Bryn Mawr vs Smith again

<p>I know that there was a similar thread already.
I am an international student and I would like to study either at Bryn Mawr or Smith, but I would rely on financial aid and that’s why I thought my chances would be better if I applyed ED. Now there’s just the question: ED to Smith or to Bryn Mawr?
Because of the the size, location, and especially the open curriculum I tend a little bit towards Smith, but BMC’s math department seems to be stronger than all the Five College Consortium’s math departments combined. I especially like the A.B./M.A. option at BMC.
As I won’t have a chance to visit campus, I thought maybe you girls could help me out a little bit.
How great is the impact of Philadelphia, on a scale from remote to big city-like? How is the atmosphere on campus (is it really all just about studying with hardly any parties?) Does BMC have any “regular” traditions? (Smith’s got Thursday night’s family-style dinner, Friday afternoon tea…)? What do students usually do on weekends? How hard are classes? (BMC ranked as #17 at Their Students Never Stop Studying by The Princeton Review) What are “normal” class sizes? What about the student-faculty interaction, in and out of class? What do you think of the dorms? And does anyone here happen to have some experience with upper-level math or the intensive French classes?</p>

<p>I'm sure Smith is very good for math, but as you suspect, Bryn Mawr is probably even better. For example, collegeboard.com indicates that mathematics is one of the most popular majors at BMC (8%), while it doesn't make the list of top majors at Smith. There may well be a larger community of math students at BMC than at Smith, even though Smith has twice as many undergraduates. And BMC has extras, like the BA/MA program and an MAA student chapter, that Smith lacks.</p>

<p>Philadelphia, to me, is an interesting city with relation to BMC. The town of Bryn Mawr is fairly small, but has some great little shops and restaurants, plus a public library, a fantastic hospital, and an indie movie theater. The train station is only about a 5-10 minute walk from campus, and once you hop on a train there, you can get to downtown Philly in about 40 minutes. It's great to have the resources of such a big city, but from a little distance.</p>

<p>There are parties at BMC, despite what a lot of students say, and it's not really all about studying 24/7. There are always activities, clubs, and things to do on campus, and of course, lots of stuff to see at Haverford, Swarthmore, and in Philly. Yes, there is a lot of studying (especially on Sundays), but it's by no means too much for any dedicated student to handle.</p>

<p>On weekends, it varies. There are women, like myself, who lounge around, watch movies with friends, maybe go into town to shop or see a film or a concert, and just chill. There are tons of people who go over to other campuses to parties, activities, and downtown to shop and chill with friends. It's a pretty relaxed campus, almost always with something to do, but not loud or rambunctious by any stretch of the imagination.</p>

<p>I'm about to start my second year at BMC in about a week, and I will tell you that the classes are definitely not easy, but everyone knows that going into it. They are certainly manageable, however. Nearly every class I have taken I have absolutely loved, and found to be really stimulating and interesting. But they do take a lot of work. It's really all about managing your time and your studies carefully. One of the great things about Bryn Mawr is that there is a great support network for studying, tutoring, and helping to guide your education on the proper path via deans, tutors, professors, peer mentors, etc. They really do want you to succeed and love what you are doing, but they also don't baby you about it either, as I've heard friends from other schools describe their own situations.</p>

<p>The class sizes depend largely on the department and level of the class and can vary, but a lot of classes have enrollment caps to keep them to a manageable size for the professor, while at the same time allowing a maximum of students to take that course. Only one of my classes last year had over 30 students, and it was a first-semester intro course to my major, filled with many other first year students. The professors are always open to interaction in class; in fact, in most classes I took, it was highly encouraged. Discussion is a large part of many classes, which is a great aspect of a smaller school like BMC. Outside of class, profs are nearly always fast responders to e-mails and questions you have, and very accomodating to their students.</p>

<p>The dorms are amazing. Even as a freshman, you get great rooms. Most freshman have at least one roomate (I had two, a fabulous experience despite the fact I'd never lived with anyone my age before). There are 3 dorms that have dining halls in them, and one that's a language and culture dorm. All of the dorms have their own unique characteristics, and while most of them were built quite a while ago, they all have great amenities like really nice bathrooms, rooms, and free laundry facilities!</p>

<p>I'm a Math/Archaeology double major, so I've taken some 200-level (Multivariable Calculus and Linear Algebra) math courses, both with the same instructor, and loved them. They were well-taught, easy to follow, challenging, and fulfilling, even as a first year student. Other than those, I'm probably not the best authority, since I haven't taken any higher than that.</p>

<p>I also took Intermediate Intensive French first semester last year, and found it to be a great class with an amazing professor. In both the beginning and intermediate levels, the intensive classes are weighted 1.5 units instead of just one, since you usually have class every day, and homework every day. However, these classes are totally manageable, even with 3 others and a job! The courses cover all of the bases of the language, and also include great aspects of Francophone culture which tie in well and make it all the more interesting. These courses do move at a much faster pace than the regular level French classes, but even first time learners of French are able to keep up at this pace.</p>

<p>If anything was unclear, or you have any more questions, feel free :)</p>

<p>Thank you!!!!
May I ask how many hours per week you are working and in what position? Is it hard to find a job on campus? Do you still have time to participate in clubs or other extra-curricular activities?
Back to the dorms. How many students usually share one bathroom? Are there any kitchens (even though you probably don't really need them)? Are there specific study or chill out rooms/areas either in the dorm houses or somewhere else on campus?
Should you have your own computer or are there enough computers available for student use?
And actually, how far are the distances on campus?</p>

<p>My last response got eaten by the board, so here it is again, more condensed this time! :</p>

<p>I work about 8 hours a week (typical for freshman), in one of the dining halls (also typical for freshman). You can only work 17.5 hour a week on campus total. It's a pretty cool job where you meet a lot of people and get some free food, so it's not as bad as everyone makes it out to be. A lot of upperclassmen also work in the dining halls, and others work a lot of different kinds of jobs. To get an idea of the variety of jobs available on campus, you can go to studentemployment.brynmawr.edu and just look at all the options. It's not hard at all to find a job on campus; most dining halls are always begging for workers, there are tons of other jobs open to people with little or no experience, and some jobs available depending on your major. Jobs also don't tend to get in the way of clubs or extracurriculars, since most clubs meet at night, and jobs are during the day. Plus, 8 hours a week isn't really a whole lot of time out of your studies, and there's always the weekends to get work done! Tons of people work jobs and do plenty of clubs, and still get all of their classwork done.</p>

<p>The bathrooms vary by dorm: to give you an example, last year, I lived on a floor with about 30 people, and we shared 5 showers, 4 stalls, and 6 sinks. I never had to wait for anything, even a shower during the busiest part of the morning. This year, there are 12 people on my hall, with 4 stalls, 3 showers, and 4 sinks. </p>

<p>There are "tea pantries", which are basically kitchens with a fridge, microwave, sink, and cupboards in every dorm, sometimes on multiple floors. The fridges are really great for storing leftovers and stolen food from the dining halls.</p>

<p>There are also study rooms, TV rooms, common areas, etc. in all the dorms where you can study, relax, watch movies and TV, or have a party! Most dorms are quiet enough to study in your own room, and if not, there are lots of study carols, rooms, and cubbies in the libraries, which are always realllllly quiet. BMC women will use nearly anywhere to study, and also to party, so there's never a loss for space.</p>

<p>A roommate of mine last year was from Zimbabwe, and she didn't own a laptop, but she rented one both semesters from the library. They have a limited supply of laptops to rent, and priority usually goes to international students for those. I have my own computer, because I'm an internet junkie and usually have a lot of research and papers to write, but some students don't have computers; they just use the computer labs and library computers when they need them.</p>

<p>You can easily walk from one end of campus to the other in about 10 minutes. Classes don't start until 10 minutes after the time advertised, to allow time for students who have back-to-back classes to arrive, and rarely do you need more than that. The center part of campus is mostly libraries, classrooms, offices, and the campus center, all surrounded by the dorms with dining halls. Everything is sooo convenient, but far enough away to get a little exercise!</p>

<p>hey, i'm an international student very much interested in Bryn Mawr. there were few really good women colleges i wanted to go and i was very much confused about choosing one for applying ed. finally. i think i'll apply to bryn mawr. does bryn mawr supports our financial need fully?
and how's life at bryn mawr? (Being an international student i'd prefer going to college good no. of international students and where i can feel at home)</p>

<p>The average financial aid award for international students is more than tuition so I guess that they will fully meet our need, IF we get admitted. I've got a lot of need and I'm pretty concerned that's why. (for fall 2004, 307 int students applied and only 54 were admitted, so I guess fin aid is extremely competitive)
I've got another question about the college: Is it really as medieval as it seems to be from the pictures on the website? I mean the style of the buildings and the traditions. I've grown up in a medieval town in Germany, regularly performing in festivals just for the entertainment of tons of tourists (mainly Americans and Japanese), so I don't want to go to the US and live in a medieval-style place....</p>

<p>Actually, would would you do in my place (if you know Smith):
I like Smith because of the Open Curriculum, its paid internship program, housing system, size, traditions and the modern style of a big part of campus (at least so it seems). In addition, I would be able to graduate in 3 years and would be less in debt that's why.
The pros for Bryn Mawr are its location, its strong math department, that I could study a semester abroad (preferably in France) and that I would be able to graduate with a M.A. in four years.
Would you go for Smith or Bryn Mawr?</p>

<p>jhalehvismusique: it sounds like you are enjoying Bryn Mawr. My daughter has looked at it because it has several majors she is considering. However, my husband is dead-set against her attending an all-women's college. How have you found the school from a social side, particularly the ease of meeting young men?</p>

<p>I do love being here at BMC. I've just finished my first week back as a sophomore, and I've come to realize again why I chose to come here rather than many of my other options :)</p>

<p>palermo, it's not hard to meet anyone here, even if you are fairly anti-social. There are plenty of guys on campus, in classes (it varies depending on majors, etc.), around town, and with the abundance of transportation to Haverford and Swarthmore, you can always head over there to meet guys. It's not as difficult as some at women's colleges make it out to be; in fact, it's easier here than at most other women's colleges since we aren't so isolated as others are. </p>

<p>maichang: I can tell you that there is a very large international student population here on campus. I can't give you the numbers right off the top of my head, but I can tell you from my experiences that there certainly is not a lack of diversity and differing backgrounds/hometowns, etc. I lived in a triple last year as a freshman, and one of my roommates was from Zimbabwe. There were 4 other international students just on my hall! This year, out of 12 people on my floor, about 1/3 are international. </p>

<p>b@r!um: I think a lot of the positive aspects you describe for Smith are great, but BMC has many of those too. In fact, I just finished applying for a paid internship program here at BMC. Traditions here at BMC are great, and we also do have a few modern dorms (exterior and interior) that many students love smattered around the older-exteriored (but all remodeled) dorms. You also mention that you would be able to graduate from Smith in 3 years; you can also do this at BMC (I considered it before becoming a double-major-- and might still be able to do it if I plan well!). Why only get a BA/BS in three, when you can get BA/BS and an MA in 4-5? Bryn Mawr is very kind to the BA/MA students here in the varying departments that offer them (Math and French are the two most well-known and used, in my experience). Obviously I'm biased, but I see BMC as having a strong advantage over Smith; I should say, though, that I don't really know much about Smith, since I didn't research or apply there during my college search.</p>

<p>I would discourage applying anywhere ED if financial aid is an issue, because you lose the option of comparing the financial aid packages of the different schools that you're admitted to. I'm an "international" student as well (I've lived in the US for several years but don't have permanent residency) and as much as I'd like to have a decision early, it's just too much of a risk to take.</p>

<p>jhalehvismusique, you mentioned that there is a good hospital in the town of Bryn Mawr. How accessible is it from campus, and do students ever volunteer there? I've been volunteering at a hospital in high school, and it's something I'd love to continue in college.</p>

<p>cameliasinensis: There is a really great hospital here in BMC, about a 5-10 minute walk from the campus. There is also a shuttle service that runs between the school and the local train stations that will stop on the way if you ask nicely (which is really great in the snowy winter! :) ). I have no clue if students volunteer there; I really wouldn't be surprised if they did in some capacity; I know some students who interned at Villanova's teaching hospital and at BMC's hospital over the summer, so that's also an opportunity.</p>