<p>I agree. Bryn Mawr ED should be pretty much a sure bet.</p>
<p>The strong class rank and 75th percentile test scores combined with ED. I can't see Bryn Mawr turning that down unless there is something just horrible in the recommendations.</p>
<p>Generally speaking, Bryn Mawr would be a good safer bet if Haverford or Vassar were mild reaches. Just on paper, your daughter looks like pretty good candidate at those schools, too.</p>
<p>Bard would be a stone-cold safety. Holyoke very safe as well with those stats.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr looks good for your D. They give strong weight to fit in the idiosyncratic BM environment. If your D comes across in essay and interview as a BM type--she will likely get in. Mount Holyoke has ED I and ED II--if ED does not work at Bryn Mawr, she could consider ED II at MHC but would likely be accepted anyway RD.</p>
<p>Goucher would be a true safety. My D liked Bryn Mawr very much and also found Goucher an acceptable choice--Skidmore and Wheaton were less appealing--</p>
<p>Pyewacket - can you elaborate on "idiosyncratic BM environment"? What does that mean to you?</p>
<p>And is your D at Bryn Mawr now or considering applying? </p>
<p>I don't expect any issues with essay or interview. Nothing odd lurks with my D's profile. I think Bryn Mawr is a great fit - but I've read the long story on CC about the very talented kid who didn't get into any of the schools he applied to and ended up doing a gap year before applying again.</p>
<p>My daughter graduated from Mt. Holyoke in May. Your daughter will be accepted with those stats. And she will love it if she can't get into BM. We are quite satisfied with the education she received and the young woman she is. Good Luck and don't stress- she will excel and enjoy wherever she ends up.</p>
<p>My D had a great interview at BM and would have been accepted, I think. But she ultimately preferred a coed school and is now at Brandeis, having applied there ED. BTW I went to Mount Holyoke. </p>
<p>My impression of BM is of a group of women who thrive on demanding academics with a somewhat feminist orientation and also enjoy the various Bryn Mawr traditions that are charming but archaic--these are not your most typical college women--they have the capacity to enjoy a certain amount of seclusion in an intellectually challenging environment that allows certain eccentricities to thrive--although they have many opportunities to interact with men and the broader world. Also a very liberal artsy school where you learn things that interest you for their own sake, whether or not they translate into practical job skills,</p>
<p>I want to echo similar sentiments by others that your daughter should gain entrance into Bryn Mawr with ease. </p>
<p>It was the school that I would have liked my daughter to attend when she applied last year. We felt it has the most caring environment among all the schools my D applied. We were pleasantly surprised when BM not only accpeted her but also granted her a substantial merit scholarship based solely on her academics, which we were not aware of. I am not sure whether applying ED would affect your daughter's chance for such an award. It was a hard decision for my daughter when May rolled around as I left the choice to her. She ultimately decided to attend Amherst. I am saying all these because I feel quite strongly that your D will be admitted in RD and applying ED would not give her the chance to learn from the process of making a choice in late April.</p>
<p>I want to thank everyone for their insightful replies. After all the college visits we made, Bryn Mawr jumped to the top of the list after attending a full day Open House on August 4th - with speeches by the Dean of Admissions and others that were so powerful, I wanted to apply myself. If it's number 1 - the gut tells you to apply ED to get the process over with - but perhaps that's not the prudent way to proceed. What's the general concensus on that? Her chances of acceptance are higher with ED, but still very good with RD. She seems to fit their profile well.</p>
<p>PADad - I was totally unaware that Bryn Mawr offered merit scholarships. In fact, I thought they didn't. Is that really true? Do you remember any of the specifics of your D's merit award? Amherst is a fantastic school and I hope she's enjoying it.</p>
<p>Scrowman - we were very impressed with Mount Holyoke - the campus was gorgeous and they did a fantastic job with the info session and tour. It just seemed a little isolated to my D and a bit more of an effort to take advantange of the 5 college consortium - whereas Haverford is a mile down the road from Bryn Mawr and there seems to be a strong bi college relationship. </p>
<p>Pyewacket - I really like your assessment of Bryn Mawr's vibe.</p>
<p>"Fifty-six percent of the Bryn Mawr student body received grant aid from the College during the 2005-2006 school year. All financial aid offered through the Financial Aid Office is based on need, which the College determines after a thorough review of financial information submitted by each applicant's family. All demonstrated need is met."</p>
<p>We found this to be true of most of the women's colleges, except Smith which is off your short list anyway. Remember that they are looking at need when their yearly totals are $40,000 +. Your FAFSA and CCS Profile will determine your need in their eyes.</p>
<p>Please email privately if you want the nitty gritty on our family's EFC and what the different colleges offered.</p>
<p>That being said, if BM is truly your DD's dream school, why not have her apply ED? It would sure give her a less stressful senior year and let her relax and enjoy this last year at home.</p>
<p>"My impression of BM is of a group of women who thrive on demanding academics with a somewhat feminist orientation and also enjoy the various Bryn Mawr traditions that are charming but archaic--these are not your most typical college women--they have the capacity to enjoy a certain amount of seclusion in an intellectually challenging environment that allows certain eccentricities to thrive"</p>
<p>Yup, that about sums it up, and is exactly why my D feels there's nowhere else she'd rather be. There's a Tee shirt she's dying to buy this year: It has the Bold BMW automobile logo the front, and underneath it says: "Bryn Mawr Woman". On the back it says: "The Ultimate Striving Machine". As a junior physics major with every ambition to go straight to graduate school and ultimately on to a PHd, that about sums up my BMW to a tee ;)</p>
<p>WM, Smith meets all demonstrated need too. At least to the degree that the way they calculate need, which I don't think is out of line with Wellesley or Barnard, judging from the offers my D got. There was a spread of about $4K from top to bottom but I consider that "noise" in the system. Smith is also need blind for about the top 95 percent of the class.</p>
<p>TheDad,
I'm sorry my reply was misleading about Smith. Like the other women's college, they offer need-based aid contingent on their formula. In addtion, they DO offer merit aid, especially to the science majors. A friend of our was offered a nice package, but ended up declining for another school.</p>