all womens colleges

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Any experience with them? I've never looked at them seriously, thinking "how could I not be around guys???", but lately I'm starting to reconsider- it is at least worth checking them out, right?!</p>

<p>What is the atmosphere like?</p>

<p>What are the main differences between Smith, Wellesley, Mount Holyoke, etc?</p>

<p>Do any of these usually give good financial aid? </p>

<p>If you have never had a problem with guys dominating in the classroom, or felt that their presence has made you more self-concious, or felt the need to have female role-models, is there any point in going to an all-women's college?</p>

2

<p>My D is a very guy centered woman. Many of her best friends are guys, but she has thrived at Barnard. Barnard has been called the only co-ed women's college in the country because the vast majority of Barnard classes are open to Columbia students, as Columbia's classes are open to Barnard students.</p>

<p>She likes the commitment to the success of women which is palpable all over campus from the female presidents and deans to encouragement to succeed every Barnard woman receives.</p>

<p>Negotiating NYC has given her independence. She is happy socializing with women, with men, in mixed groups and there are opportunities for all three.</p>

<p>She is currently studying abroad in London. Although she has adjusted very well, and is living in a co-ed dorm, I can guarantee she misses Barnard.</p>

3

<p>IMHO one of the biggest mistakes a lot of young women make are "sleeping" on the women's colleges. First of all, where ever there are women, the men will not be far behind. All schools mentioned are part of the original 7 sisters and they still educate some of the best and brightest women in an enviroment that tends to be more supportive than co-educational schools, and no worries about an ole boys network.</p>

<p>Wellesley cross registers with MIT, Babson, Olin College of Engineering and Brandeis.</p>

<p>Smith and mount holyoke are part of the 5 college consortium where students can also take classes at Amherst, UMass-Amherst and hampshire.</p>

<p>All 3 mentioned meet 100% demonstrated need with large amounts of grant aid. Mt Holyoke is SAT optional and they also offer merit leadership awards up to 30k per year.</p>

<p>Merit</a> Scholarships: Mount Holyoke College Leadership Awards</p>

<p>Smith gives need based FA -meeting 100% of demonstrated need. They also offer the following merit scholarships:</p>

<p>Merit-based Scholarships</p>

<p>Zollman Scholarship: Based on academic merit and affords a grant to cover one-half of Smith's tuition in each of four years at the college. Normally, five Zollman Scholarships are awarded in each entering first-year class. Zollman Scholars are also offered the opportunity to work on a STRIDE Program research project.</p>

<p>STRIDE (Student Research in Departments) Scholarships: Selected on the basis of academic merit, Stride Scholars for class years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 receive a four-year grant of $2,500 per year. For the class of 2010 and forward, Stride Scholars will receive a four year grant of $5000 per year. Each STRIDE student is also offered the opportunity to work on a research project with faculty during her first two years at Smith. These students receive a $1,700 stipend for the research position.</p>

<p>Mary Maples Dunn Scholars are selected on the basis of academic merit and potential for leadership. The award is $3,000 annually.</p>

<p>Jean Picker Fellowship: A $10,000 award that is offered to a small number of prospective engineering science majors. Students will be chosen on the basis of academic record, depth of interest in engineering, and potential for leadership in college.</p>

<p>Springfield/Smith Partnership: Provides up to three full-tuition scholarships for students from Springfield, Massachusetts, public schools. All students who apply to Smith from these schools will be automatically considered.</p>

<p>All are part of the 12 college exchange.</p>

<p>Participating Institutions</p>

<p>Amherst College
Bowdoin
Connecticut College
Dartmouth College
O'Neill National Theatre Institute
Smith College
Trinity College
Vassar
Wellesley College
Wesleyan University
Wheaton College
Williams/Mystic Seaport Program in Maritime Studies</p>

<p>All have extensive study abroad programs</p>

4

<p>Out of the Top 20 in my HS class of 660 I was one of only 6 males. I was glad to go to an all male school where I would not have competition from females. On weekends, however, the girls flocked down because they knew where the boys were. Don't be afraid of looking at women's colleges. But each one is different so you need to wander the campus without a tour guide and speak to real students at random.</p>

5

<p>Well, I go to an all-girls' high school, and from the experience of my education here alone I'm willing to look at <em>gasp</em> 4 more years of an all-female education.</p>

<p>Girls/women/females (don't even wanna get into that) are surprisingly different people when they don't have to focus on saying the <em>right</em> thing. I didn't think my single-sex high school would be so much different from my coed middle school, and I was TOTALLY wrong.</p>

<p>Even at this impressionable, media-crazed age I've learned to respect my body more, and also, most importantly, how to separate, shall we say, "sex from the workplace." I know when study time is, and when flirting time is. Also, people from single-sex schools have a sort of mystique about them with their peers; we're treated with more respect than girls from coed schools.</p>

<p>I cannot advocate single-sex education enough!</p>

6

<p>Speaking of women's colleges, I just found a hidden gem - Mills College. It really is a great little school. And it's located in the San Francisco metro, so one could still have a (coed) social life.</p>

7

<p>Hey! My D just got a scholarship to Mills! What is your experience with it? She was also admitted to Spellman and has applied to Scripps, where they also boast a "co-ed" school with a single sex dorm" b/c of the Claremont consortium.. She plans to apply to Smith as well.</p>

<p>PS
"If you have never had a problem with guys dominating in the classroom, or felt that their presence has made you more self-concious, or felt the need to have female role-models, is there any point in going to an all-women's college?"</p>

<p>Don't seem to be issues for her.</p>

8

<p>Another hidden gem in all womens colleges is Agnes Scott College.</p>

9

<p>There is Scripps College in the Claremont Colleges complex, which includes, in no particular rank order of prestige :) Pomona, Harvey Mudd, Claremont McKenna and Pitzer. </p>

<p>Students are allowed to take up to 33% (IIRC) of their classes at any of the other four schools. The schools are all co-located and contiguous within a five block by ten block residential area of Claremont, CA.</p>

10

<p>my sister is a senior @ bryn mawr and she loves the education but HATES the atmosphere and the people</p>

11

<p>OMG Scripps is gorgeous with a magnificent social life and pretty good access to L.A. for internships/real-world behavior, if not a daily social life. The 5 other colleges of course provide for splendiferous (omg that's actually a word) diversity intellectually, politically, economically, and racially (not to mention sexually, lol).</p>

12

<p>Ilovebagels,
What does your sister hate about the atmosphere and people at Bryn Mawr?</p>

13

<p>Just to add: Barnard gave us an awesome aid package.</p>

14

<p>Is there anything wrong with single sex education? Nope.</p>

<p>But as a student at Columbia I am SO happy that I'm not at Barnard. Even though the campuses are across the street from each other and cross registration is rampant, you'd be surprised by the number of Barnard girls who don't have guy friends are rarely interact with men outside of the classroom (I'm not referring to dating here). </p>

<p>I had several women's schools on my college list, but highly doubt that I would have chosen any of them, coming from a K-12 co-ed experience it woudl have been a huge, negative change for ME. </p>

<p>I have a friend at Wellesley who loves her classes but spends the entirety of every weekend off campus at Harvard and BU because there's not social life on campus and the community is just so small.</p>

<p>If a women's college seems a little iffy to you, spend a night at a school and see what it's like. Personally, the sorority-esque atmosphere did not appeal to me.</p>

15

<p>Two at Saint Mary's College in South Bend, IN. Both attended public HS, neither was searching for a women's college. One spends lots of time with guy (and girl) friends at neighboring Notre Dame, one prefers Saint Mary's quieter campus and stays home more. </p>

<p>Both have found that they love the academic environment of this women's college for the collaborative work with professors and abundance of leadership opportunities. They are preparing to graduate with great confidence that their education has empowered them to make a difference in their workplace and community. </p>

<p>Women's colleges are not for everyone, but most definately worth taking a look at.</p>

16

<p>Agnes Scott College profile <a href="http://www.isi.org/college_guide/sample/2008/agnes.pdf%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.isi.org/college_guide/sample/2008/agnes.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>