Anonymous wrote:Any thoughts on Barnard?

I’m a Barnard parent. My DD rushed freshman year and most of the “Greek Life” crew is very much like any coed college. The sororities are Columbia chapters, and pretty evenly represented between Barnard and Columbia. Social life. Frat parties etc. she’s having an amazing experience. I have asked about LGBTQ presence, and she has a very diverse group of friends. I think the Greek segment kind of separates those groups to an extent. But not to the point of being exclusionary. I really love that she’s enjoying Greek life but also maintaining friendships with other students who are not part of that community, including some who are LGBTQ.

My DD goes to Scripps College in Claremont, CA. She loves going to a women's college, and also really likes being part of the consortium where she can take other classes. The southern California weather is fantastic and the campus is the most beautiful one I've ever visited.

The girls that choose to attend an all womens' college (from our all girls' high school) almost always choose Smith. Second would be Wellsley. I haven't seen any chose Mount Holyoke or Bry Mawr. I am not sure why...

I went to Smith and for me it was also some of the best years of my life. It was incredibly inspiring to see a woman in every student leadership position and have every sports hero be a woman too. I got an amazing education and was able to do research with my professors. I was a mathematics major and was grateful that every class was filled with brilliant, curious women. There were plenty of boys around at Amherst and UMass so I didn't miss anything there.
Smith prepared me well to pursue a doctorate in Civil Engineering at MIT.

I went to Smith and loved it - best four years of my life, apart from when my children were born. I came from a very conservative background and attending Smith was like study abroad. I learned so much and found the environment to be very supportive. I also enjoyed frat parties at UMASS on the weekends, so kind of got the best of both worlds.

My daughter is at Bryn Mawr and is having a pretty similar experience - she gets to spend a lot more time in a big city (Philly) than I did though because Smith is much farther from Boston.

Anonymous wrote:DD is seriously considering one of the seven sisters colleges. I feel like she will be comfortable there and fit in well -- but that it will be almost too comfortable, not enough push outside of her comfort zone, more of a space to shelter for four years. idk, maybe that's ok? Tell me about your experiences with all women's colleges.

My daughter is at one of the Seven Sisters. It's a bubble and we all acknowledge that. Frankly, I'm glad she has this space to grow and be herself. The ugliness of the wider world will still be there when she graduates.

My daughter is at an all girls high school. At the start of her search she visited several women's colleges. None resonated for her and she is now considering only co-ed. That said, the single sex experience for high school has been of great value and she might even have had more interest in that for college had she attended a co-ed high school.

We looked closely at women's colleges. I liked the idea, but after we researched, we decided against that direction. Imo, there are two types of students: activist lesbian and introverted girls who are often from traditional families (and many international families in this group). The only womens college my daughter considered was barnard- because of job opportunities and bc there are boys to date at columbia/grad school, but she didn't like the activist vibe at Barnard. She chose a different school which is a better fit for her academically and socially. Of note, if interested humanities or social sciences, be sure to check the curriculum, course offerings, areas of faculty research, to understand their ideological preferences. It's eye opening.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a handful of people who went to Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke. They had great experiences and are doing very well.

My DD is at an all girls high school and we are choosing a coed college. I think that an all girls education is very powerful, but there are downsides to it. It can be rough - girls can be competitive and mean in such an environment. I think it’s important that you choose the right all women’s college for your child based on their personality. They all have different vibes.

We know one family that sent a daughter to Wellesley and another to Mount Holyoke. The first DD (Wellesley) is an absolute superstar. She is very driven and very successful. She said at times it was difficult because she was surrounded by girls that were all like her. The second child is much more relaxed and a sweet kid. She likes Mount Holyoke and I get the vibe that it may be a kinder environment. Both girls say Smith is for very outspoken girls. Something to the effect of they let everyone know their opinion (loudly).

I think it will be important for you to do campus visits. Good luck!

Wait, what? Who knew?

I’m PP. Your sarcasm adds literally nothing to a conversation where everyone else has been helpful. It sounds like you don’t actually have any experience with an all women’s education. Hence your unhelpful comment. There are many pros to an all women’s education and I wouldn’t change a thing about my child’s experience. I am a huge proponent of an all girls education. At the same time, someone like you who doesn’t have any experience with these schools doesn’t understand the nuances involved. It’s not the “mean girls” trope people like you like to lean on. It’s more that these schools attract strong, driven women and it can be a competitive environment much like the cut throat Ivies.

To OP, I don’t know anyone that went to Bryn Mower. But I bet you can do a search on the college sites and DCUM to get an idea of the reputations. But at the end of the day, you just need to go and do a vibe check just like you would for any college. It’s great that your DD is taking her education seriously and looking at these schools.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a handful of people who went to Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke. They had great experiences and are doing very well.

My DD is at an all girls high school and we are choosing a coed college. I think that an all girls education is very powerful, but there are downsides to it. It can be rough - girls can be competitive and mean in such an environment. I think it’s important that you choose the right all women’s college for your child based on their personality. They all have different vibes.

We know one family that sent a daughter to Wellesley and another to Mount Holyoke. The first DD (Wellesley) is an absolute superstar. She is very driven and very successful. She said at times it was difficult because she was surrounded by girls that were all like her. The second child is much more relaxed and a sweet kid. She likes Mount Holyoke and I get the vibe that it may be a kinder environment. Both girls say Smith is for very outspoken girls. Something to the effect of they let everyone know their opinion (loudly).

I think it will be important for you to do campus visits. Good luck!

Wait, what? Who knew?

Any thoughts on Barnard?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is seriously considering one of the seven sisters colleges. I feel like she will be comfortable there and fit in well -- but that it will be almost too comfortable, not enough push outside of her comfort zone, more of a space to shelter for four years. idk, maybe that's ok? Tell me about your experiences with all women's colleges.

well. we found out in my DD Sr year that she was a lesbian. Who knows when that started. Good luck to you.

Oh, I'm pretty sure *she* knows when "that started." And I'm equally sure it wasn't in college.

Sounds like it took being away from you for a few years to realize that was OK.

She knew we were ok with it. My brother is gay. She knew we never had any issues with that at all and were always super supportive. She had a serious boyfriend for 3 years through her Gap Year.

That's great—she's lucky to have you! Your "good luck" phrasing made it sound like you were blaming the women's college for something, so I'm pleased to hear that wasn't your intention.

I mean, this sort of discovery happens with young women at coed colleges, too. It's just that time of life.

Can a student who is not in the lgbt community fit in at an all women's college? Or do those colleges nowadays lean more for those who are?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I know a handful of people who went to Wellesley, Smith, Mount Holyoke. They had great experiences and are doing very well.

My DD is at an all girls high school and we are choosing a coed college. I think that an all girls education is very powerful, but there are downsides to it. It can be rough - girls can be competitive and mean in such an environment. I think it’s important that you choose the right all women’s college for your child based on their personality. They all have different vibes.

We know one family that sent a daughter to Wellesley and another to Mount Holyoke. The first DD (Wellesley) is an absolute superstar. She is very driven and very successful. She said at times it was difficult because she was surrounded by girls that were all like her. The second child is much more relaxed and a sweet kid. She likes Mount Holyoke and I get the vibe that it may be a kinder environment. Both girls say Smith is for very outspoken girls. Something to the effect of they let everyone know their opinion (loudly).

I think it will be important for you to do campus visits. Good luck!

What can you say about Bryn Mawr?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DD is seriously considering one of the seven sisters colleges. I feel like she will be comfortable there and fit in well -- but that it will be almost too comfortable, not enough push outside of her comfort zone, more of a space to shelter for four years. idk, maybe that's ok? Tell me about your experiences with all women's colleges.

well. we found out in my DD Sr year that she was a lesbian. Who knows when that started. Good luck to you.

Oh, I'm pretty sure *she* knows when "that started." And I'm equally sure it wasn't in college.

Sounds like it took being away from you for a few years to realize that was OK.

She knew we were ok with it. My brother is gay. She knew we never had any issues with that at all and were always super supportive. She had a serious boyfriend for 3 years through her Gap Year.