Convincing Parents

Colleges and Universities A-Z Bryn Mawr College
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<p>Hi, I am having a hard time communicating why BMC is “worth it.” Would anyone like to help me out?</p>

<p>I have told my parents it’s listed as a “top feeder school” for the best graduate programs, but I’m not sure if this even had an effect. What are some other reasons BMC is a great college? Why BMC?</p>

<p>My parents are very biased towards Marist. My mom graduated from Marist years ago and they think the difference in cost (which, with fin aid, may not even be that much) makes Marist a better option. I’m trying to convey that BMC’s academics and prestige is worth the price difference. To me, Marist and BMC are NOT on the same level at all whatsoever.</p>

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<p>If graduate school is your goal, Bryn Mawr ranks very highly in "[Ph.D</a> productivity](<a href="http://www.brynmawr.edu/institutionalresearch/phd_productivity.html]Ph.D"&gt;http://www.brynmawr.edu/institutionalresearch/phd_productivity.html)" for women.</p>

<p>Personally, I’m attracted to Bryn Mawr for the rigorous academics and strong community. I love the idea of going to school surrounded by intelligent and passionate women, without having to worry about impressing boys or whatever. I feel like an all-female classroom would be very different from a co-ed classroom, and more supportive. Bryn Mawr is small and has lots of cool traditions that bring the campus together, so there’s the tight-knit family feel, but also has so many academic options available through the partnership with Haverford, plus Swarthmore and Penn. Bryn Mawr’s own classes and professors, of course, are supposed to be quite challenging and personal. Also there’s Bryn Mawr’s beautiful campus as well as its lovely dorms.</p>

<p>There’s just something about the idea of being part of this, I dunno, sisterhood, if you will. Students at women’s colleges seem to have this pride and support and collective drive for success that you don’t see elsewhere. I would tell my parents the community and attitude towards learning at Bryn Mawr would help me grow and achieve my ambitions more than at other colleges. If your parents are the type to worry about the typical college lifestyle, partying and whatnot, you could emphasize to them that at Bryn Mawr, people are there to learn and work hard, not get wasted (not to say people there don’t have fun).</p>

<p>I don’t know much about Marist, so I can’t make a direct comparison, except to say that Bryn Mawr is smaller and more diverse (ethnically, anyway, from looking at stats on CollegeBoard). But I hope some of this helped at least a little. Good luck convincing your parents! My parents aren’t totally thrilled about my wanting to go to Bryn Mawr either, for financial reasons as well, but my mom’s on board so we’re keeping fingers crossed for good aid…</p>

3

<p>Ah, I just read a few of your other posts on CC. It looks like I didn’t say anything you don’t already know. And you’ve actually visited (I’m jealous!) so I feel a bit silly now. You’re looking for some hard data…I guess the biggest things I’d emphasize are the Ph.D stats, Bi-Co/Tri-Co/Penn course options, and the fact that women’s colleges have particularly good alumnae support, from what I’ve heard.</p>

<p>I found some [post-graduation</a> stats](<a href=“http://www.brynmawr.edu/institutionalresearch/documents/Alumni0809_2.pdf]post-graduation”>http://www.brynmawr.edu/institutionalresearch/documents/Alumni0809_2.pdf), the latest of which are from the graduates of 2009. This is from their [institutional</a> research](<a href=“http://www.brynmawr.edu/institutionalresearch/bmcfactbook/]institutional”>http://www.brynmawr.edu/institutionalresearch/bmcfactbook/) page.</p>

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<p>HeyCwhaticando,
I would have to agree with JustJentacular. I don’t know much about Marist but I can speak about my experience at Bryn Mawr. I’ve had an amazing time here for the past three years and I’ve found Bryn Mawr to be a challenging, rigorous, and amazing place. It’s a small liberal Arts college that draws students from all over the world and from diverse backgrounds. I’ve learned a lot in the classroom, but a large part of my education has been from the women around me. I’ve been so inspired by fellow Mawrters.
Right now, I’m applying to jobs and finding that Bryn Mawr has truly prepared me, in ways I didn’t expect for the outside world. I’ve gained skills that extend beyond textbook knowledge and feel prepared to confidently navigate the job market and begin preparing for Grad School. Bryn Mawr has helped me gain hard skills but also the confidence and ability to learn quickly. I know that if given a new task, Bryn Mawr has given me the skills to educate myself quickly and efficiently to complete the task.</p>

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<p>Think ALUMNAE NETWORK!
What makes Bryn Mawr extremely special to me is the amazing network of Bryn Mawr women. Mawrters love helping out their little sister, and from day one of your freshman year, offer dozens of excellent opportunities to explore career options, make connections, and consider the future. What you’re buying when you pay your tuition is not just a four year experience - you’re buying access to an extensive 125 year legacy of Seven Sister world-changers who have extreme allegiance to their alma mater and are incredibly enthusiastic about continuing that legacy. You’re not only tapping into Bryn Mawr alums, you also have access to every alumni within the tri-co, and the alumnae of the Seven Sisters. After pursuing and completing an internship as a junior, I got four job offers - three of the offers were from Bryn Mawr alums who were incredibly impressive curators in their field, and one was from a Smith alum who knew the caliber of a fellow Seven Sister. I have friends who are recent graduates and landed top jobs immediately out of college because of Bryn Mawr alums and the connections made through those alumnae. And grad schools recognize the extreme academic rigor of Bryn Mawr, so your degree is impressive in itself.
Bryn Mawr’s legacy is unmatchable. Because of our connection to the Ivy Leagues, that is the kind of alumnae network you are accessing upon acceptance and arrival. And trust me, it is so very worth the tuition!</p>

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<p>Very good points, tsitsho90!! I had heard that there was a great alumnae network at BMC, but I never thought to apply it to the tri-co, or to all the seven sister’s. Very good point. I will definitely do some research on the alum networks of all the schools I’m applying to, and look into how many students get jobs upon graduation.</p>

<p>JustJentacular: thank you for the links. I liked the one detailing post-grad outcomes… I’m not sure if it’s good or bad though haha (: I did notice virtually all students either went from BMC to grad school or employment though, and that’s good. That 55% about employment confused me though… Also, funnily enough a friend sent me the EXACT link you did about Ph.D productivity just last night and I’ve never seen that before. So thanks for that as well! (:</p>

<p>Erin125: Thanks! Good to hear that you definitely feel prepared post grad. I know that is a quality Marist emphasizes very much, and it was one of the things I was impressed with when I went for an info session since no other school I’ve ever visited spoke so specifically about that.</p>

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<p>

As if employers cared that we can take courses at Penn?</p>

<p>True story: a Haverford alum gave a “how to apply to a job in consulting” workshop for the Career Development Office. At the end of the workshop, a student asked him if his office had internships or entry-level positions. His response: “Yes, but we hire exclusively from Princeton and Wharton.” </p>

<p>Bryn Mawr enjoys nowhere near the name recognition or respect on the job market as the Ivies. Our alumnae network may be very dedicated, but since we are a tiny college it’s a meager 5,000 alumnae small - not something that you would want to rely on for a job. I remember talking to a counselor in the Career Development Office my junior year, when I was toying with the idea of going into engineering. She told me that I’d be 100% on my own because so few Bryn Mawr students go into engineering that it’s not worth their while to maintain resources in this field. </p>

<p>Sorry for being so negative. I just felt like someone should present a counterpoint to the “Ivy League Connection” and “Alumnae Network” hype. That being said, Bryn Mawr is a great school academically and socially and I would not want to miss my time there!</p>

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<p>“As if employers cared that we can take courses at Penn?”</p>

<p>I think this may have been in reference to our historical connection? Through internships and networking I’ve met several Ivy League alums that are familiar and impressed with my Bryn Mawr education. </p>

<p>While I do meet people that aren’t familiar with Bryn Mawr, these are also people that are not tuned into the private college world. I’ve found more often than not that the people that you want to impress and you want to be hired by are the ones that do recognize and appreciate your Bryn Mawr education.</p>

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<p>Most people have never even heard of Marist.</p>

<p>I think there is no question that BMC is the better option.</p>

<p>You can tell your parents that a fellow parent on CC, who has 4 college degrees himself, told you BMC is the way to go.</p>

<p>Also, the contacts you make at BMC, and the alumni network, would in my view be much better. </p>

<p>In the job market, labels are important, and BMC is a much better brand. </p>

<p>Also, I would say the BMC is well respected in the Philly area.</p>

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<p>floridadad55: But why is BMC better? What makes BMC the better option? (Aside from being a top “feeder” school for grad programs).</p>

<p>I’m having trouble finding data that proves BMC is an “impressive” school, even though I know it is. The parents wants facts and not opinions…</p>

11

<p>Cwhat:</p>

<p>Here is what I suggest. Go to Barnes and Noble and read all the college guidebooks they sell. Each will have a write up on Bryn Mar. Copy down the good things each one says. Then, you can say:</p>

<p>Barrons says this about Bryn Mar.</p>

<p>And Fiske says that.</p>

<p>etc. etc. etc.</p>

<p>By the way, most of them won’t even mention Marist. I personally don’t remember it being mentioned in ANY of the guidebooks I have read. So you can tell your parents that too.</p>

<p>I would actually do this research for you, because I have bought 5 or 6 guidebooks, but I gave them all to my son recently, and he lives 5 hours away.</p>

<p>In the meantime, you might note that Bryn Mar is ranked #25 or so by US News for top liberal arts colleges (2010 edition). They put Marist in a different category, and to be fair, Marist is ranked right next to Emerson in that different category, so it’s pretty good too, but it is hard to compare if they are ranked in different categories.</p>

<p>BMC has 65% in the top 10% of their class. Marist has 32%.</p>

<p>BMC requires much higher SAT scores. Look at the very back of US News, where they have various stats for each school. For Marist, the 25/75 is 1070-1250. For Bryn Mar, it is 1200-1410. So basically, the top 1/4 at Marist would be around the bottom third at Bryn Mar.</p>

<p>Hope some of this helps you. </p>

<p>To be honest, I don’t even think the issue is even subject to debate. If I had a daughter, I would be thrilled if she went to Bryn Mar.</p>

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<p>Thanks, floridadad55. The big problem is financial aid. Hopefully (fingers crossed) so long as BMC/other favorites aren’t much higher in cost than Marist then I can go where I want to. I agree that Marist can’t really be compared to BMC. They’re too different; Marist is known for business and computer science, while I know BMC is known for it’s sciences… and pretty much everything else.</p>

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<p>I just graduated from Bryn Mawr this past spring. I’m currently a PhD candidate on full fellowship (tuition, 30000 yearly stipend, healthcare and dental) at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. I got the same financial offer from Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and UPenn. My education at Bryn Mawr was something tht consistently came up in all my interviews for these graduate programs. I came from a small selective “blue blood” (not my words, but someone else’s) women’s college that is well known for it’s academic rigor and famous graduates. </p>

<p>If you want to work hard, and really pull your weight…Bryn Mawr will get you where you need to go. I do not regret my choice in attending.</p>

<p>It’s also a stellar environment on an aesthetic level. Beautiful campus, amazing dorms, great food (as far as dining hall food goes haha).</p>

<p>My Dad has to be convinced too (mainly because of cost–I was offered money at Hopkins, Maryland, and Georgetown if I would apply ED for undergrad). I ended up applying ED, getting in, and never looking back. I do believe he turned out to be the happiest with the decision. No father can fault a school that wants to push his daughter forward.</p>

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<p>hey b@r!um - I just meant the historical connection and reputation that Bryn Mawr has as a Seven Sister, aka a school founded as the all-female equivalent to an Ivy League, in terms of networking. I have yet to take an interview where Bryn Mawr was not an impressive factor in name alone, and I attribute that to a lot of things, but largely because of the reputation of the caliber of a Seven Sister. The tradition of our connection to the Ivies speaks for itself in a lot of cases, not necessarily the fact that I took a few design classes at Penn. But those classes don’t hurt my resume either, since it shows I accessed the consortium and took advantage of academic opportunities outside of the college.</p>