Hello everyone, my name is Saskia and I’m a current junior at Bryn Mawr College, outside of Philadelphia. I know that the college decision process is really tricky right now because in-person events and visits have been cancelled, so I’m offering up a chance to AMA (Ask Me Anything!) about Bryn Mawr and my experience as a student there! At Bryn Mawr I’ve work as a tour guide in the Admissions Office for the past two years! I also served as a Customs Person (Customs Week is our version of freshman orientation) my sophomore year. At Bryn Mawr I have an independent major in Public Health and a minor in French. Some of my favorite things about Bryn Mawr are how it has given me a sense of community and belonging, its traditions, and its proximity to Philadelphia. Have questions for me? Ask away! 
Thanks for the offer!
I’m a parent of a high school senior trying to choose between BMC and another sisters college. Two questions I have are: 1) How well do you think the academic advising process works, particularly during 1st year and sophomore year? 2) What’s you honest appraisal of “call out culture” at Bryn Mawr?
Hello there! First of all, I just wanted to say congratulations to your senior on getting accepted to BMC and another seven sisters school! I know this is a particularly stressful time on top of the normal stress of the college application process, so I’m wishing you both the best of luck!
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I was really happy with how specialized and individualized the academic advising process was my freshman year. As a first year student, I met one-on-one with my dean several times throughout the school year to review not just my course choices and class registration but also how I was doing in terms of physical and mental health, social connection, and adjusting to Bryn Mawr. In addition to meeting with my dean several times, students were also assigned a faculty/staff member as a temporary “academic advisor”, which they would meet to review their specific class choices and academic interests. In this way, freshman year really eases students into the academic experience at Bryn Mawr. There is no pressure to choose a major right away; instead, students are encouraged to explore classes across various disciplines. During sophomore year students must choose a major, and within that academic department they have a major advisor. Once students have declared a major, most of the academic advising shifts from their dean to their academic advisor, but the deans are always available to students with academic concerns. There are daily walk-in hours where students can meet with any available dean, and I scheduled personal meetings with my dean during my sophomore year to plan out my academic track before I knew what specific major I wanted.
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When considering “call out culture”, I think it is crucial to consider the difference between “call outs” and social responsibility, holding people accountable for their words and actions, and community growth and learning. Bryn Mawr is an empowered community wherein students feel comfortable using their voices and standing up for what they believe in. Typically, students are willing to listen to both sides. However, among any group of people, there are disagreements. I’ve found that many students at Bryn Mawr are wary of “call out” or “cancel” culture, and focus instead on redirecting or recentering conversations to emphasize that we all make mistakes and we can all learn new things. If you’re still worried specifically about cancel/call out culture, I would be happy to answer more questions, but I have to emphasize that problems with either are not unique to Bryn Mawr or any Seven Sisters school, but rather are pervasive in society as a whole.
Please let me know if you have any more questions for me! I know that it is very difficult to decide between schools, especially when the two are rather similar, and I’m here to help! I have a sibling who goes to another Seven Sisters school (Mt. Holyoke) and I’m definitely a fan of all of them. 
What’s it like not having guys at the college? Can’t decide if this should be considered into my final decision. Also, how easy is it to get to Philadelphia? Do students spend a lot of time in the city? And are there coffee shops/restaurants around campus and the surrounding town or does everyone mostly eat in the dining hall? Do any dorms offer private bathrooms and a suite set up or are they all doubles with a communal at the end of the hall? Is it worth it to take classes at UPenn or is it really inconvenient? Do people go to traditional college parties at surrounding colleges (haverford?) on weekends? Are people generally overly proud about getting into the school (ie arrogant, pretentious, stats obsesses). Is there a cheating culture? My high school was pretty bad with this and I’m hoping to go to a school where cheating is NOT the norm.
Sorry lol that’s a lot of questions but I’m really conflicted now that I won’t be able to visit and like picture myself at the school if that makes sense?
Hi there! I’m going to split your questions up into different categories so that it’s a little easier to keep track of my answers.
- Women's College: I know a lot of prospective students are hesitant about attending a women's college, so it's totally understandable that that's something that you're mulling over right now. I personally love the women's college experience, and I think that it is incredible powerful (and empowering!) to be in an environment that was created for women. That being said, a lot of the time Bryn Mawr doesn't feel like a women's college because we have Haverford and Swarthmore students take classes at Bryn Mawr, and nearly all of my classes have men in them. We definitely aren't a nunnery! Because of our proximity to Philadelphia and to other colleges in the area, there are plenty of opportunities for dating, you just might have to work a little harder than normal.
- Philadelphia: I actually wrote a whole thread about having access to Philadelphia on other post. I'll copy some of it over to here. I really think that access to Philadelphia is one of the greatest assets of Bryn Mawr!
Having access to a major city is HUGE for a lot of students, and something that is definitely not the same for Smith students. Bryn Mawr is just a short train or bus ride away from Center City, where students can find intern positions, set up praxis courses, volunteer, or just go out with friends into the city and have fun! Although I love Bryn Mawr’s small size and close-knit community, being around the same people and in the same community all the time can sometimes feel isolating. Going into Philadelphia allows for temporary big-city fun before coming back to the quiet and calm of Bryn Mawr.
In my sophomore year I volunteered every weekend in Philadelphia with a non-profit organization that provides harm reduction materials for those affected by the opioid crisis. This was a hugely influential experience for me. I have also attended conferences at Penn, gone out for dinner during Philly Restaurant Week, visited countless museums, and just walked and wandered the city. When Bryn Mawr starts to feel a little too small or suffocating, Philadelphia is there for you.
As a rising senior (yikes!) I’m starting to really recognize how valuable Bryn Mawr’s connection to Philadelphia is. I hope to take classes at Penn next year, volunteer with an organization in South Philly, and potentially do a Praxis course that would involve working with a non-profit organization in the city as well. There are really countless opportunities when you have the resources of a big city in your back pocket. And you can always come home to Bryn Mawr at the end of the day.
Many students venture into Philly during their time at Bryn Mawr, and the train to central city is just a block away from campus and a 25 minute ride.
- Surrounding Town of Bryn Mawr: Bryn Mawr is small but super charming. We have an all-inclusive dining plan, which means students eat most of their meals in the dining hall (we have been ranked in the top ten for dining halls for a while now, though!). However, there are plenty of restaurants and coffee shops to explore in Bryn Mawr, the Main Line, and in Philadelphia, and going out with friends for coffee or for a bite to eat is definitely a fun way to get off campus.
- Res Life: Dorms offer singles, doubles, triples, and quads. None of the rooms are suite style with private bathrooms, but there are single bathrooms on certain floors that are shared by the community. Most floors have communal bathrooms though.
- UPenn: Because of the commute, and because you need approval from the Registrar, most students don't take classes at Penn until their senior year. It is a great option for students, but most don't take more than 1 or 2, so keep that in mind.
- Party Culture: Neither Haverford or Bryn Mawr are huge party schools. We have events throughout the semester at Bryn Mawr, but students definitely prefer hanging out with their friends in their rooms to large parties. Haverford has events throughout the semester, usually dance parties or music performances from local artists that can be fun to go to. Some students go to Swarthmore for frat parties or even to UPenn but students definitely party off campus more.
- Student Culture: Most Bryn Mawr students are proud of the school, but the general attitude is definitely not pretentious, arrogant, or stats obsessed. There is a student culture of not discussing grades. I came from a very competitive and status focused high school so Bryn Mawr student culture surrounding academics felt like a huge breath of fresh air for me. I would say that Bryn Mawr students are fairly down to earth and accepting people.
- Cheating Culture: It might be worth it for you to look into the academic and social honor codes! (Link: https://www.brynmawr.edu/deans/academic-and-community-integrity). These honor codes dictate how students interact with each other and their professors in both the academic and social communities of Bryn Mawr. The academic honor code places a huge amount of trust in students, which is why we have self-scheduled or take-home exams. Although it can be hard to wrap your mind around the idea of having so much freedom around exams and assignments (especially since high school is so structured), many students greatly benefit from having the independence and freedom that it brings. If cheating occurs at Bryn Mawr, it is rare, especially because of the honor code and the Academic Honor Board. Cheating is also rare because students are competing against themselves rather than other students.
Let me know if you have any other questions for me! I would be happy to answer them.
I was accepted to Bryn Mawr and am considering it but I am a little bit concerned about the lack of stem focus there. I want to pursue pre-med and health policy/public health (which is great to see that you are doing that!). Do you know anyone doing pre-med or can you speak to their reputation as a competitive stem school? Thanks!
Hello! I would say that for a liberal arts school Bryn Mawr actually has a really large STEM focus. Last year math was the number one major, and about a third of students study natural sciences.
Bryn Mawr has an Undergraduate Health Professions Advisors, Gail Glicksman, who serves as a resource for pre-med students or those who are interested in future health-related professions (like public health). We also have one of the best post-baccalaureate pre-medical programs in the nation; students can definitely take advantage of the resources of that program as well.
That being said, I don’t have as much insight as a student who is actually completing pre-med right now. If you’d like to connect with a current student who is pursuing pre-med, send me a private message with your email and I’ll put someone in contact with you!
And if you have any other questions for me, I’d be happy to answer them.
Thank you!!