I’m a first year at Bryn Mawr, and when I was a senior I applied entirely to the Seven Sisters schools, and I’m very happy with my decision about attending a woman’s college. I’m not sure, however, that I picked the right one. Here’s the thing: I got into all of them, turned down Barnard for the cost, disliked Mount Holyoke when I visited again (and was too expensive), and was really stuck between Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, and Smith. At the time, I thought that I wanted an easy-going school and that Wellesley would be too competitive for my liking and eventually chose between Bryn Mawr and Smith. Because my parents liked Bryn Mawr the best, and I thought at the time that I was going to study archaeology, I decided to go to Bryn Mawr.
I just finished my first semester, and don’t get me wrong, I love my school and the professors are amazing. But I realized early on that I DEFINITELY do not want to study archaeology and decided to follow my true passion: Middle eastern studies and poly sci/government. The issue is that those departments are just not well supported here. My MES major will need to be self-designed, and I won’t get as much support and connections as I would like. Also, the internship, study abroad, and funding situation here is nowhere near as good as administration made it sound. (This is a sentiment commonly shared amongst the student body, so it’s not just me). There are other things too, but I won’t go on about it. My main issue is, that while I am for the most part very happy at Bryn Mawr, I’m not sure that it’s the best school for my long-term choices. And quite honestly, coming from a lower-income family, I need to have a school that’s going to give me the best return on my investment.
I’m not sure what to do, and as neither of my parents went to college, I need some advice. Is it worth transferring if I really like the school? If the biggest issues are what I mentioned–lack of financial, professional, and educational support in my field of study? Or would it be best to just work around it? If I do transfer, it would be to a similar school–likely Wellesley or Smith. Thank you!
None of the fields of study you mentioned have a quick ROI. You should major in accounting or engineering, or possibly nursing for that.
If you are happy and doing well at a school I would try to work around it. When you get back to school, speak with professors and see if you can design a major that fits your interests and needs. AND keep in mind that as a transfer student there likely will be very little or nothing available in the way of merit aid so that may be another reason to stay put.
Do any of the other places where you were admitted offer the major you are interested in? One of those would probably be the easiest transfer. With a quick email, you could find out what would be required.
You need to consider your financial aid needs. Many places do not offer the same kind of financial aid to transfers as they do to freshman applicants. Fortunately, if you are the sort of student who can get into the sisters, your chance of transferring to another place that offers good aid is pretty decent. So spend some time this winter break ifinding out which colleges and universities offer the majors that you are now interested in, and investigating their policies about financial aid for transfers.
Can you not pursue Middle Eastern Studies through Haverford’s program?
Thank you all for your replies!
@TurnerT thank you, but I have absolutely no interest in pursuing a vocational degree. The issue with humanities majors is that people simply don’t know what to do with them as there are no clear-cut job paths. But as long as I have the ambition, resourcefulness, and a goal in mind (which I do) combined with a well-connected school that will help start me along that path (which I may or may not have) I’ll be fine
@happy1 I would definitely have to design my major. The thing is, that is VERY difficult at my school. I’ve already talked to several juniors/seniors who have done it, and most of them have nearly transferred out because of the difficulty. They stayed just because they loved Bryn Mawr so much. I also have spoken to professors, and many of them have recommended that I just major in International Studies instead of MES, but I have multiple reasons for not wanting to do that. The thing is, I CAN do this, I’m just going to have to really fight for it. And I feel like I may be better off at a school where they are not actively trying to discourage my chosen studies. Especially since it will make them less willing to help connect me and all that jazz.
@happymomof1 honestly, like i said, the only schools i would consider transferring to are probably just Wellesley or Smith. I could not IMAGINE going to a co-ed school–having spent time in both a coed and a woman’s college, I LOVE the latter. Both Wellesley and Smith have higher endowments (and gave me slightly higher aid packages as a freshman, about ~2k more so maybe a transfer wouldn’t be so bad?). But at any rate, I’m currently on more than full tuition, and it’s entirely grant aid. So I don’t expect that I would receive merit in the first place…
@merc81 believe me, I’ve already looked into all my options in the bi-co. and tri-co. and quaker consortium. Unfortunately, Haverford only offers the same MES as Bryn Mawr–a concentration, not a major. But to be honest, just from looking at the classes and talking to professors in the programs at most schools, I would probably try to major at Haverford if I stay here. I much prefer the MES at Haverford.
I’m just not sure whether or not it’s worth transferring from Bryn Mawr to another Seven Sister. Because I don’t come from a “college family” I really don’t know what difference a more-connected college would make. Or maybe I’m underestimating my school, but I don’t really think so, because I have spent a lot of time on this. But I don’t know if I should just stick it out at Bryn Mawr, or look into other options.
Transfer admittance rates are quite low. You could apply to transfer to Wellesley and Smith, and first see if you are admitted?
My D did a MES minor at Wellesley. As you undoubtedly know, it’s an Interdepartmental Major. She started out in International Relations (another Interdepartmental Major), but eventually switched to a major in History and a minor in MES. By majoring in History vs International Relations she was able to take the classes she was most interested in.
For what it’s worth, if you are majoring in the humanities like she did, I don’t think the specific major matters that much. She also took a ton of Art History courses.
She graduated and is gainfully employed in a field not related to History or MES, but where her abilities in critical thinking and communication are valued. Having a degree from Wellesley definitely opened some doors and she is well compensated for a recent college graduate. She is currently looking at MBA programs for working professionals.
She loved Wellesley, but it was definitely a stressful environment. If you are happy at Bryn Mawr you need to consider that.
You may want to look at course offerings available to you where you are and see if you can select a major where you are happy with the courses you are taking.
You’ve received some good advice, this statement notwithstanding.
@nelli43 I am glad you are taking that position but you clearly used the term “ROI”. If your goal is ROI please pick a field of study that offers one, not the ones you mentioned. I would also be careful using the term " vocational degree" because many schools offering such degrees require core studies in humanities as well. Also, as a courtesy to nursing majors, it is a far more difficult major than what you are pursuing.
So I hope you excuse me comment, but neither a BA in political science or middle eastern studies will generate ROI on their own.
So many students pick a school based on what they think they will major in, only to discover that it’s not a fit after all. That is why students are advised to pick the school first and the major second.
In your case, you will have to persuade the transfer school that your commitment to this major is solid (despite having picked it only recently), that your current school doesn’t meet your needs (sounds like that’s not too difficult since they don’t offer a major in that area) and that the transfer school’s offering are significantly better in that area (doable if it’s true.) You won’t know about the FA until you apply so do it without getting your hopes up.
The other option is to start looking into study abroad for a full year starting as soon as you’re are eligible. If you can do it sophomore year, then you are in a good position to apply for transfer at the end of sophomore year - with clear proof of your commitment in hand. If it doesn’t come through, find other ways to spend time studying or working abroad. Cultural immersion in the country(-ies) of your choice is your best bet no matter what school you end up at.
Good advice here! If you are happy socially and in terms of classes, professors etc., then difficulty of having a major precisely as you envision would not be a compelling enough reason to transfer. A liberal arts degree prepares students for any number of career directions precisely because of the core skills developed in college – critical thinking, reading and writing etc. Whether your major is precisely tailored to your interests is less important, in my mind (as a BMC grad who went to law school and has watched her career evolve in all kind of ways over the years).
Major at H’ford if you prefer the options there, take the language and related fields at BMC and Hford that you can. No one is going to turn you down for a job in DC, an NGO, a think tank or a graduate program, because your undergrad major didn’t quite align with your precise interests. Take advantage of the courses available to you, and enjoy!
Truly, being comfortable with all the non-academic aspects of a school are the biggest challenges – if those all fit for you at BMC, don’t think about leaving. Just focus on getting the most out of all that is available to you, among the Bi-Co (and Tri-Co community).
@college_query thank you so much for your informative post! Wellesley always seemed to have such great alums and an amazing network of women. I’m such a huge proponent of the Seven Sisters and I’m so glad to hear that it worked out well for your daughter! I’m hoping to do something similar–if not in a field using my MES degree, at least having something to do with my analytical skills because I would love that. Though I’m not looking for an MBA, my goal is a phd in psychology dealing with trauma in the Middle East 
It seems that a lot of women’s college graduates pursue some kind of advanced degree and I think that’s fantastic.
@TurnerT I used the phrase “return on my investment” as referring to in general, getting the best deal out of my investment of time and money. Not referring to ROI as in a database of ratio of profitability. As I mentioned, my goal is to follow my passions but be realistic about it. And certainly, a nursing degree is hard. The job is harder. I never denied that (and really, it has no bearing on this issue.) But it’s something I’ve never, ever been interested in. And…well…it is a vocational degree. It trains you for a specific career. Major in nursing/engineering/accounting, that’s where you look for a job. There’s nothing wrong with that. I nearly majored in engineering, but the liberal arts schools gave me twice as much aid, so that’s where I ended up. Of course, my chosen majors aren’t going to generate revenue “on their own.” That’s why I’m asking my question. Because I realize that. That’s also why I’m taking all those other steps I mentioned.
@N’s Mom honestly, I liked everything at Bryn Mawr better than the other schools, but the biggest issue here is the administration, lack of support, and all the red tape here. shrug according to several other people I’ve spoken to, the specific issues here at BMC aren’t a problem at the other two colleges. Which may or may not be true, but I want to look into all my options. And yes! I am definitely trying to spend a year abroad, but I will look into your suggested timeline!
@Midwestmomofboys thank you for your advice! It’s not necessarily the issue of the major, because I could definitely work around that. It’s really more of 1. it would be difficult and the people in charge actively discourage independent majors and 2. the network and funding just currently isn’t that great for my interests. which is definitely to be expected of a school with a comparatively smaller endowment! Thank you for your advice! It’s always nice to “see” another mawrtyr I am for the most part happy with the school, albeit frustrated with the administration for multiple reasons, I love the community.
Thank you all so much for your advice! I’ll take it into consideration over break (:
Honestly IMO poli sci major with a MES concentration will open just as many if not more doors than the MES major alone. The grass always looks greener next door. Be very sure things actually are better at the other schools in terms of “administrative support”. That’s a pretty common frustration everywhere among undergrads.
Agree with @qialah – and to the OP – my suggestion is not to pursue the individualized major or concentration and therefore have to deal with bureaucracy, rather to use a “traditional” major such as poli sci, and explore your own interests through that. It is not the “major” which defines a liberal arts grad for a particular field or profession, it is the essential critical thinking, reading and writing skills across a diverse curriculum. So, a major in International Relations, Poli Sci or Peace Studies, could be used as the foundation for your interests.
Is it possible to major in a regular major like political science (or international studies, etc.) and use your in-major and out-of-major electives for courses of interest in Middle Eastern topics?
Regarding ROI and post-graduation jobs and careers, you may want to include some statistics, math, and philosophy courses in your electives. Humanities and social studies graduates often seek jobs that require generalized thinking ability; those who have quantitative/logical thinking in their thinking toolbox to go along with the thinking ability commonly practiced in the humanities and social studies are likely to be at an advantage.
My son’s girlfriend double majored in history and MES at Wellesley and graduated a couple of years ago. She said as an interdepartmental program it never felt really like a major. She did it more or less on the side with a lot of credit from a year abroad in Jordan, they have stipends for summer language training which is a plus. At the time she was there the Arabic language offerings were relatively weak, (they couldn’t always offer even a third year), but they’ve hired a new professor. She liked Wellesley very much, but felt its offerings were somewhat limited, probably not significantly better than Bryn Mawr. She said the professors are very approachable and you should feel free to email them with questions. She thought that Smith with its access to Amherst and U Mass, might be a better bet, but did not know their program specifically. FWIW, she’s now getting a History PhD at Columbia.
@qialah @Midwestmomofboys @ucbalumnus @mathmom thank you all for your replies! For you who asked, I am planning on majoring in MES and either most likely doubling or, if not possible, minoring in math, computer science, or econ.
@mathmom, that’s interesting what she said about it not feeling like a major! I’m concerned about that; perhaps I will end up doing international relations with a focus on MES instead. At any rate, I appreciate everyone’s input!