so unnatural for a straight individual to inject herself into such an environment. Is she questioning her sexual orientation?)

They are great schools.

Would you ask why a gay person applied to Harvard (which is presumably dominated by cisgender people?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:College is still great place to meet and date. All 3 kids dated seriously and had long term relationships in college (2 sons and 1 daughter). 3 different schools, all private and coed t10/t20. We considered Wellesley and Barnard. When we toured, it felt Heavy with activist lesbians and a mix kids from traditional/conservative international families which is a funny mix. Not the right fit for my daughter. I loved the idea, but i think women's colleges need to redefine themselves. With all the gender identity stuff, womens colleges now welcome those who 'iidentify as women'. Imo, the women's rights movement has been displaced by lgbtq+, and the mission/rationale for women's colleges is hard to understand and feels a but obsolete.

Mount Holyoke is an excellent school. But on the campus tour they no longer describe their mission in relation to women. They say they have a proud history of educating “marginalized genders.” (At least this was the case ~ 6 years ago.)

We read an article in the school paper from a cisgender woman who said her boyfriend had been treated with hostility on campus because he represented “the patriarchy.”

This vibe influenced my daughter’s decision not to accept their admissions offer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My straight DD applied to Wellesley and Smith.

Serious question: Why ?

How do you know your daughter's sexual orientation ?

Why would a straight female apply to all female schools one of which is often referred to by former students as "the gayest place on earth" ?

Thank you in advance for your response. (Sorry for these questions, but it just seems so unnatural for a straight individual to inject herself into such an environment. Is she questioning her sexual orientation?)

I am straight (married 17 years now) and applied to both Smith and Wellesley, went to Wellesley. I loved the campus, the all-female atmosphere and not being shouted down or talked over by men in class. I also was not celibate the whole time, dated men from Harvard, MIT, and BC.

[Anonymous]

My straight daughter is applying to three women’s colleges/seven sisters. She likes liberal arts colleges, the locations and campus feel of these schools, their history and traditions, intellectualism, and supportive learning environment. Checks a lot of boxes with slightly more favorable admissions chances compared to other similarly ranked co-ed schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My straight daughter is applying to three women’s colleges/seven sisters. She likes liberal arts colleges, the locations and campus feel of these schools, their history and traditions, intellectualism, and supportive learning environment. Checks a lot of boxes with slightly more favorable admissions chances compared to other similarly ranked co-ed schools.

Mine, too! Although she's just EDing to one of them! Good luck to your daughter!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My straight daughter is applying to three women’s colleges/seven sisters. She likes liberal arts colleges, the locations and campus feel of these schools, their history and traditions, intellectualism, and supportive learning environment. Checks a lot of boxes with slightly more favorable admissions chances compared to other similarly ranked co-ed schools.

My gay daughter is doing the same thing for exactly the same reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:College is still great place to meet and date. All 3 kids dated seriously and had long term relationships in college (2 sons and 1 daughter). 3 different schools, all private and coed t10/t20. We considered Wellesley and Barnard. When we toured, it felt Heavy with activist lesbians and a mix kids from traditional/conservative international families which is a funny mix. Not the right fit for my daughter. I loved the idea, but i think women's colleges need to redefine themselves. With all the gender identity stuff, womens colleges now welcome those who 'iidentify as women'. Imo, the women's rights movement has been displaced by lgbtq+, and the mission/rationale for women's colleges is hard to understand and feels a but obsolete.

Mount Holyoke is an excellent school. But on the campus tour they no longer describe their mission in relation to women. They say they have a proud history of educating “marginalized genders.” (At least this was the case ~ 6 years ago.)

We read an article in the school paper from a cisgender woman who said her boyfriend had been treated with hostility on campus because he represented “the patriarchy.”

This vibe influenced my daughter’s decision not to accept their admissions offer.

+1 smart decision

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes women's colleges have effectively been radicalized, politically and socially.

Generally yes, although the effect is less pronounced at certain Catholic women’s colleges than non religious.

For example: College of Notre Dame of Maryland vs Wellesley.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes women's colleges have effectively been radicalized, politically and socially.

Women’s colleges have been radicalized from their inception. The entire concept of educating women was radical, politically and socially.

[Anonymous]

My daughter loved attending a girls' high school but was ready for coed school again. However, she absolutely loved the all girls' environment. It's pretty awesome for learning.