Wellesley vs Bryn Mawr

[Anonymous]

Bryn Mars grad here, with friends who graduated from Wellesley. Both terrific schools with a close-knit alumnae network. Wellesley is preppier, Bryn Mawr is crunchier. For stereotypes I think of Wellesley as being more high-powered (yielding lawyers and management consultants) and Bryn Mawr as being more academic (yielding professors and researchers). But of course you can find both types at both places, and your daughter can get an amazing education ta either. Good luck finding the right fit!

[Anonymous]

Ugh, autocorrect, sorry!

[Anonymous]

My DD specifically wants a women’s college. She will apply to Wellesley, BMC, Smith and MHC and decide based on where she gets in. I think applying to Wellesley is probably a waste of time. She hated the competitive vibe (which I actually liked, but i’m A lawyer so very typeA). She loved the BMC honor code and the fact that they said no one talks about grades. It’s all about the learning. She loved MHC as well. Those are her top2. She also like Smith but it felt a little “militant” to her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Bryn Mawr’s location is lovely—nice upscale town with lots of nearby shops, movie theater, and restaurants, proximity to other colleges (Haverford, Villanova),easy train ride to Philly. Pretty campus. Everyone I know who went there loved it. I think of it as a place for shy, bookish, tradition-minded girls...poets, romantics, editors. Though this just may just be a function of who I know as I work in the arts.

That’s interesting. I (OP) didn’t get that vibe when we visited. I was hoping for something a little closer to that vibe, but it felt more like what the PP had described about Wellesley.

Op here. I wanted to clarify aside from the tradition minded. Definitely was not looking for that vibe.

I was probably unclear but by tradition minded I just meant they seem to take college traditions seriously and enjoy that aspect of campus life—I didn’t mean it as code for being politically conservative or anything. MHC has a lot of traditions too. Some women love that and some don’t.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is planning to apply to both so it has been very depressing to read this thread. She really wants a close knit and nurturing community and thought Bryn Mawr in particular would be ideal in this respect- it is her first choice ? Any suggestions for alternatives? She would actually prefer a coed so doesn’t have to be a women’s college. Would prefer a NE or Mid Atlantic college in or near a city. Also wants a liberal arts college that is strong in the life sciences TIA

What has depressed you? It’s a good school!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think Bryn Mawr’s location is lovely—nice upscale town with lots of nearby shops, movie theater, and restaurants, proximity to other colleges (Haverford, Villanova),easy train ride to Philly. Pretty campus. Everyone I know who went there loved it. I think of it as a place for shy, bookish, tradition-minded girls...poets, romantics, editors. Though this just may just be a function of who I know as I work in the arts.

That’s interesting. I (OP) didn’t get that vibe when we visited. I was hoping for something a little closer to that vibe, but it felt more like what the PP had described about Wellesley.

Op here. I wanted to clarify aside from the tradition minded. Definitely was not looking for that vibe.

I was probably unclear but by tradition minded I just meant they seem to take college traditions seriously and enjoy that aspect of campus life—I didn’t mean it as code for being politically conservative or anything. MHC has a lot of traditions too. Some women love that and some don’t.

Ah! Thanks for that clarification.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both are great schools for ambitious women. Access to Harvard and MIT gives Wellesley a bump but the women I know who went there are some of the catiest people I have ever met. Like if you collapsed they would step over your body types. A very good friend of mine went to Bryn Mawr. The academics were amazing but she never fit in socially. She also didn't have the best life after. I think it depends on your daughter's personality. In good news, they seem to have less of a problem with eating disorders than Smith.

Agree on this. Met a handful of them and was appalled at the mean spirited comments and attitude. They must be miserable inside. I’m sure not all are like this but can’t help but consider the school attracts a certain type.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Bryn Mars grad here, with friends who graduated from Wellesley. Both terrific schools with a close-knit alumnae network. Wellesley is preppier, Bryn Mawr is crunchier. For stereotypes I think of Wellesley as being more high-powered (yielding lawyers and management consultants) and Bryn Mawr as being more academic (yielding professors and researchers). But of course you can find both types at both places, and your daughter can get an amazing education ta either. Good luck finding the right fit!

Thanks, PP! I know this is sort of a specific question, but can you tell me at all about the activities available on campus? Did the students participate a lot? Were there a number of campus wide activities each week? Or were the students more studious and focus on their studies?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great schools for ambitious women. Access to Harvard and MIT gives Wellesley a bump but the women I know who went there are some of the catiest people I have ever met. Like if you collapsed they would step over your body types. A very good friend of mine went to Bryn Mawr. The academics were amazing but she never fit in socially. She also didn't have the best life after. I think it depends on your daughter's personality. In good news, they seem to have less of a problem with eating disorders than Smith.

Agree on this. Met a handful of them and was appalled at the mean spirited comments and attitude. They must be miserable inside. I’m sure not all are like this but can’t help but consider the school attracts a certain type.

From meeting a handful. You’re smart. Where did you go? You seem mean-spirited and I’d like to avoid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:MHC alum here...it’s been too long for me to comment on feel etc, especially since I hear it’s changed a lot (it’s been 20 years!). For me, it was an academically challenging, but nurturing place. I’m still friends with many of my classmates. It was hard to be somewhere so rural at times but I also
Loved the proximity to the other schools (and the ability to take classes there).

This is fair. In the past it had many foreign service daughters bc it was cosy and academic; good place to be when your family was far away. It has grown its international student population which is interesting, but also makes it less traditional. Also, as a PP mentioned, politics are generally liberal and gender fluidity has a clear presence. Your DD doesn’t have to participate in this at all, but probably needs a comfort level about seeing it. That said, My Holyoke is still considered one of the colleges that provides a first rate undergraduate experience and its a great launch pad for grad school in science, health professions, law and really anything else. Opportunities fit all students to be leaders and try our new clubs, radio, writing whatever. Great study spaces. And all the participation that she had the gumption to seek out and much bigger UMass (free bus) and other colleges.

[Anonymous]

If your daughter is interested in women's colleges, definitely check out Scripps!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If your daughter is interested in women's colleges, definitely check out Scripps!

It sounds great, but so far away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great schools for ambitious women. Access to Harvard and MIT gives Wellesley a bump but the women I know who went there are some of the catiest people I have ever met. Like if you collapsed they would step over your body types. A very good friend of mine went to Bryn Mawr. The academics were amazing but she never fit in socially. She also didn't have the best life after. I think it depends on your daughter's personality. In good news, they seem to have less of a problem with eating disorders than Smith.

Agree on this. Met a handful of them and was appalled at the mean spirited comments and attitude. They must be miserable inside. I’m sure not all are like this but can’t help but consider the school attracts a certain type.

From meeting a handful. You’re smart. Where did you go? You seem mean-spirited and I’d like to avoid.

I am the original commenter. To elaborate, I moved to Boston in my mid 20s and met a lot of alums socially and working at a local university. I remember my first encounter was while at a dinner party. An MIT grad student asked me where I moved from and I replied France. The Wellesley alum actually mocked me by flipping her hair and saying in a valley girl voice "I moved from France." I actually didn't know what to do. We both turned and looked at her. I had a number of encounters of this nature. Perhaps the maturity just isn't there and would not have been there no matter where they had gone to university. Perhaps that is what you want to keep in mind when differentiating between the 7 Sisters. Which environment is best for academics and emotional maturity.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD got a full scholarship to Wellesley. I think it is ranked higher than Bryn Mawr. Wellesley has the strong academics powerful elite women location in Ma and so on. But it’s located in Western MA somewhat isolated and very strong SJW very liberal vibe. It didn’t seem like a good fit and she chose another school. Also very strong gay presence— not what she wanted.

Wellesley is in suburban Boston; not isolated and not in western Massachusetts. And if your daughter has a problem with LGBTQ people, she’s going to have a hard time fitting in at any college.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both are great schools for ambitious women. Access to Harvard and MIT gives Wellesley a bump but the women I know who went there are some of the catiest people I have ever met. Like if you collapsed they would step over your body types. A very good friend of mine went to Bryn Mawr. The academics were amazing but she never fit in socially. She also didn't have the best life after. I think it depends on your daughter's personality. In good news, they seem to have less of a problem with eating disorders than Smith.

Agree on this. Met a handful of them and was appalled at the mean spirited comments and attitude. They must be miserable inside. I’m sure not all are like this but can’t help but consider the school attracts a certain type.

From meeting a handful. You’re smart. Where did you go? You seem mean-spirited and I’d like to avoid.

I am the original commenter. To elaborate, I moved to Boston in my mid 20s and met a lot of alums socially and working at a local university. I remember my first encounter was while at a dinner party. An MIT grad student asked me where I moved from and I replied France. The Wellesley alum actually mocked me by flipping her hair and saying in a valley girl voice "I moved from France." I actually didn't know what to do. We both turned and looked at her. I had a number of encounters of this nature. Perhaps the maturity just isn't there and would not have been there no matter where they had gone to university. Perhaps that is what you want to keep in mind when differentiating between the 7 Sisters. Which environment is best for academics and emotional maturity.

I’ve known several graduates who were lovely people. Now what?