I recently committed to Bryn Mawr class of 2020! I’m really excited, but I’m starting to worry about the dating scene there (for straight girls, that is). I know that dating is by no means the most important thing about college, but I’d still like to meet guys there. I’m newly single since my high school boyfriend broke up with me last week, and I want to be able to put myself back out there once I’ve moved on.
So how does a straight woman meet men at Bryn Mawr? Are Bi-Co/Tri-Co relationships actually a thing? Or would I be able to meet guys who go to schools nearby? I’m not really into parties or hookups, but I’d like to go on casual dates, and maybe have a long-term relationship in the future (if I meet the right person).
I responded to your post in the Women’s Colleges forum, but I’ll repost here:
Anassa kata on your decision, @suzybishop! Choosing Bryn Mawr was one of the best decisions of my life and I wish you all the best in the fall.
As for dating, I dated someone for 3 of my 4 years as a BMC student. You can meet people within the Tri-Co, but don’t forget that Philadelphia has a lot (!) of colleges. My partner went to a university in the city, for example. This was nice because we weren’t constantly around one another, but it provided each of us a break from our respective campuses, while opening us up to other social circles. My only advice would be to spend the first few weeks focusing on course selection, adjusting to college, and bonding with your hallmates/peers at BMC. When you feel acclimated, start exploring other campuses and Philadelphia. I knew plenty of people who dated casually and others who were in very committed relationships. It really just depends on what you’re looking for. Luckily, our consortium and access to Philadelphia makes mingling with a broad spectrum of college students relatively easy.
Thanks @englishivy (anassa kata!). I totally agree with your advice: I don’t plan on jumping right into the dating scene next fall, especially considering the recent breakup (I’m really sad that I can’t click “like” and “helpful” for your comment tbh).
But how’d you meet your partner from another college? Like, did you meet through social events in Philadelphia (like a concert or something), or at a party? I’ve heard a lot about how the Tri-Co and the other colleges in and around Philadelphia make it easy to meet people, but I’m less certain of how I meet them.
I’ve heard that there are clubs that members from the various colleges all can take part in. They are in classes together, with buses running regularly among the campuses. I’m sure that there must also be social events.
@Dustyfeathers Yeah, the Bi-Co, Tri-Co, & Quaker Consortium let me take classes at Haverford, Swat, and Penn, and Haverford and Bryn Mawr do have some clubs & events together. I just worry about my chances of meeting people there considering how women greatly outnumber men in the Tri-Co because of Bryn Mawr.
@suzybishop I can understand your concerns, but you have four years to meet people. Let’s look at some data just to be sure.:
Swarthmore is about 50-50 = about 750 men and 750 women
Haverford is almost 50-50 about 550 men and 550 women
Bryn Mawr is 100% women, except for a few grad students = 1300 women
There are about 3900 students in the trico. That means about 60% of everyone in the tri-co are women.
Most liberal arts colleges today with rare exceptions of Union, Haverford, Swarthmore and a few others are about 60% women and 40% men. In other words, the tri-co is about average in terms of gender distribution.
I attended a typical co-ed LAC with the 60/40 ratio. In practice it was hard to tell that there were more women than men. My impression was that people who wanted a partner found one.
I think you’re going to be fine. And you will also have UPenn available if you want to take classes there.
Thanks @Dustyfeathers ! This made me feel a lot better 
I’m so glad! Have a great time at Bryn Mawr! I’m sure that you will.
:)>-
Don’t forget about all the other colleges around Philly as well. Villanova is right down the road. Drexel is right near Penn. If you’re looking for a bigger school experience, you can visit Temple.
Besides being able to take classes at the Tri-Co, and being welcome at pretty much everything at Haverford, Bryn Mawr is also very close to Villanova. And of course, there’s Penn, too.
You’ll also find that many of your Bryn Mawr peers may have high school friends/relatives/acquaintances at the other colleges and you can be opened up to their social circle. That was how I met a lot of my friends on other campuses.
For what it’s worth, when you wrote, “Are Bi-Co/Tri-Co relationships actually a thing?” I honestly had no idea what you meant but assumed it was some sort of thing where the single women would have to be one of 2 or 3 girlfriends for each male. Glad to see that it was insider lingo instead!
@SouthernHope lol sorry for the confusion
Yes, I thought we were all going to learn some new lingo describing alternative relationships.