<p>Other than location can anyone describe some major differences between these colleges? (particularly the student bodies of each?) Thanks!</p>
<p>I applied to (and was accepted at) both Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke. Since I have never attended Mount Holyoke I can’t speak to that experience directly, but the following are some of the unique factors about Bryn Mawr that ultimately won my decision–</p>
<p>As it was the farthest, Bryn Mawr was ironically the only college I did not visit before applying. However, once I stepped on campus for accepted students weekend, I truly had my “a-ha” moment. The students were engaging, social, and approachable. They were worldly but not flamboyantly so. I think the Honor Code really breeds a great distinction of students here that are intelligent and driven with each student possessing a rich and vibrant background, yet these factors are not constantly broadcast via competition, etc. Mawrtyrs are interested and engaged while also being genuinely friendly and compassionate. It’s not an easy feeling to describe verbally, but the campus just felt right and the students were the type of women I had longed to meet growing up.</p>
<p>I was familiar with other schools utilizing a consortium type arrangement, but as a freshman I was SHOCKED and AMAZED at how fluidly the Bi-Co, Tri-Co, and Quaker Consortium is used. I had students from other schools in many of my classes and I was the only person I knew that didn’t take a course at another college my first semester. I have also spent many weekends at the other schools via the free and frequent bus system. I love the ease at which this program is utilized and am so grateful for the opportunities and resources it provides.</p>
<p>A major draw for Bryn Mawr is of course the traditions. While many women’s colleges have an extensive history of such festivities, Bryn Mawr’s is very much alive and active! It is so engrained in your experience here that the traditions are what make you a real Mawrtyr. No matter how many times I describe Lantern Night or May Day to someone else, I realize I will never serve the experiences justice. They offer an overwhelming sense of inclusion and belonging that cannot be replicated at any other institution. I love partaking in something that I know generations and generations of other alumna have also witnessed and this unspoken bond between Mawrtyrs of present and past is a really powerful thing to be part of. It’s like a secret society of intellectual and passionate women where the only marker for inclusion is being a student. It’s this incredibly strong common thread that brings everyone together regardless of background.</p>
<p>Academics at both schools are excellent, but as a History of Art major, I’ve been constantly pleased with Bryn Mawr. Our Graduate programs in History of Art and Archaeology are impeccable and offer incredible depth and breadth within my subject. The accessibility to classes at UPenn and of course museums in Philly, NYC, and DC are also great resources.</p>
<p>While I currently reside in Chicago, I have also lived in rural Maine where I attended high school. After years of experiencing the tiny New England lifestyle, I desperately wanted and needed to get out of that environment. I found myself applying to schools varying from tiny farm towns, like Mount Holyoke, to institutions in the heart of cities, to Bryn Mawr, just outside Philadelphia. Bryn Mawr provided the perfect balance for what I was seeking. I love having a quiet and charming campus to come home to every night with access to a nice-sized town I can easily walk to (with restaurants, art theatre, shops, etc). However one of the greatest perks is PHILADELPHIA! The train station is literally next to campus and takes a mere 20 minutes to get to center city. In Chicago it easily takes up to twice this time to get between two destinations WITHIN the city. My first semester of college alone I spent two weekends in DC, two weekends in NYC, and countless trips to Philly and the other schools in the Tri-Co. Suffice to say, I have the best of all worlds.</p>