I love studying at Bryn Mawr, but I hate living there. Room draw is awful- there’s no quiet housing option, which should have been non-negotiable when I picked a college in the first place. I have ADHD and sleep is impossible when there’s room parties happening through the paper-thin walls to my left.
My second issue is that it is nearly impossible to get accommodations for air-conditioning. I have severe cystic acne that only went into remission a year ago after a 6 month dose of Accutane; of course, it came back full force almost immediately after I started sweating a hole in my sheets every night during our unseasonably warm winter.
Everything else about Bryn Mawr is lovely, which is why I’m looking at women’s colleges, since I’m under the impression that most of them share a lot of the same community/academic qualities. I honestly don’t give two shakes about the aesthetics of a dorm- I’d live in a cell block if it was air conditioned and sound proofed. I know Wellesley has apartments on campus, which would be ideal, but I can’t find any information on air conditioning. Wellesley also has my preferred major, linguistics. I guess my ultimate question is, should I try for another women’s college? Are there any that would be improvements on these points? Or do I just need to transfer to UPenn?
I believe there is an option to live off-campus at BMC. My D is a recent BMC alum and I know a friend of hers did live off campus. Talk to your Dean about your issues and/or go to the housing office and explain the problem. I would spend some time doing that before beginning the process of transferring to another college.
Yes, but with the recent addition of a high capacity all singles dorm just this year, the administration is decreasing the number of students they allow to live off campus each year. It’s a lottery to begin with. Plus, I like being a five minute walk from my classes, and I hate to drive around Bryn Mawr- the traffic is awful. And most of the apartments available to students are on busy roads with a lot of ambient noise. I’m thinking I’m just going to send in my application to a bunch of different schools before it’s too late, and make a decision later.
I am a graduate of Wellesley and still visit frequently. There are only three student apartments, I believe, and those are available to small groups of women who are choosing to live together, in a special lottery. In other words, you won’t just be assigned there as a transfer student. The dorms at Wellesley are not air-conditioned.
Have you visited Wellesley? The campus is stunning, and, yes, it is larger than Bryn Mawr, but its acreage includes a very large lake as well as a large golf course that most students don’t really think of as being part of campus. I’m not sure if it is as different as you think in that respect - having spent time at Bryn Mawr, I’d say they are similarly situated with a campus surrounded by a bustling suburban town.
Another campus surrounded by a suburban town is Agnes Scott College in Georgia. ASC has air conditioning in some of its dorms and advertises that it can offer special housing accommodations. Might be worth a phone call.
In the Northeast, however, you are right that air conditioning might be easier to find in larger universities with larger dorms.
Have you asked if you could install a room air-conditioner? I’d try that first before making a drastic change. You might be able to make a medical case for it, since cystic acne is not just a cosmetic problem.
But if you do decide to apply to Wellesley and get in, ask to live in Dower. It’s not a popular dorm, but it is very quiet. My daughter lived there her first two years and loved it. No A/C though.
The residence halls at Mount Holyoke are wonderful indeed but as far as I know only one, the recently-constructed Creighton Hall, is air-conditioned. You might want to contact the College if you apply and get in to make sure that the appropriate authorities are aware of your need for air-conditioning. I suspect that might land you a coveted spot in Creghton Hall. Most students would prefer the other dorms that are more historic with bigger rooms or those that have picture windows over looking the lakes and lots more character. Fortunately, at Mount Holyoke, you get a chance to move every year and can get an equal opportunity to land a room in your favorite dorm.
As far as Mt. Holyoke goes, Creighton is air conditioned, and I believe both Wilder and the recently renovated Safford are also air conditioned. So if you do decide to try and transfer, you won’t just have one option. (Creighton’s walls are thick, but it does host its share of parties).