Hi! Im so excited to have been accepted to both these schools and now have to choose between the two. What are the pros/cons of each? How easy is it to take classes at other schools in the consortium/bi-co/penn? How about meeting boys? The local area? Dorms? How happy are the students? Any advice on these and any comparison topics would be appreciated!
Thank you!
I think it is hard to truly “compare” because unless there is a parent that had one D go to each school who would have experience at both? There is a Smith by Smithies Tumblr with lots of great information about Smith posted by the students. There are answers to all of these questions there. I’d guess there will be something similar for Bryn Mawr. Good luck and congratulations!
How does the aid compare?
Bryn Mawr and Haverford have full cross registration, and class scheduling is coordinated to facilitate moving between he two campuses. The bus runs constantly, and you can walk to the other campus in about 20 minutes. Classes at Penn and Swarthmore take a bit more planning, but are totally doable. Even back in the last century when I was a student at BMC, I had friends who took classes at all four campuses.
Of course I’m a big fan of BMC, but truly, provided there isn’t a huge difference in the aid packages, you can’t go wrong with either of these! Congratulations! Have a great time at whichever college you choose!
I agree - very hard to compare without biases sneaking in.
I can give you a little perspective on Smith. The housing system is great, offers a lot of variety. The town of Northampton is vibrant and very walkable from campus. The Five College Consortium (Smith os one of the 5) offers a lot:
Shared use of educational and cultural resources and facilities, including a joint automated library system
Open cross registration
Open theater auditions
Joint departments and programs
Free inter-campus transportation: https://www.fivecolleges.edu/bus