My DD seems to prefer schools like - Barnard, Wellesley, Smith, Mt. Holyoke.
I am sure someone here has enough insight to help me start distinguishing between these schools.
What sets each one apart from the other? Or are they all relatively similar in terms of approach to eduction, experience?
I get that Barnard has the Columbia connection and NYC.
I am really just learning about schools like Bryn Mawr and Mt. Holyoke.
Any thoughts would be appreciated.
I believe Radcliffe merged with Harvard a while ago.
MHC and Bryn Mawr are similar to most small liberal arts colleges, except that they’re only for women.
The other merger was Pembroke with Brown. They are no longer separate, I believe.
Vassar has been co-ed for some time now, but still retains a lovely sense of its history. Smith and Mt Holyoke are both in 5 college consortium with Amherst, UMass and Hampshire. Smith offers engineering.
Bryan Mawr has a very close relationship with Haverford (and also Swarthmore, but esp Haverford as they’re like 5 minutes apart)
According to the ratings Wellesley is the highest ranked in the group. They have a special relationship with MIT, where they can enroll in classes and socialize with MIT students. Students can also take classes at Babson and Olin.
It sounds a schlep from Wellesley to MIT. But having said that…Wellesley is an awesome school.
Although it is only about 12 miles, due to Boston/Cambridge traffic it takes 40 minutes. However, even with a 40 minute schlep, being able to get to Harvard Square, which is always bustling with thousands of students, restaurants, shops, stores, museums is a big plus.
Doing that 40 minute commute into Boston for pleasure would be possible. Doing it to take classes is another whole story.
Wellesley runs buses throughout the day and into the early morning hours to MIT. My Olin son takes the buses to get into Cambridge.
Mt. Holyoke may have the most beautiful campus of the five extant all-female Sisters and would be strong in disciplines such as biology (as well as many other fields).
Smith offers the advantages of an open curriculum.
The setting for Barnard may be the safest among large U.S. cities.
(Re post 2, Pembroke was never one of the Seven Sisters.)
It is more accurate to refer to “The Sisters” as not all 7 are fully independent all-women institutions. Variations in size, location, facilities and faculty distinguish each but there is much in common too. Does your D have any specific academic interests or activities she wants to pursue? Is urban/suburban/rural preferred? Merit aid necessary (offered by MHC, a few big scholarships at Smith and maybe BMC, none at Wellesley or Barnard)? Are you looking for test optional schools?
None want to be defined solely by their relationship with other colleges and universities but those exchanges do enrich the available class and extracurricular offerings beyond what liberal arts colleges traditionally offer. For some students that is a benefit but others don’t need it to have a complete undergrad experience.
The best way to get a sense of each Sister is to visit! As a Wellesley alum and mother of a current Wellesley student I’m partial to it. The student body looks more diverse now than in my day but still is a very ambitious group of smart young women. Support for and investment in Wellesley seems the strongest it has ever been. PM me with questions anytime.
Wellesley, along with Vassar and Barnard, would be particularly distinguished by their economics departments:
Bryn Mawr has fully integrated curriculum with Haverford, which is 1 mile away. Students can major at either campus, class times are coordinated so students can move back and forth between campuses. Bryn Mawr has strong Gothic architecture – people joked it was a warm up for Princeton architecture. Bryn Mawr has traditional strengths in Classics, Art History, Anthro, and strong pre-med. It is a collaborative, not cut-throat/competitive community. Strong traditions, including Lantern Night, May Day etc. 20 minute commuter train ride to Philly. Bryn Mawr does have some graduate programs which are co-ed (Masters in Social Work etc). Alums include current President of Harvard University, Drew Gilpin Faust, Alice Rivlin, economist, and of course, Katherine Hepburn.
Perhaps one criteria is geographic location. Some of these are in or near major metro areas…and others are in less major metro areas.
In terms of size, Bryn Mawr (enrollment 1300+ students) and MHC (~2100) may be the schools most tailored to an undergraduate education.
@merc81 could you explain? Mt Holyoke and Vassar and Smith have great undergrad experiences too.
Actually…all of these schools do.
@thumper1 : I am a fan of Vassar, et al. However, by relatively recent historical standards, the classic LAC size often hovered around 1600 students. In some contemporary examples (which may not especially include any Sister schools), growth, without a particular direction, may be detracting from what might otherwise be a better personal experience. As a sign of this, residential colleges have occasionally recently appeared at formerly small colleges – in what seems to be an attempt to make now (too?) large colleges small again. That noted, in the case of the schools under discussion, this may be a minor distinguishing feature – considering the relative sizes of the schools – but one which the OP may want to be peripherally aware of nonetheless.
Btw, I mentioned Mt. Holyoke in #14.
Smith is the largest Seven Sister with 2500 students. It has an open curriculum. It’s right there in a funky town, Northampton, which has a lively urban feel. Top students are awarded merit scholarships that come with guaranteed paid research opportunities called STRIDE. Smith offers engineering as a major, has strong sciences in general, but also is quite deep in the humanities. Students live in houses, not dorms, which each offering their own traditions all on a beautiful campus. Part of a five college consortium with Amherst, UMass Amherst, Mt Holyoke, and Hampshire with a free bus system for students. DD is a very happy first year.
Wellesley is probably the most competitive and it has a gorgeous, park-like campus. It’s near Boston, a fabulous city, but still kind of far with a 45+ minute bus ride. No merit aid offered :(. Still, DD’s second choice was hard to pass up- great school.
Bryn Mawr is also spectacularly beautiful and it’s a train ride from Philly. It’s tiny with 1350 students, but with Haverford so close by, that doubles the population. D liked it, but was concerned with the smaller size. Music dept is on Haverford’s campus which wasn’t convenient for her, either (not a music major, but member of an instrumental ensemble). They offer good merit aid.
I am not as familiar with the others, so I’ll leave them for others to describe.
While women’s colleges may not be for all, they offer an amazingly supportive, welcoming, and academically challenging environment for the right student. My daughter was not enthused with the idea at all until she saw them and then she was sold.
CValle – what are her interests? Does she want to study abroad? Does she like cities? I went to Smith and have dear friends who went to almost all the schools you mentioned. I really loved Smith and its challenging yet nurturing environment. I agree she should visit each school (if possible) and sit in on a class (freshman level would be preferred). If she needs a test-optional school, that narrows the field a little. Good luck!
OP- Read the posts on the forums of each of the schools. Have your dau think about whether location matters. As for size, most range between around 1350-2400 and that should not make a difference. All schools will provide an excellent education with personal attention from faculty who are devoted to undergrad educations and teaching critical thinking. Smith offers engineering, Vassar has fabulous theater and art history, etc. Vassar was 2100 when I attended. Look at the flexibility of the curricula and the college exchange options. All have slight variances. Good luck.
And yes, Radcliffe and Pembroke (not a sister school) are no longer. Gone decades ago- merged with Harvard and Brown. Also true for Sophie Newcomb/Tulane.