<p>I’ve looked into Bryn Mawr a fair about and it seems like a pretty great school, but I have a couple questions, if someone doesn’t mind answering.</p>
<li><p>The boy situation. I know everyone asks and I’m aware that there are boys on campus for classes, dining, etc. but is it fairly easy to befriend/hang out with guys (particularly for a not-very-outgoing person)? Do many students start going out with guys from Haverford or wherever after they start school?</p></li>
<li><p>Is there anything you dislike about Bryn Mawr? I promise this won’t discourage me because I’ve heard/read/seen so much positive information about Bryn Mawr, but I like to understand everything about a school.</p></li>
<li><p>I’m planning to visit the campus this summer. (I know it’s better to go during the school year, but I can’t get there.) Is there anything that I should do or see besides going on the info session and tour?</p></li>
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<li><p>There are about 5 girls for every boy in the Bi-Co... I only know one girl who is dating a guy from Haverford, but there might be many more that I do not know of. Another friend of mine has been dating a guy from Penn for a while but they broke up before the summer. Many students here would agree that it usually takes a conscious effort to find a date, and I think that the majority of students are singles (many because they are not interested in a relationship at this point in time).</p></li>
<li><p>My two least favorite aspects of the college life here are the food and the hours of facilities. Most dorms have only tea pantries (a fridge and a microwave) but no kitchens, so all residential students are required to be on a full meal plan... Our food is extraordinarily good for dining hall food, but having it 20 times a week for 4 years can be monotonous. The two exceptions are Batten house (an environmental co-op) and Perry house (the black cultural center) which are equipped with kitchens, but each houses only about 15 students and appeal to a very narrow group of students.</p></li>
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<p>Concerning the opening hours, everything except for one computer lab closes at midnight (at times I wish I had access to the science labs and libraries after midnight), there is no breakfast on Sundays before 10 am and the gym closes at 8 pm on weekends. You can probably guess that I am pretty happy overall if my biggest concern is not being able to work out at 10 pm on Sunday nights :) </p>
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<li>You could have a meal in the dining hall (Haffner is open) or walk through the department of your choice in the hope of running into a professor who could tell you more about the program in your prospective major. Don't be afraid to knock on a professor's door if the door is left ajar - most professors are enthusiastic to talk to prospective students and open doors are a signal that they are available. Do you plan on using the gym or the pool? Go there too. (The tour will show you where the gym is but not go inside.) If you want to talk to current students, go to Brecon after business hours. It is the dorm that most of the current students who are on campus for the summer (e.g. to do research) live in. </li>
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<p>When you visit in the summer, the college will probably appear quite busy, but keep in mind that whatever you see will not be representative of the regular college business. The crowd of pre-mature looking nerds might be a robotics camp for high school students, and the guys in suits are probably there for a conference. There will also be a lot of construction work in progress that will be completely gone by the time classes start in September.</p>
<p>I do know of a few students who are dating guys from Haverford (and one who is going out with a guy at Swat, too), but it's not terribly common. Possible, yes, but not something you see all the time. There are, however, plenty of Bryn Mawr students who have friends at Haverford and are socially involved with them to different degrees. Parties are one way to meet people at Haverford, but there are also different bi-co activities, clubs, etc. where you might run into them. Personally, my interaction with Haverford students so far (I'm a rising sophomore) has been limited to a few classes in which they were enrolled. It'll probably stay that way since I'm not too interested in having a relationship right now, don't really party much, am not involved in any bi-co activities, and just tend to be friends with more women anyway. I would say that it does take some degree of effort to pursue friendships/relationships with guys at Haverford, though that varies from person to person I'm sure.</p>
<p>I honestly can't think of anything I really dislike about Bryn Mawr. I guess the early closing hours (as b@rium mentioned) can be annoying at times, but that's really about it.</p>
<p>If you do decide to eat in Haffner while you're here over the summer, keep in mind that the food is considerably worse, for the most part, than it is during the year. There is usually a lot more selection both within Haffner alone, and between the three dining halls - Haffner usually has a lot of vegan stuff, pizza, and a special international bar, and Erdman and Rhoads have menus that are similar and offer a decent variety, but have different hours and atmospheres. And the quality of the summer food isn't quite what it is during the year, either. </p>
<p>If you are here before August 9 and would like to talk to a current student or two, let me know! If you're here for lunch or after 5:30 PM, I (and possibly a friend of mine) would be happy to answer questions, show you around more, etc. :)</p>
<p>Thanks so much for all the information, guys. I know I didn't ask the question but it's still very helpful for me as well. I have another question...do you find that at Bryn Mawr there is a lot of female cattyness or competition? I've experienced this a lot in high school and really want to go to college somewhere where it doesn't have much of a presence (if that's possible). THanks so much again</p>
<p>I'm seconding elsaphant's thanks--this post was really helpful for me. :)</p>
<p>Zykuri--I'm going sometime in August, but I'm not sure when yet. Thanks for the offer and if I am coming before the 9th, I may send you a PM. I actually met someone a few weeks ago who just finished her freshman year there and loved it, so that was nice to hear.</p>
<p>Elsaphant--from that same girl, I heard that everyone is pretty respectful of everyone else. I think the honor code has a lot to do with that, but then I don't know first hand. It sounds like academic competition anyway is not an issue--people don't discuss grades or anything unless they're sure that everyone is okay with it.</p>