<p>My D only applied to Wellesley (however, she considered all Sisters except Barnard), and I agree with mythmom’s characterization.</p>
<p>“You’re serious about studies, but never took your studies so seriously that you forgot to enjoy life,” Yup. Very applicable to my sophomore.</p>
<p>I agree with fendrock here. Values are important, certainly, but you’re assuming that students choose schools based on their values, which I’ve found isn’t always the case. I visited both Macalester and Mount Holyoke, and never in my wildest dreams would I say that they felt similar. When I asked students at Mac why they came, they mostly cited its location and its internationalism. When I asked students at Mount Holyoke the same question, not a single domestic student mentioned the prevalence of international students, and most of them instead talked about the community of a small rural women’s school.</p>
<p>I suppose one could argue that Mac’s internationalism is more well-known, and thus more students who are interested in that sort of thing are attracted to Mac, but still. Despite both schools’ interest in internationalism, they felt very different and attracted different types of students. I attribute that much more to the differences in their location than to anything else.</p>
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<p>Fair point. And to teenage cliche’s point, I don’t think I’m assuming that students choose schools based on values over personality – but one thing I always look for in a school is trying to suss out what I think its values are.</p>
<p>I’m almost envisioning two perceptual maps – one that maps schools based on personality characteristics of students (activist, intellectual, hipster, down-to-earth chill, outdoorsy, idealist, preprofessional, etc.) and then wondering how the map changes if you then map based on the school’s values. I mean, yes, all schools “value” academics and diversity and so forth, but I’m always looking for the deeper values, which some places wear on their sleeves (Haverford being an example with Honor Code) and for others it’s harder for me to discern. I had impressions based on visiting W, BM, S & MH, and was interested how others might see it.</p>
<p>I think we are getting into nuances here that may disguise the fact that, in fact, the big differences between these schools is not values, but size and location. However…</p>
<p>One impression I had was that Bryn Mawr and Smith both put more emphasis on community service than does Mt. Holyoke. Both BM and Smith seemed to have “Centers” for community service Mt. Holyoke seemed to have its community service at the level of student run organizations.</p>
<p>Also, Smith seems to be by far the most self conscious about its status as a women’s college. D noted that its application was the only only one that required her to explain why she thought a women’s college was ‘still relevant’ and seems to have far more projects and centers focused in traditional feminist terms than do the others.</p>
<p>Finally, both Smith and Bryn Mawr seem to promote their internship opportunties much more than Mt. Holyoke does. Whether that’s simply a question of “branding” or really true I don’t know.</p>
<p>This is both fun and awfully difficult!</p>
<p>I find it just about impossible to find another LAC that maps to Wellesley, because its identity as a women’s college is so very central to its identity in numerous ways. I’m inclined to think that the driven quality I’ve heard Swarthmore has mixed with something a bit more pre-professional, but I can’t think what. Actually, Swarthmore plus Dartmouth might fit surprisingly well. (I count D as a big LAC. 
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<p>You know those jokes that purport to express something about schools…years ago, there was one about Harvard, MIT, and Wellesley that us less stereotypical W students enjoyed:</p>
<p>A professor walks into a class with a Harvard student, an MIT student, and a Wellesley student. He says “Good morning, class!” The Harvard student replies, “And a very fine day to you to, my good man!” The MIT student says, “Can you express that as an equation?” And the Wellesley student writes it down.</p>
<p>Here’s another:</p>
<p>A student stands in the checkout line for 10 items or less–yes, it should be fewer, but let’s not quibble–at the Star Market in Central Square with a basket clearly containing at least 15 items. The checkout clerk glances in the basket and snarls, “What’s your problem? Are you from Harvard and you can’t count, or MIT and you can’t read?”</p>
<p>I love this thread!! It’s very interesting…
Just my two cents(this is really just based off the “feels” I got)</p>
<p>Wellesley: Wellesley seems quite a bit like Amherst to me. It’s a bit preppy, very academic, and maybe a bit more “practical” then some of the others.
Bryn Mawr: I think the obvious comparison is to Swarthmore, but I also think Reed. All three are intensely academic(Bryn Mawrtyrs…“where fun goes to die”). Also, they are all very pre-PhD kind of schools
Smith: I really think Brown is like a coed Smith, so that’s the first comparison I would choose. I also get a Pitzer-y vibe as well. Some people have said Wes…while I would have never thought of it on my own, I do agree.
Barnard: Hm… Barnard gives me the same “feel” as UChicago and also Pomona…can’t really explain it
Mount Holyoke: It reminds me very much of your Colby or Bard types…more laid back, but just as “smart”…perhaps more rural, but still connected to somewhere</p>
<p>interesting thread…I’d love to see more on this. One problem in comparing to other LACs or universities is I don’t really know what many of them are like. But overall, it does help give an impression. A couple people mentioned ‘preppy’ in describing Wellesley. What do you mean by preppy? I imagine that as studious, private school kids with money, plaid skirts, etc, but my D says she uses the term to mean rich kids into ‘label’ clothes and make-up.<br>
Maybe what the typical student might wear at the different schools could be another element that would help those of us who can’t visit them all to get a feel for their personalities.</p>
<p>Wellesley is not preppy in the popped collar sense. A “stereotypical” poli sci or econ major at Wellesley might wear jeans and a nice-ish sweater. There are students who enjoy dressing up for class while others are perfectly content wearing sweat pants and sweat shirts. (And nobody cares what others are wearing). There are rich and well not so rich students here. Wellesley has roughly the same percentage of Pell Grant recipients as most other elite schools. About 2/3 of Wellesley’s class of 2012 came from public schools. </p>
<p>A Wellesley woman is passionate about something. She wants to make a difference in the world. One student may want to be a brain surgeon, while her classmate’s greatest desire for the weekend is to collect all the Pokemon in Pokemon Silver. </p>
<p>One thing that is lost while stereotyping Wellesley is that we are not as preprofessional as our reputation. There are core requirements, such as the foreign language, quantitative reasoning and the multicultural requirements. We are nerdy, geeky, and intellectual. Students who hate learning and working hard academically would not be happy at Wellesley. Tamora Pierce visited last year and spoke to a packed auditorium. I love how open and friendly my peers are. The other night I had dinner. I started out eating with just one friend, but by the end of dinner every class year from first year to senior was represented. We discussed topics such as politics, Wellesley grade deflation, and Disney Princesses. </p>
<p>Needless to say, stereotypes may have some element of truth to them but they are rarely the whole story. Stereotyping Wellesley as “girls with pearls” is as accurate as saying “If you are from California you obviously are blond and spend all your time at the beach” or “if you are from NYC you are well dressed and love shopping.” </p>
<p>Instead I would propose a … If you [verb] this, then you may (not) find school [X] a good fit. </p>
<p>“If you hate to work hard academically, then you may not find Wellesley a good fit.”
“If you are homophobic, then you may not find Wellesley a good fit.”</p>
<p>I don’t think they parse out that way. They aren’t liberal arts colleges that just happen to be all women. They are women’s colleges that teach the liberal arts. It is a BIG difference.</p>
<p>I think the Seven Sisters are all great schools with wonderful students, alumnae, faculty, etc. </p>
<p>Here’s my take (and please don’t assume that just because I list a quality as belonging to one school that I mean another school is somehow lacking in that quality. These are just opinions!):</p>
<p>Wellesley - Driven, ambitious young women who are conscientious about appearances, titles, ranks, positions (not in a clothing label sense, but in a networking sense, if that is any clearer). Largely rule-driven. Leaders in a traditional sense. Well-rounded. Likely to sign-up for 10 different clubs and hold some sort of leadership position in half of them. Overachievers who are extremely self-motivated. Goal-driven, more likely to be pre-professionally minded than not. A segment of the campus with a “work hard, play hard” perspective with regard to socializing, alcohol. Hypothetical Facebook status message: “Italian class at 1, crew practice at 3, coffee with Professor Jones at 6, hearing Madeleine Albright speak on campus at 8, & my PoliSci essay is due tomorrow! Oh, don’t forget about our play tomorrow - opening night at 7 pm!” Reminds me of the students at Amherst, Claremont-McKenna, Tufts, Duke.</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke - A bit more relaxed but still pre-professionally minded to some degree. Willing to to try new things or areas of study, but not quite risk-takers. A bit laid-back. Open to new ideas but not particularly aggressive in creating new paths. A general sense that the students are more willing to collaborate, less internally self-driven/motivated for individual results (I wanted to write something to the effect of “less of a rat race,” but I feared that some might take that as a dig at Wellesley, which I do NOT intend at all!). Growing international presence but I get the sense that this isn’t really felt by the ordinary student on campus. Awareness among the student body of socioeconomic difference; growing commitment to diversity, world issues (e.g. AIDS, poverty, what have you) among students, but not a particularly activist-type campus. Hypothetical Facebook status message: “History class and then anyone want to study for the stats test tom? Come find me in Abbey-Buckland at 6 and lets eat dinner together!” Reminds me of students at Dickinson, Kenyon, Colby, Bates.</p>
<p>Barnard - Eager to take on what the city setting & Columbia have to offer - particularly professional opportunities (internships, jobs, what have you). Busy in pursuit of the end goal. Perhaps more dedicated/focused on one or two on-campus organizations, rather than consuming one’s life with clubs (city takes away from this). Driven in a pre-professional sense. Cosmopolitan (either already or by the time they graduate :)). Very passionate about something - usually one or two very specific things (or they shift during the four years!). Tend to form strong friendships with smaller groups of women as opposed to a general all-encompassing “campus wide” type feeling. (My Barnard alumna friend would also likely add, “witty and sarcastic,” but that may just be her!) Enjoys the theoretical and philosophical. Hypothetical Facebook status message: “Check out my latest blog post for the XYZ Company where I’m interning this semester: .xyz Domain Names | Join Generation XYZ” To be honest, it doesn’t really remind me of many other places, student body wise, due to the way the setting/urbanity really sets the tone. If I had to pick a place I would say perhaps a hybrid of the University of Chicago meets NYU (if that makes any sense!). </p>
<p>Smith - Outspoken, whether in the classroom or at a political rally. Enjoys having a good time. Strong sense of campus identity, particularly with the houses, and a strong sense of campus ownership by students. A good contingent of ‘independent thinkers’ - whether it’s political or something else entirely; women who are particularly interested in engineering/STEM and academically-focused; and a group drawn to the sense of campus life. More willing to take risks. Socially liberal - particularly the campus dialogue on power/justice/privilege/oppression (though there are people of all political beliefs everywhere of course). A place where dorm life can be the center of the universe - whether staying up all night to hash out a political standpoint or host a discussion group for queer women of color or make a slip-n-slide out of the hallway floor and be silly. Amongst their classmates, lets their hair down (figuratively and likely literally!) - a good sense of authenticity here. “Being real” is an important quality. Hypothetical Facebook status message: “Carly just faceplanted on my bed. YAY QUADSTOCK!!!” The student body at Smith is really varied but segments of it remind me of students at (Oberlin/Scripps/Sarah Lawrence/Vassar/Pitzer) or (Middlebury/Hamilton/Colgate) or (University of Rochester/Carnegie Mellon).</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr - Very competitive and driven but secretive (discreet?) about it (less vocal about her ambitions, though she has certainly has them). Strong sense of campus life and traditions, but dramatically less alcohol/partying than Wellesley or Smith. Women who are more casual socially - enjoy “hanging out” (of the pizza and movie variety) or studying on weekends, though some do go to parties at Haverford. Take pride in their academic work but do not overtly compete, particularly because they are told not to do so explicitly (through the Honor Code). Lots of campus traditions, myths, and superstitions that are unifying for the student body - sense of “sisterhood” and “special belonging.” Intellectual vibe in the academic sense (not in the New Yorker sense) - sense of self as a “scholar” - lots of grad school interest. Strong international student body on campus. Hypothetical Facebook status message: “Awesome neuroscience class today - discussion blew my mind!” The student body reminds me a bit of the University of Chicago (perhaps the “old” UChicago student body as opposed to last 2-3 years), Grinnell, Carleton, Reed, Haverford, Swarthmore, maybe a bit of Williams (without the social life or athletic scene).</p>
<p>Any women’s college grads here who’ve found they can almost sense another grad of a top women’s college? Or find, later, that a new friend also attended a w/c? I wonder what you think that “something” is. An opinionated confidence? A sort of drive?</p>
<p>"" I’m most familiar with Smith (though I have friends who attended all the remaining 7 sisters schools), and … “”</p>
<p>You must have very accomplished friends from a wide age range.</p>
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<p>I used to think I could do this – when I meet someone who is pleasant, intelligent, articulate, interested in learning or going to lectures or exploring museums; willing to discuss ideas and isn’t threatened by people whose opinions are different from their own; is committed to volunteering; handles many obligations well; I often think: I bet she went to Smith. I’m right about half the time. I’ve also met women who are not friendly, or open minded, or particularly interesting, and after I find out they went to Smith, I think: I can’t believe she went to Smith. </p>
<p>So either my Smith radar is uniquely deficient, or there is no one set of characteristics that reliably identifies one as a Smithie.</p>
<p>This is super interesting! My D entertained Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Mount Holyoke and Wellesley among w/c and LAC’s in general. I have to say, you guys are spot on. Ultimately, she chose Wellesley and some of your descriptions are the exact kid she is/reason she chose it!!!</p>
<p>The Boston factor was also in there!!!</p>
<p>Mt. Holyoke has a long history of turning out female scientists (and doctors), and so used to attract very serious science types. Not sure if this is the case any longer. (Also, you used to be able to bring your horse to Mt. Holyoke, which attracted a different type of student.)</p>
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<p>I don’t know what it is, but yes. :)</p>
<p>I’ve never met a scientist from Mt. Holyoke, but I am sure they exist!</p>
<p>I used to think similar things about graduates of all girls high schools. It does change you, but it’s pretty subtle and doesn’t always take or stick. All I know is that after four years of single sex high school I was determined to go co-ed for college and nothing my counselors could say would dissuade me.</p>
<p>“Mt. Holyoke has a long history of turning out female scientists (and doctors), and so used to attract very serious science types. Not sure if this is the case any longer. (Also, you used to be able to bring your horse to Mt. Holyoke, which attracted a different type of student.)”</p>
<p>I do think that’s still pretty true. I know a lot of Mount Holyoke women who went into science, including several who initially thought they were going to be humanities majors. (I’m 15+ years out from graduation, but I know a ton of younger alums as well). My younger daughter is thinking seriously about a career in science, and I’d be thrilled for her to consider Mount Holyoke. I think it would be a great place for her.</p>
<p>The other place I frequently see Mount Holyoke women going is public service/nonprofit work. This is a longstanding path and comes from Mary Lyon’s vision for the college and its graduates.</p>
<p>Mathmom- bff is a a scientist from MHC. Granted we’re all older now, but most of her fellow majors went to grad school and were well-employed. Great internships.</p>
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I don’t know if I can sense it … but I do know if I meet or know about a women I think is terrific (professionally or personally) the odds that they attended a women’s college are incredibly disproportionate in women’s colleges favor.</p>
<p>As a college student I argued women’s colleges were crutches that shielded young women from environments that they will need to deal with in the “real world” … well after 30 years of real world experience I have no idea why it works … but it works amazing well for tons of students. When my oldest picked Barnard I was ecstatic … and for her it has been a life transforming experience. (I have no idea what would have happened if she attended somewhere else but her Barnard experience has been amazing)</p>