Bryn Mawr vs. Wellesley

Colleges and Universities A-Z Bryn Mawr College
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<p>My daughter is a “likely” at Wellesley (she hopes to get her packet in the mail today) and has been accepted Bryn Mawr with a $15,000 merit scholarship. We did not send in financial aid forms to either college as we ran the numbers on the FAFSA website and it is highly unlikely we will get aid. Right now, she is leaning towards Wellesley as she has visited the school and likes it but it sure would be nice to have $15,000 less per year to pay. She has not visited Bryn Mawr. Some questions:</p>

<p>How would you compare the colleges academically and in getting accepted into grad schools or getting jobs after graduation?
How would you compare the cultures/atmosphere of the schools?
General pros/cons of the two schools?</p>

<p>Thanks so much for any help!</p>

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<p>One more thing, my daughter is uncertain on her major but is leaning currently towards international relations.</p>

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<p>Bryn Mawr does not have an international relations major. If that’s important to her, she should probably look elsewhere.</p>

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<p>According to the admissions website, Bryn Mawr ranks in the top ten among liberal-arts colleges on the Wall Street Journal’s list of feeder schools to the nation’s top law, medical and business schools. BMC is also in the top ten for rank among all colleges and universities in percentage of graduates going on to earn a Ph.D. The admission rate to law schools is almost 80% and more than 75% to medical schools.</p>

<p>I applied to Wellesley but ultimately chose Bryn Mawr for a multitude of reasons. Wellesley is a fantastic school and I have several very close friends there, but I felt Bryn Mawr was an overall better fit. Here’s a sort of comprehensive run-down:</p>

<p>Location
It was very important for me to feel close to a major city if not directly in one. I LOVE how close Philly is (a mere 20 minutes by the train directly next to campus…far shorter than the commute between two locations WITHIN my home city of Chicago). I also really appreciate having a quiet home to come back to without all of the distractions of the city. However the town of Bryn Mawr still has a great main street next to campus with shops, drug stores, restaurants, etc. I found that when I’d visited my friends at Wellesley we did make the trek into Boston, however it wasn’t nearly as convenient as it is to Philadelphia. In my very first semester of college I spent two weekends in New York, two weekends in DC, and made countless visits to Philly. Needless to say, Megabus is a dear friend of mine.</p>

<p>Consortium
Wellesley is in some sort of agreement with MIT if I remember correctly from my application days. However I don’t recall there are being many options for humanities or social science majors. With Bryn Mawr we have endless opportunities through the Quaker Consortium (UPenn, Swarthmore, and Haverford). There’s a free bus system that runs very regularly between Swarthmor, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr. You can also get reimbursed for travel fees to Penn. I love that the colleges not only share academics but social outlets as well. I frequently go to the other colleges for lectures, concerts, and other events. I was initially very skeptical of the consortium-- sure, they advertise it, but how popular could it REALLY be? I was totally and utterly shocked when I got to campus and saw how actively the relationship is utilized. I had many Tri-Co students in my classes at Bryn Mawr and I would have to really struggle to think of someone that wasn’t taking any classes at another campus.</p>

<p>Community
Traditions are a critical aspect of the Bryn Mawr experience. I applied to several of the Seven Sisters but I don’t think traditions are quite as integral as they are here. Our campus literally shuts down and revolves around them. No matter how many times I describe Parade Night, Lantern Night, Hell Week, and May Day, I can never do them justice. They are visceral, overwhelming, and incredibly moving experiences. I have never felt so connected to a community as I have here. It is a truly supportive, welcoming, and nurturing family that is fostered through these traditions and our honor code. I LOVE not having the added stress of hearing other students brag about their grades like I constantly dealt with in high school. I really feel that my only competition is myself and everyone here hopes to see you succeed.</p>

<p>Academics
I’ve really enjoyed all of my professors thus far and have built fantastic relationships with them. I love seeing my professors outside of the classroom and sharing mutual recognition and acknowledgment. My first semester I took an English course with the head of the department. We have maintained a great rapport and even after the class ended, she invited me and three other students to be interviewed with her for the New York Times. I can’t say I know many other fresh(wo)men with a similar experience. </p>

<p>I think those are my big bullet points. I hope I was able to be of some help. If you have any other questions please don’t hesitate to send me a message. Good luck!</p>

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<p>One last thing–
Bryn Mawr was the only college I applied to that I did not visit prior to my acceptance. I would strongly encourage visiting during Open Campus Days if possible. My experience at the program was critical in my decision to attend. It’s a beautiful campus and the students I met were really wonderful and insightful.</p>

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<p>Wow! Thanks so much for your very helpful reply, englishivy. It was extremely helpful. My daughter is very fortunate that Bryn Mawr has also offered to pay her way to Open Campus days in a couple of weeks so she is definitely attending. We are from the Minneapolis area, so it is good to get a perspective from another person from the midwest! I must say, having had several email contacts with the person coordinating the whole Open Campus trip, I’m very impressed with Bryn Mawr so far. Thanks again for taking the time to give us your thoughts on Bryn Mawr and we may take you up on your offer to answer our questions if we can’t get them answered through the normal forums!</p>

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<p>The Quaker Consortium is functionally just Bi-Co (Bryn Mawr and Haverford). Many more Bi-Co students come to Swarthmore to take classes than the other way around, primarily because the Linguistics program is based at Swarthmore. The shuttle from Swarthmore to Bryn Mawr/Haverford does not run very frequently.</p>

<p>However, the consortium between Bryn Mawr and Haverford is definitely very strong academically.</p>

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<p>I’m glad I was able to help! I’ll be volunteering during Open Campus days as well so hopefully I’ll see you and your daughter around campus. Best of luck with your decisions!</p>

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<p>According to the Wall Street Journal Feeder Schools rankings, Wellesley students go to the top business/law/med schools at twice the rate of Bryn Mawr students. I don’t know why that is: maybe Bryn Mawr students are less inclined to seek a professional degree, or maybe Wellesley students are more competitive for the top programs.</p>

<p>When I was applying to colleges, I found the high rate at which Bryn Mawr students are going to graduate school very attractive. Four years later, as a senior who is about to graduate, I am skeptical. Some students genuinely want to go to graduate school. However, way too many students are tired of school and apply to graduate school anyway because they are afraid that they have nothing to offer on the job market: their liberal arts degree isn’t terribly useful and their summer research project on Victorian art won’t entice potential employers either. Students who spend their summers interning and networking do fine on the job market, but many Bryn Mawr students don’t start planning for post-graduation life until it’s too late. I know plenty of students who worked for Staples and Starbucks as their first job out of college.</p>

<p>Whether your D goes to Wellesley or Bryn Mawr, she should keep in mind that she is getting a liberal arts degree that has little value on the job market without additional credentials or work experience.</p>

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<p>^ all fair observations, and excellent advise b@r!um. I agree that students need to consider the marketability of their degree and whether grad school is a necessity early in their undergrad careers. Thinking about life after college is important. But I also think those are comments that can be made about almost any college. </p>

<p>As to the marketability of a liberal arts degree, there are not a lot of Bachelors programs that are immediately marketable in today’s economy. That isn’t a Bryn Mawr/Wellesley thing. </p>

<p>That said, I can say from direct experience that Bryn Mawr College has an excellent reputation in the collegiate world and is well respected by graduate schools. </p>

<p>Does it have a better reputation than Wellesley? Maybe not, but I think it is more about the student at that point.</p>

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<p>

Most Bachelor’s degrees are very marketable. It’s really only the liberal arts degrees that don’t have an immediate target group, but less than 1/3 of all Bachelor’s degrees are awarded in the liberal arts.</p>

<p>

True, and a good point. I think I had two points in the back of my mind that I didn’t make explicit:</p>

<ul>
<li><p>Bryn Mawr students as a whole are less inclined than my friends at other schools to start preparing for a professional career in college. </p></li>
<li><p>Bryn Mawr students seem more likely than my friends at other schools to go to graduate school because they feel out of other options.</p></li>
</ul>

<p>That’s probably due to the pseudo-intellectual atmosphere at Bryn Mawr and the ease of getting summer research funding from the college. (I admit that I spent one summer doing “research” on campus because it was so much easier to apply for research funding than a job off campus, and it seems that most other summer research students felt the same.) Summer research opportunities and high graduate school rates seem like a good thing on paper, but the dynamics leading up to them don’t look quite as appealing.</p>

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<p>Hello everyone!</p>

<p>Congrats, duomom, on your daughter’s acceptance!</p>

<p>This is a post from three current (almost graduating-ahhh!) Bryn Mawr seniors, in response to the comments made about the difficulties of the post-grad job world/market.
One of us is majoring in Classical Languages and will be pursuing (eventually) a career in the Social Justice world, but for next year has a position in NYC with a non-profit that works with domestic violence survivors as a legal/social services assistant. One of us is majoring in Sociology and will be attending a top ten law school this coming fall. The third of us majored in Physics and will be beginning a Ph. D. program in Europe in the fall.
We have all had incredible experiences that have been academically, socially, and personally fulfilling. The reality that the world’s job market right now is difficult is something ALL soon to be college grads are struggling with–both those from liberal arts colleges and from larger universities. That being said, a liberal arts college background is something that has proved to be a valuable, sought after asset, as it has prepared us for a variety of real-world situations and challenges.<br>
We’d like to directly address b@r!um’s claims regarding Bryn Mawr seniors’ preparation for life after college. We have not found that it is the case that Bryn Mawr students resort to graduate school after failure to obtain a job. Both of us attending graduate school next year have been planning to do so all along and are extremely passionate about the paths we have chosen to take.<br>
The one of us who is pursuing a community service/social justice-related position next year has also been planning on doing this throughout her four years, as social justice is something she is truly passionate about. Our friends all have positions both in the graduate school world and outside (Peace Corps, Med School, jobs in the non-profit world, legal assistant positions, finance jobs, fellowships, etc.)<br>
Basically we are trying to communicate that Bryn Mawr women pursue paths that they are truly passionate about, not those that are a last resort. During our four years at Bryn Mawr, our liberal arts education has given us opportunities to explore different fields, figure out what we are interested in, and what we care about. This happens because of our own diligence and hard work, and also through the massive amount of support we are given emotionally, academically, and future-related by Bryn Mawr as an institution.
We urge you and your daughter to consider the points we have brought up when reviewing her options next year, while also appreciating the chance Bryn Mawr and liberal art institutions provide for students to create their own identity. </p>

<p>Best wishes with everything! Feel free to message us if you have any further questions or comments.</p>

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<p>Thanks so much to everyone who has given their thoughts on Bryn Mawr and a liberal arts education in general. It will all be so helpful for my daughter when she is making her decision. There is no question that seeing Bryn Mawr at Open Campus Days will really give her a better idea about the college culture and opportunities. If anyone else has any other thoughts, we’d love to hear them. Thanks again to everyone who took the time to provide your input.</p>

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<p>“maybe Bryn Mawr students are less inclined to seek a professional degree, or maybe Wellesley students are more competitive for the top programs.”</p>

<p>I believe both of these are true. At BMC, a senior aiming for Wall Street or corporate law is swimming against the stream. At Wellesley, she’s not – it’s one of a number of common paths. BMC grads can and do pursue whatever their aims may be, but even in my big-city alumni club, corporate/banking/finance careers are relatively rare. A large majority of the grads seem to be in fields that are either intellectual/academic, social justice/service related, or entrepreneurial.</p>

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<p>As a BMC alum and someone who has friends with kids at Haverford, let me add some thoughts. Wellesley and Bryn Mawr are each extraordinary schools and your daughter would have a phenomenal experience at each. What is different about BMC is the combination of a commitment to women’s education and the opportunity for a more coed experience with the cooperation with Haverford. Bryn Mawr has both single sex and coed dorms and very classes are all female (for me, only my freshman writing seminar was single sex). The presence of Haverford one mile away expands the campus and, as another person posted, getting into Philly is a simple, local train ride with the station walking distance from campus. Good luck to your daughter in making her choice, and enjoy your visits!</p>

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<p>^ Have to correct the poster above-- co-ed dorms at Bryn Mawr??? Oh yeah, one year, there was ONE GUY from Haverford who lived in ONE dorm. Co-ed dorms at BMC = not. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago, but not now.</p>

<p>Regarding value of a liberal arts degree-- I have one, and I was shocked at my undergraduate commencement when the speaker told us (and our parents) how “brave” we were for pursuing a liberal arts degree because we’d “never get an actual job.” So far from the truth!! A liberal arts degree may not prepare you for one particular job (like a pharmacy or engineering degree would, for instance), but really, the possibilities are only limited by your mindset. I’ve been VERY HAPPY with my “brave” liberal arts degree, thanks very much.</p>

<p>Regarding Wellesley vs Bryn Mawr-- from what I hear (cuz many women are accepted to both), you really need to visit both, really spend some time and see where you’d most like to go to class/ live for 4 years.</p>

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<p>“Have to correct the poster above-- co-ed dorms at Bryn Mawr??? Oh yeah, one year, there was ONE GUY from Haverford who lived in ONE dorm. Co-ed dorms at BMC = not. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago, but not now.”</p>

<p>You’re right, there aren’t co-ed dorms per se, but there is an active exchange program. It varies how popular it is depending upon how many students from each campus sign up. I know several students that live at Haverford despite being from Bryn Mawr. It does exist, it’s just dependent upon the mutual desire from both campuses.</p>

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<p>If that is the case, that fewer Haverford students are living at BMC, then I stand corrected. When I was at Bryn Mawr, Erdman, Rhodes, Radnor were co-ed and the Pems were single sex, as well as a couple others. If the dorm-exchange numbers have dropped, I apologize for the out-dated information. My mother was a bit surprised when I moved into Erdman as a freshman and there were two Haverford sophmores on my hall.</p>

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<p>Sorry but there’s No “active exchange program” for dorms. My daughter was misled by this claim, too. For all the women who want to live at Haverford, there have to be an equal number of people from Haverford who want to live at BMC. This current year, I believe that only ONE girl (a senior) from BMC got off the list and got to live at Haverford (cuz only 1 'Ford chose to sign up to live at BMC)–also, I believe this opportunity is based on seniority (seniors get first chance). You can look at the BMC newspaper over the last couple years-- when ONE GUY from Haverford actually decided to live at BMC it was BIG NEWS. I wouldn’t want any potential BMC’s to think they could live at Haverford and get a co-ed living experience. That said, the living arrangements at BMC are very nice.</p>

<p>MidwestMom, yes I think that many people bemoan the fact that the housing exchange used to be MUCH more popular. Perhaps Haverford going co-ed contributed to the lack of interest now. My daughter, for one, would welcome more exchange.</p>