So, I know that I’m going to have an owl for a mascot and that the first two letters of the college I matriculate to will be ‘Br’. I’ve visited both schools, taken a class of a similar subject at each, stayed overnight at Bryn Mawr, and liked them both for different reasons. I’ve thought about it and the women’s college versus coed question is unimportant to me, honestly.
Brandeis means more options in majors/minors and many double majors/minors and is slightly larger without being so large that I become a number.
Bryn Mawr’s honor code is an amazing institution, and the community and campus culture it creates is wonderful. The campus itself, dorms, and food also go in Bryn Mawr’s favor. Bryn Mawr may have a few fewer options, even with the addition of the Bi-Co, and even the Tri-Co and Quaker Consortium, but the depth one would need to study for the thesis that generally goes with every major is something I have to admit will be helpful in the future.
Still, I worry that with Brandeis I would be missing out on the kind of campus community Bryn Mawr fosters with the Honor Code. I’m also not entirely enamored of the somewhat extreme social causes groups I’ve seen flyers for everywhere. Activism can be good, but too much is too much.
With Bryn Mawr, I worry I will be missing the extra breadth that Brandeis offers in both academic and non-academic structures by nature of being a larger school. I also worry that although Bryn Mawr attracts a certain kind of person due to the honor code I will still have some trouble finding people with similar philosophies and interests to mine, which has always been a problem for me in a high school larger than the college and in the years before.
Can anyone shed some extra light on my perceptions of these schools?
Bryn Mawr is a very nice school with a diverse (although single gender!) population. You are bound to find people with similar interests as you. The community at Bryn Mawr and the honor code only encourages women to support one another and thrive in an academic/social way. You seem to like Bryn Mawr better but are only shying away because of the size. Don’t let its smallness intimidate you. Big isn’t always better. Are you undecided or do you know what you want to major in? If you are undecided, I can understand why you might want to go towards Brandeis, but Bryn Mawr is a LAC. LAC’s are the epitome of a school for a person who is undecided and/or wants to explore different options. The Bi-Co/Tri-Co/and Penn aspects of Bryn Mawr are huge pluses as well. You will be able to have co-op experiences with Haverford, Penn, and Swarthmore will give you great opportunities.
They are both good options. Which community do you want to be a part of for the next 4 years? It sounds to me like the answer is Bryn Mawr.
My son is choosing between Brandeis and Haverford . He loves Haverford and the Honor Code is very important to him as well. We both feel such a sense of community there (even off campus at accepted student events).
Brandeis has a larger Physics program (his current interest), offered merit money and is (as he says) 5x closer to home. In the end I want him to be where he will be happiest. If it turns out that Haverford doesn’t offer the breadth he wants/needs, he can always transfer to a larger research university (or take more classes at Penn).
You have to go with what you know right now. Where do you think you’ll be happiest?
It sounds like you like Bryn Mawr a lot more but feel like Brandeis is a bit more conventional and therefore a safer option.
Know that you will not be missing out on anything academically going to a smaller school; in fact, being at a smaller school often gives you more attention and opportunities. And by going to Bryn Mawr you’ll have programs at Haverford and Swarthmore at your disposal as well. If you met people you liked on your overnight, then you can be fairly certain you’ll find your people at Bryn Mawr. To me, the answer is clear.
@crooley I see your dilemma, but you will probably be fine at either school! My daughter may be applying to Bryn Mawr next year, and my concern is that it’s an all girls campus and if she would be happy in that atmosphere. But if she thinks she will be happy there, she probably will be. I think that any of the top 100 schools or so are good choices, and that it comes down to school size, distance from home, and area of study that are big factors. I have two other daughers (twins!) in college and this is how they made their decisions. The first is a finance major who wanted a big school with a lot of school spirt away from home, she chose and thrives at BC which is four hours away. (We don’t see her much other than regular breaks). The second (who is not as outgoing and is a “family” kind of kid) is a biochem major at Vassar and wanted a smaller college closer to home- 1 1/2 hrs. and she is able to come home most weekends. They are now juniors and both are doing great and very happy at their respective schools. If both schools fit your basic criteria, you will probably be comfortable and happy at either one. Perhaps go back and visit each again?
You’ve got two very academically strong options. You seem to have listed the pros and cons of each. I’d say at this point, go with your gut feeling, i.e., go with the school that “speaks to you”.
One thing you mention as a con for BMC was that you might miss out on the many academic and social opportunities that a much larger institution like Brandeis offers. I believe (my D is a BMC grad) that you can make up for the deficit by taking full advantage of the bi-co/tri-co consortium. BMC is incredibly flexible. My D had an independent major at BMC–she had to jump through a few hoops to get her course of study approved, but it was a good exercise because it made her think carefully about her academic options. Plus, social activities/clubs at all of the schools tend to be open to all students in the bi-co/tri-co. There’s a shuttle bus that goes to all three schools; in fact, you can easily walk to Haverford from BMC.