<p>if you had to choose between haverford and bryn mawr (and were a female that didn't midn attending a women's college) which one would you pick and why. I really liked bmc, took the tour and interviewed. unfortunately its fall break and hav was closed so i couldn't do the same at hav. i did ride around campus though and saw people playing cricket and kids at the duck pond.
the schools seem similar except in gender composition and selectivity, also perhaps bmc is more diverse. they're both small lib arts, in the same area, quaker roots, honor code, student government, beautiful campus (although I prefferd bmc architecture).<br>
it appears haverford's honor code is stricter (from the website) and more of a feature of daily life. also i think hav may have a better academic reputation, but bmc's is pretty stellar too.
any thoughts? I'm not asking anyone to make a decision for me, I'm just wondering if I should apply to haverford at all since, with the little information available to me, i kind of liked bmc better, and its easier to get into. also id have hav's resources in addition to bmc's due to the consortium agreement.</p>
<p>What makes you think BMC is more diverse than HC? If you look up the stats on the homepages, youll be surprised. BMC has more financial diversity than HC though because, like all the womens colleges, theyre more generous with $ than all the top co-ed LACs.</p>
<p>You should also think about your expected major if you are interested in astronomy (an HC department), it doesnt make much sense if you go to BMC if you have similar feelings for both schools. Bio at BMC is "life science" and geared towards neuro while bio @ HC is molecular and nano based. Also, while theres a consortium, students dont have access to all the resources of the other school. For example, the pre-med advisor at HC (who I still e-mail)only sees HC students. BMC has a premed advisor but he/she is not a clinician but rather a Ph.D (like at most LACs) and their time is also distracted because of the post-bacs. There are a few more examples like this on both sides, but these things shouldnt make a difference in your choice if you happen to be passionate about one school over the other. If you like both, then you need to investigate such details further.</p>
<p>The communities are very different. For one thing, athletics/fitness play a larger role @ HC than BMC although thats not saying much as, when I was there, I knew many Mawrtyrs who set up graduation chairs for gym credit. :) You're not going to understand the nuances of the communities by asking on CC... it's best for you to do an overnight at both places. At the minimum, such questions are best asked face-to-face.</p>
<p>I would say that the honor code is more central at HC than BMC and the community reflects that to some extent. I just want to point out that the use of strict is a mischaracterization of the HC honor code. Ideally, the code should be considered by you to be a reflection of your own values and expectations and not some foreign set of laws that you must follow as if it is, I imagine you're mature and accomplished enough to be accepted into a similar caliber school where you don't have to feel "obliged" with your conduct.</p>
<p>thank you for your insight. my prospective majors are french and poli sci. I don't know that much about hav's french from the website, but I'd guess bm's is probably better, plus there's the ab/ma in four or five year programs. i haven't been able to find out directly about bryn mawr's poli sci, other than that it is the most popular major. for hav, a political science professor recommended hav to me- i don't know if that's a reflection on poli sci or the community in general.
i understand what you said about haverford's honor code not being "strict" but just more of a feature in the community.
as far as sports, i would like to play intra murals, but i'm assuming (and you know what they say about assuming) I could play intra murals at hav, as so many of the other clubs are shared. being around sporty people isn't that important to me, but i would like the opportunity to play strictly for fun. also the tour guide at bmc gave me the impression that playing varsity wasn't particularly competitive. i'm not great at anything, but i'd like to try crew- little hand-eye coordination + brute strength sounds interesting.</p>
<p>BMC's languages are fantastic, especially the romance languages.</p>
<p>Poli Sci is excellent at the Mawr as well. Alice Mitchell Rivelin, a BMC alumna, was an important figure in the Clinton White House. Bill Clinton was at BMC TWICE within the last decade... once in 1996 (for a summit and I was there) and again last week (to campaign). You can posit why Clinton has an attraction to BMC (creepy??) but that aside, this is seriously unheard of among LACs. Together, the bi-co sees some very well known political figures with John Edwards to HC in 2004 and Pat Buchannon, Ed Rendell and Rick Santorum making visits to HC all last year. Both Poli Sci departments are strong and students can count as a resource the location of the colleges in the corridor between DC and NYC will allows speakers/visitors easy access to the colleges for day trips. Except for, I would guess Washington and Lee (cause they have a law school and are close to DC) and Wellesley (cause it's Wellesley), I don't think any other LACs that can provide the same roster of speakers/visitors as that offered by the Bi-co.</p>
<p>BMC is very well regarded for those in the know... it sounds like HC is losing a great applicant to its sister?</p>
<p>wow thanks so much for the compliment
i'll probably apply to both, just to see how financial aid works out
the truth is, i'm so overwhelmed by the stack of apps to be completed i just wanted to cut one very involved (hc) app out and also avoid it out of fear of rejection
thank you again</p>
<p>Since we're talking about political science and the number of national figures making easy visits to the bi-co and the learning opportunities that allows students, it should be noted that long time congressman Curt Weldon (R) will be making a visit to HC tomorrow to campaign and talk to students. This visit is especially salient given all the discussion around the mid-term election and the issue of political shenanigans we've been hearing so much about (by both sides mind you). Weldon is facing stiff competition from a retired anti-war admiral and also is surrounded by conjecture regarding a possible ethics violation. </p>
<p>"something fishy"</p>
<p>This is one of many GREAT opportunities for HC students (and BMC too) to engage and materialize discussions on current national events! Last week, Bill Clinton visited BMC and now this week Curt Weldon to HC... I mean, come on... where else can LAC students say that they have such opportunities handed to them so easily??</p>
<p>good point, and great link.
yeah, i think i'm definitely applying to bmc, and prolly hc too. and as for the final decision of where to go, i really think i may end up somewhere in the bi-co. I think having the two schools so close to each other is great and would make the transition from a 2800 hs to a smaller college much better, plus the added resources including Swat and Penn, and the easy access to the train, and it's only 2 hrs away!</p>
<p>The proximity of Swat and Penn to the Bi-co is a nice safety blanket for students but I really don't think they add much to the experience of most. My time was a little different than many HC kids cause my brother and college GF went to Swat and I was over there quite a bit, but if it wasn't for them, I would have been plenty engaged by bi-co resources. Most people venture over there only for the occassional guest lecture, concert or exceptional class and, if you're a Mawrtyr, a party or 2 as well. </p>
<p>From a HC student perspective, I'd view the educational resources as such...</p>
<p>BMC> Philly >> Swat > proximity to NYC/DC > Penn</p>
<p>When choosing a college and thinking about "education", I think it's very important for you to appreciate that some of the most important things you will ever learn in college occur outside the classroom and sometimes are learned off-campus. For this reason, location is key and the bi-college relationship and proximity to the 5th largest city in the US really provide for a total education that is not only rich in academics but also in experiences and adventures as well.</p>