<p>Oh zoosermom: So sad. You are absolutely sure you are not in line for any need based FA, even with two in college? FA standards are changing.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr is not more demanding or difficult than Mount Holyoke or Smith. I would support her in applying and make the decision then.</p>
<p>But don’t tell the meanies. </p>
<p>We didn’t tell where kids were applying so people couldn’t do this to us.</p>
<p>Look at stats. Bryn Mawr is not higher than Mt. Holyoke or Smith, (either academically or socially) so not good enough would then probably apply to every college on your list. (Of course we all know she is, and that there are plenty of kids at wonderful colleges not from snooty backgrounds.) The money thing is another question. I would look at their FA stuff myself.</p>
<p>According to the Bryn Mawr web site, 58% of the students receive need-based financial aid. I don’t see how any sore thumbs could be sticking out in that environment. </p>
<p>We did not believe that our son would qualify for need-based aid. As it happened, the computation of “need” varied all over the place among our son’s schools. Fortunately for him, he is now at his first choice with a wonderfully generous FA award. My advice is to apply, fill out the forms, and wait and see. You just never know. Please forgive me if this was addressed in earlier posts.</p>
<p>Pthhhhhthh to those “friends!” They may be describing some small group that their daughter has chosen, but I do not believe that it is true of Bryn Mawr in total!!! Most places will have a clique of snobby people. They can be avoided. I hope your D will check it out for herself. (Has she seen it? It is beautiful, IMO)"
She hasn’t seen it. I think she’s afraid to really like it because she’s wild about the departmental website.</p>
<p>"Oh zoosermom: So sad. You are absolutely sure you are not in line for any need based FA, even with two in college? FA standards are changing.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr is not more demanding or difficult than Mount Holyoke or Smith. I would support her in applying and make the decision then.</p>
<p>But don’t tell the meanies. </p>
<p>We didn’t tell where kids were applying so people couldn’t do this to us."</p>
<p>I can completely understand NOW why parents make the choice to keep things private. I am going to support my daughter in doing the same. I’m not sure what we might qualify for with two and I’m going to encourage her to look at all three schools. Her concern about Bryn Mawr isn’t particularly rational, so good solid information may change her mind. Because of my husband’s work schedule, we’re going to start looking this summer and particularly next fall.</p>
<p>We have recently submitted our FAFSA and CSS Profile for our daughter. Our EFC has increased dramatically this year, as next year we will have 2 kids in college. And, when our son got his financial aid awards 2 years ago, they were also all over the place, differing by as much as $10,000–all based on submission of the same financial aid forms.</p>
<p>Zoosermom, I hope your daughter can get past what these people are saying. DS couldn’t apply to Bryn Mawr, of course, but he did apply to Haverford and we looked at the Bryn Mawr campus just for fun–really beautiful. It is truly a bi-college system–the schools don’t duplicate courses and they time classes so students can commute between campuses by shuttle. I think it would feel much less like a girls-only school than some others and still have the admissions advantage of a girl’s school. Don’t know about FA though.</p>
<p>How about Goucher College in Maryland, near Baltimore? They give out great merit scholarships and your daughter could definitely get one. It’s also an “off beat” school.</p>
<p>My d is a freshman at Bryn Mawr and I’ve been impressed at how accepting the students there are of their peers. Part of it may be the honor system–I don’ t know. My d is taking two courses at Haverford right now and it’s not difficult to do. (She’s considering a major that’s based at Haverford.) My personal opinion is that Bryn Mawr is somewhat more academically oriented than Villanova. The impression I get from my d is that Villanova is much more sports oriented. Certainly, that’s a big generalization but if these two schools are her favorites right now, she should look at the differences.</p>
<p>The more I think about those “friends” of yours, the more they make me angry on your behalf. What a lot of nerve. What a lot of arrogance and superiority. Sad, small people.</p>
<p>Just one more vote for Earlham. My S2 is a very quirky guy indeed, and is a sophomore at Earlham. What I like best about it is Earlham’s emphasis on the whole person, wellness, acceptance, and consensus (part of the very real Quaker influence.) Clearly they accept conservatism, as S2 has come home to a quite liberal family espousing fiscal conservatism. Earlham is somewhat less costly than other liberal arts schools as well. It has been by far the best choice for this unique kid!!</p>
<p>We all support your daughter. If she is excited by the classics website that’s such a good place to start.</p>
<p>Lots of kids have image and self-esteem problems. It does make college apps particularly trying.</p>
<p>S got accepted at schools that his year ahead idol whom he thought much smarter (based solely on Calculus I surmise) got rejected at.</p>
<p>I agree that both Bryn Mawr and Haverford are beautiful. I don’t know which I liked more! </p>
<p>BTW: Bryn Mawr has a fabulous pre-med post-bacc program so I am thinking that S may end up a Bryn Mawr student yet!</p>
<p>zoosermom: Schools are always looking for students for their Classics Departments. Pretty sure this is going to be a hook at most places. Williams mentioned Classics and Music in acceptance letter after looking at S’s application.</p>
<p>Mythmom, you are just always so kind and helpful and it’s appreciated more than you can know. I have no frame of reference and it’s great for me to be able to tell her that studying classics is something that would put her in a different realm in even the same college as our friend’s daughter who is (I think) studying economics. It makes it possible to explain that there are differences between departments. Even the name Bryn Mawr is beautiful and evocative, don’t you think? I didn’t realize that your daughter was considering pre-med. I just had the mistaken impression that she would be a humanities like you. By the way, I look very forward to reading that novel you’re writing. I so admire your writing.</p>
<p>Thanks so much zoosermom, but it’s my son! Bryn Mawr actually takes boys into this program. And he’s the classics person in the house. He took Latin through both AP’s and is still very interested, having taken a Latin course his first semester in college and will be in the one coming up.</p>
<p>Yes, I think it’s beautiful. And very intellectual. For some strange reason, I couldn’t get D to apply even though she applied to Barnard, Smith and Mt. Holyoke. All water under the bridge (haha, I am very bridge conscious) now.</p>
<p>BTW: We all went to see Haverford, Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore on an outing just for me after both kids were already accepted into college! I just wanted to see them.</p>
<p>Am trying to figure out a way to see Grinnell and Carleton. I think for me colleges are like cathedrals.</p>
<p>Let me know if I can be of any more help with your D. Tell her it would be a shame for this mean girl to have so much power over her life, and she’s just wrong about the situation. Probably needs to feel more special, or something.</p>