<p>Disclaimer: I’ve only visited Bryn Mawr out of the four; I know current students at Bryn Mawr and Wellesley; Mt. Holyoke and Smith only from reading CC (and arguing on CC, in Smith’s case) and friends who were accepted this year.</p>
<p>Based on this extremely limited sample, I would say that Smith and BM are more “alternative” than Wellesley and MH. Wellesley is probably the most “mainstream” of the four, Smith the most “outspoken” (!= political, though it has that thriving niche as well), and Bryn Mawr the most strongly “academic” (similar to Swarthmore, Reed, and UChicago, though not actually that similar to those schools’ respective vibes). I don’t have as good a grasp of Mt. Holyoke, because I suspect my anecdotal perspective is skewed.</p>
<p>But honestly, my impression is that all of the Seven Sisters (including coed Vassar) have healthy “mainstream” niches. It’s just a question of what social circle you fall into and how much you care about being part of that college’s mainstream.</p>
<p>I think it’s also worth noting that I approach the college admissions process with the assumption that EVERY college has a distinct personality. And that “diverse” doesn’t count as a personality.</p>