<p>my perception of all the seven sister schools is that they lean left, are difficult academically, and have great alumnae networks.
the onesi'm particularly interested in are wellesley, bryn mawr, vassar, and smith
wellesley the stereotype i've heard of is that wendy wellesleys are total overachievers that freak out if they get an aminus. thankfully, people on cc have corrected that notion. it seems more "preprofessional" than some of the others, focused on sciences, but great overall. lots of required courses, more classic "liberal arts and sciences". close to boston.</p>
<p>smith-awesome open curriculum. very alternative student body in comparison to some others. politically active people. great five college consortium. lots of fulbrights.</p>
<p>bryn mawr- "save the world' sort of people. hard core academics, more social science oriented, but i've also heard students have a lot of success getting into med school. required courses. very idealistic.</p>
<p>vassar-coed unlike others. open curriculum. student body full of individuals of all types. great interdisciplinary majors.</p>
<p>One thing that might be different between the schools is the number of males/females in the classes. Obviously, Vassar being co-ed would have men in the classes. Bryn Mawr shares classes with Haverford (and sometimes Swarthmore students), so often the classes are co-ed. I don't know about Wellesley or Smith in that regard.</p>
<p>Something else to note about Bryn Mawr:</p>
<p>the students don't talk about their grades or exams. The spirit of the honor code there is that you are only competing with yourself. Therefore, many graduate without knowing the GPA of their classmates until latin honors are presented at graduation.</p>
<p>I wouldn't say that BMC is all social sciences. There are many hardcore science and math students there. I had friends who went onto MIT and such in Graduate Studies in Chemistry and Computer Science. And yes, their medical school placement is quite well known. They have a famous Post-Bacc program for students who already have a Bachelor's degree that want to go to Med School.</p>
<p>Wellesley is great in the sciences, but I wouldn't say that's their focus, nor would I say they're pre-professional in the least bit, tthey simply have great graduate placement, best of the seven sisters...minus Radcliffe ;)</p>
<p>Actually Wellesley's strongest programs are in economics and political science. If you want economics, Wellesley's is your best option among women's colleges, name a prominent female economist, and I'll bet you half of them went to Wellesley.</p>
<p>After the social sciences, I'd say their strongest in psychology and biology with excellent science facilities and equipment. I'd say the one real weakness in the college may be in the performing arts, which may just be that it doesn't have the power house strength of it's other departments.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr is also interesting in that it is much smaller than the rest of the Seven Sisters.</p>
<p>thanks for the info
could someone comment on the degree of liberalness at each school?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Bryn Mawr is also interesting in that it is much smaller than the rest of the Seven Sisters.
[/quote]
That's true, yet at the same time, Bryn Mawr also has more graduate programs and graduate students than all of the other "Sisters" put together. BMC was the first women's college to have graduate programs, and even today, there aren't many others.</p>
<p>Historically (late 19th / early 20th centuries), Bryn Mawr had the strongest focus on academic achievement of the "Sisters": top scholars at other women's colleges would aspire to go to Bryn Mawr for the PhD. Today, of course, an alumna from Smith or Holyoke or Wellesley or Barnard can go to graduate school anywhere; Bryn Mawr has long ceased to be the premier option for intellectual women. But it does have that heritage, and it's still known for academic intensity.</p>
<p>I can only speak for Wellesley, and that the school is definitely liberal, but the general tone when it comes to the girls is mutual respect. That goes for the college's general openness to alternative lifestyles such as lesbians. These girls have a lot respect for eachother, something that you'll notice quickly. </p>
<p>A few problems pertaining to personal hygiene is my sole complaint about Wellesley girls :D :cough: just b/c it's all girls doesn't mean you stop showering and brushing your teeth :cough:</p>
<p>lol- i'm sure that's a bit of an exaggeration</p>