<p>Hi everyone,
I absolutely can’t decide between these two. The cost is similar, the drive to Bryn Mawr is much shorter (~2 hours vs. ~6) and the academics at both are great. But each one has a nagging catch; at Kenyon it’s the middle of nowhere location, and the incredibly small size of their science department (I want to be a molbio major), and at Bryn Mawr it’s, predictably, the all-girls factor. Can you guys offer any insights? Biology programs at Bryn Mawr vs. Kenyon? The social factors? Thanks so much!!</p>
<p>In terms of resources and opportunities, it’s hard to beat the molecular biology program at Haverford! Biology at Bryn Mawr is great too but focuses more on the macro aspects of the subject.</p>
<p>If you haven’t already done this, you might find it helpful to compare the course schedules to see the number and variety of classes that you could take at each college in any single semester. Bryn Mawr’s and Haverford’s biology departments teach the following upper-level biology courses next semester (* denotes a Haverford class):</p>
<ul>
<li>Cell Structure and Function</li>
<li>Laboratory in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology</li>
<li>Advanced Genetic Analysis</li>
<li>Structure and Function of Macromolecules</li>
<li>Molecular Neurobiology</li>
<li>Developmental Genetics</li>
<li>Bacterial Pathogenesis
Evolution
Neurobiology and Behavior
Biological Oceanography
Organismal Biology: Morphology
Cell Biology
Integrated Biochemistry & Molecular Bio I
Senior Seminar: Science in Society</li>
</ul>
<p>That’s an incredible number of courses to choose from for a single semester! </p>
<p>Another thing to pay attention to is whether classes fill up. Biology classes at Bryn Mawr and Haverford rarely run out of space. (The one notable exception is Stem Cell Biology, a small seminar taught once a year by the President of Haverford College. It’s immensely popular and cannot accommodate very many students.) At Kenyon, more than half of the biology classes are currently closed for registration because the enrollment limit has been reached. If you haven’t already, I suggest you find out how frequently Kenyon students are locked out of their first-choice classes. (That’s even more of an issue if they don’t teach very many classes of interest in the first place.)</p>
<p>If you want to learn more about the biology program at Haverford, HC Alum has posted quite a bit about it on the Haverford board: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/haverford-college/427212-why-haverford-sciences-phenomenal-part-12-a.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/haverford-college/427212-why-haverford-sciences-phenomenal-part-12-a.html</a></p>
<p>I was actually in the same boat as you. I chose between Bryn Mawr and Kenyon and I also have the same travel distances between home and school (fellow Marylander perhaps?). I’m a political science major though, so the academics were not as much of a factor for me, but the distance definitely was. When I thought about it, despite the fact that Bryn Mawr is all-women, I just could not imagine myself in the middle of nowhere up there in Ohio. I wanted to be near a city and that’s definitely one of my favorite things about Bryn Mawr. My friends and I often go to Philly for dinner or just to walk around, and I can’t imagine being (basically) confined to a campus. Also, I can easily take a train or bus (I’ve bought MegaBus tickets to D.C. for $2.50 on occasion) when I need to, or go for a weekend in New York with my friends. With Kenyon I knew it would be about a 6 hour drive, or a plane ride and an hour long drive if I wanted to go home. </p>
<p>Try making a Pro/Con list! That’s what I did. Good luck!</p>