Finding Hidden Gem Colleges for Nerdy Introvert Daughter?

If the OP’s D gets into Bryn Mawr, she can take courses at both Swarthmore and Haverford. In fact, some majors in the Bi-Co (Haverford and BMC) are mostly offered at one school or the other.

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Rhodes?

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One more vote for University of Rochester as the hidden gem for a nerdy, introverted young woman with an interest in STEM. This is a very underrated college IMO.

Your daughter’s interest in diversity makes UR a particularly interesting option. First, it’s gender diversity is 49:51 male:female. In a world where only 40% of all college students today are male, this is important.

Second, 40% of UR graduates get their degree in the sciences, BUT this is a university with a major conservatory on campus (Eastman School of Music) as well which is attended by 14% of the students. How many colleges have engineers and musicians studying together on the same campus?

Third, UR annually has one of the largest enrollments of foreign students of any college in the country (25%). At Rochester, she will literally be studying with students from all over the world.

Fourth, there is plenty of diversity among the domestic students as 44% of the domestic students are non-white.

Bottom line is that a nerdy girl should find her tribe here since being serious about her studies is not something which would single her out as being different on this campus. Although UR is a major research university, classes are small with 80% of classes under 20 and only 17% over 30. Student:faculty ratio is 9:1. Full time undergrad enrollment is about 6200.

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It looks like a great school in many ways, but Eastman isn’t on the same campus, as far as I can tell. It’s downtown, a couple of miles away from the main university campus. Depending on the kid, this might or might not matter.

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Champlain college 200%!

My Ravenclaw is a soph at BMC and absolutely loves it. Dark academia vibe for sure, which was important to my kid Very welcoming and inclusive. Can’t say enough about the academics, faculty, class offerings and size. Fantastic merit aid for the top applicants (mine did RD, so not sure what if anything they might have gotten in ED). My kid is a humanities kid but has lots of friends who are stem as well. Have yours check out the course catalogs at BMC and other schools to see whether the offerings are interesting. So many programs for freshman to get them to meet each other and begin to feel like a family. Nearly all live on campus for all 4 years which allows the kids to all really feel like they are at a home away from home.

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My daughter is at Bryn Mawr and I went to Lehigh so I have some experience! :wink: Based on your daughter’s interests in the “vibe” of the school, I’d say Bryn Mawr is probably the best fit for her. When my daughter visited, she didn’t think she wanted to go to a women’s college but it clicked as soon as she toured. She LOVED the vibe, and the fact that it’s not about the absence of men, but the presence of women (as we were told). With the tri-co with Haverford, Swarthmore, and some classes at Penn, it is ideal. My child is a a nerdy introvert too and she definitely found her people there. I’d check out the other Seven Sisters schools if she wants more options. Good luck!

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I like that explanation - and will steal it :wink:

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Credit to the awesome Bryn Mawr tour guides! It’s a great explanation of women’s colleges and really rings true. We :heart: BMC!

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My daughter, who is also an introvert and loves STEM, is so happy at Harvey Mudd. It’s a great fit for her academically and socially. We’re from FL, so it’s far, but we’re so happy that she’s adjusting well and enjoying her freshman year.
Other schools that she considered were:
Pomona, Grinnell, Williams, Rice, Kenyon, Oberlin, Vassar, Wesleyan
Good luck!!

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My daughter, who is also an introvert and loves STEM, is so happy at University of Rochester but they are very stingy with merit so be mind that. Can someone let me know if any above school give any merit. I am asking for my 2nd daughter.

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My daughter had gotten merit award from Bryn Mawr. Some of the other Seven Sisters don’t do merit but are generous.

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My D21 got merit at Bryn Mawr, Sarah Lawrence, Smith, Mount Holyoke, and some others I can’t recall. She had friends who also got aid at Scripps, Grinnel, Fordham,Oberlin, Kenyon, and others. Check out the Jeff Selingo’s book and blog at:

It was eye opening for me when we started the process for D21. There are some great schools out there that offer merit aid (discounted tuition). Good luck!

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