<p>I was accepted to both (!!)…I am having trouble deciding between the two. Besides the obvious difference in setting, I don’t really know how different they are.</p>
<p>If it helps, here is what I’m looking for/am interested in:
-rigorous academics - I want to be challenged, but I do want some time to pursue my interests outside the classroom as well
-I am interested in pursuing infectious diseases/public health/epidemiology as a career; I’ll probably major in one of the sciences or sociology</p>
<p>Little things that would be nice:
-many campus traditions
-cooperative, not cutthroat competitive atmosphere
-kitchens for students to use (I love to cook and am having trouble stomaching the idea of cooking only during the summer for four years)</p>
<p>I posted a similar thread on Mt. Holyoke’s board.</p>
<p>Any insights you can give me into the differences between the two colleges would be much appreciated.</p>
<p>My daughter is accepted to both— Setting difference plus basic feel is about the only difference. Academics are superb at either – a wash. Mount Holyoke offered more money yet Bryn Mawr stepped up as well. You are lucky to have this issue, count your blessings as I know kids in my daughter’s senior class who are very fine students yet failed to be accepted to dream schools. Tough year to be an applicant. Good luck with the choice.</p>
<p>I was also considering Mount Holyoke before ultimately selecting Bryn Mawr. While they are both Seven Sisters and very similar at face value, the geographic and social experience at Bryn Mawr is what helped me decide.</p>
<p>Academics are very strong at both institutions, there’s no doubt about that. Like Mount Holyoke, Bryn Mawr is also in a consortium with other colleges-- Haverford, Swarthmore, and UPenn. Our courses are included in the same registration pool so it’s very easy to go from campus to campus. You can even major at Haverford if you prefer their department over ours. Basically, there’s a tremendous pool of options. Haverford offers a really cool class called Epidemiology and Global Health, which sounds pretty up your alley. I’d go on the department websites and look around at course offerings to get a feel for the programs.</p>
<p>You won’t be hard-pressed for campus traditions at Bryn Mawr. WE LOVE THEM. no, seriously. They’re a huge, huge part of this community and are truly the glue that brings so many diverse women together. We have four major traditions a year in addition to tons of smaller superstitions. We roll hard with the traditions, so to speak. You can read more about them here: [Student</a> Activites | Bryn Mawr College](<a href=“http://www.brynmawr.edu/activities/traditions.shtml]Student”>http://www.brynmawr.edu/activities/traditions.shtml)</p>
<p>While Bryn Mawr is very academically rigorous, because of our Social and Academic Honor Code, we do not speak about grades with our peers. Therefore our only competition is with ourselves, greatly minimizing that “cutthroat” stress or competition that many of us felt in high school. As emphasized through traditions, Bryn Mawr really facilitates a feeling of support where we all look out for each other. The fact that we are the smallest Seven Sister I think really underscores this idea that everyone knows everyone, especially Professors. It’s a great feeling.</p>
<p>Every floor in every dorm has what’s called a “tea pantry” and has a microwave, sink, and full fridge. Beyond that, our Self-Governance House offers a full kitchen that students can reserve to cook meals in. Our Dining Services is ranked 4th in the nation and always offers plenty of ways to personalize your meals-- from tons of spices and herbs to make-your-own eggs, stir-fry, and panini stations. After your freshman year you can also opt to live in Batten House, a residence that operates as a co-op where students that live there are responsible for cooking all of their own meals. They have a full kitchen that’s both vegan and meat-friendly. I have several friends living in Batten and it’s a great option for cooks! You can read more about Batten here: [Residential</a> Life | Bryn Mawr College](<a href=“http://www.brynmawr.edu/residentiallife/floorplans/batten.shtml]Residential”>http://www.brynmawr.edu/residentiallife/floorplans/batten.shtml)</p>
<p>Thanks so much for the replies. I am having such a hard time figuring out which would be a better fit. Englishivy - thanks so much for your detailed response - can you tell me anything about the ease of study abroad at Bryn Mawr? Also, how often did you get into Philadelphia - every weekend, a couple times a month, or a few times a semester?</p>
<p>Study abroad is very common at Bryn Mawr. We have a long list of approved programs available on the Office of International Programs website ([Bryn</a> Mawr College: Office of International Programs](<a href=“http://www.brynmawr.edu/oip/abroad/students.html]Bryn”>http://www.brynmawr.edu/oip/abroad/students.html)), but students can also submit other programs for review. I elected to not go abroad because I wasn’t interested in language immersion and opted to take graduate level courses in my major, history of art, as an undergrad instead. However, I’ve had tons of friends study everywhere from Denmark, Paris, and Berlin to South Africa and Shanghai. The only things that could complicate study abroad is if you’re a double major or premed, but even then your Dean and Major Adviser(s) can works with you to make a plan that could allow for study abroad. </p>
<p>Taking advantage of Philadelphia, New York, and DC varies from student to student. I have a lot of friends in the city and love the citylife, so personally I go in about twice a week, usually on the weekend and once during the week. New York and DC are also extremely accessible and cheap to get to-- earlier in the semester I took a megabus roundtrip to DC for $3. During the first semester of my freshman year I spent two weekends in New York and two weekends in DC. It’s definitely an easy thing to do if you’re interested in exploring!</p>