<p>It would be interesting to know from the BMC perspective about the non-academic aspect of taking classes at Haverford and Swarthmore. Other than sitting in the classes at the other schools, do you actually get to know the students there and is there any significant socialization as a result of cross-registration? Also, in terms of cross-registration, do students participate in any activities at the other schools (theater, submission in art exhibits, concerts, political clubs/events). Part of this question is to get a feel of whether cross-registration is pretty much just that—taking a class and coming back to BMC…or whether you might stay and study, have a meal, socialize with the students at the other schools, or do the students at each school really keep to themselves?</p>
<p>I don't go to BMC (yet- I'll know more in the next couple of months), but I do know a few things:</p>
<ol>
<li> There are plenty events for all the tri-co, or bi-co.</li>
<li> There are tri-co/bi-co orchestras, clubs, dance groups, all sort of great stuff.</li>
<li> The male population at BMC quadruples during meal times because of tri-co visitors.</li>
</ol>
<p>I've witnessed number three, haha. I think it would be less likely for a BMC student to stay at Swat for a meal just because I've also had meals at Sharples and BMC's food is better. :D</p>
<p>So although it would be possible to keep on one campus, it's super easy to visit within the Tri-Co (although much easier between Hav and BMC with the blue buses- they run every twenty minutes or so).</p>
<p>Thanks Briller.
My niece graduated from Swat a couple of years ago and we visited whenever we could. I recall the Sharples food!
Nice to hear that the "male population quadruples" at BMC's meals. I imagine this is one of the ways the BMC students get to meet guys.
I appreciate your thoughtful response.</p>
<p>i love your screenname fridakahlo!</p>
<p>Thank you...now only if we could own a Kahlo or a Diego Rivera!
Any comments on my question?</p>
<p>I am a current freshman and I chose to stay on the Bryn Mawr campus this year, but I have several friends who have friends at Haverford and Swat. One of my friends plays in the Orchestra at Haverford and the Wind Ensemble at Swat, I know several people who go to the other colleges to party (though some Havergirls don't appreciate Bryn Mawr girls at their parties very much - it screws up the male/female ratio) and quite a lot of people went to Haverfest (Haverford's version of May Day). </p>
<p>I guess it depends mostly on you how you want to use the tri-co, purely academically or also socially, but it is definitely possible to make friends at the other campuses and participate in (most of) their activities and events.</p>
<p>How big of an issue would you say the Havergirl resentment factor is? My mom graduated from Amherst in its second year of coeducation and according to her the dynamics between Amherst and Smith/MoHo women were not always good.</p>
<p>Froghorn and B@r!um, your comments are interesting. Now I have a bit more insight into the social aspect of tri-co.</p>
<p>I agree with the comments about Sharples vs BMC food - I've had multiple meals at both schools and although I'll be attending Swarthmore next year, you better believe I'll try to be at Bryn Mawr for meals as much as possible (not to mention the fact that I have course catalog envy: I really do find Bryn Mawr courses to be more intriguing than Swarthmore courses on average, and Bryn Mawr also seems to have more courses overall). In addition, Bryn Mar offers way more options for vegetarians.</p>
<p>and slightly off topic but FridaKahlo - have you been to the Frida Kahlo special exhibit in Philadelphia (I see you're in NYC, I don't know if the special exhibit previously visited the Met)? I finally got there yesterday (the exhibit leaves today) and although I was impressed by how large it was, I was disappointed by the fact that it was so crowded I could barely breathe. Not to mentioned that fact that it was nearly impossible to take the time to read the informational blurbs on the walls and especially to get close enough to the works to see her painting. I thought the audio tour portion and the wall blurbs were also kind of lame. I already knew the basic story of Frida's life, and it seemed like that basic story was all the "supplemental" info from the museum offered. It barely touched her evolution as an artist and merely correlated the vague happenings of her life to the work at the time she painted it. The way her technique changed throughout her career and the way she evolved as artist was barely mentioned. The exhibit actually left me with an almost unfavorable view of Kahlo - like she was just this whiner who couldn't make the best of or gain insight from her suffering an instead chose to drown in it. I also wanted to understand her relationship with Rivera, but everything was so freaking vague. If I didn't know much about Kahlo before I visited I also might not have believed she made any meaningful contributions to the art world or added perspective to our understanding of the human experience...which is untrue.
Or maybe I'm just too hard to impress and refuse to believe that art museums aren't created solely for art history freaks but the general public. I don't know.</p>
<p>Okay so, let me bring that back to the discussion of Bryn Mawr life...umm...if you go to ANY of the tri-co schools, you'll be able to go to the Philadelphia Museum of Art and look at artworks in their originals, then go back to Swat or Bryn Mawr (and Bryn Mawr really does seem to offer more diversity in their Art History offerings, I bet a lot of Swat and esp. Haverford kids go there for those classes) an write great papers that you couldn't have done if all you had was a distorted computer image of the works in question. In addition, visiting the museum facilitates great discussion not just about the artworks themselves but about museum and curatorial studies, which many art history majors might intend to go into. And, um...that's something anyone from the tri-co can appreciate?</p>
<p>Does that mean you didn't get into Bryn Mawr as a transfer or that you just chose Swarthmore instead?</p>
<p>I haven't gotten a Bryn Mawr response yet. (???...)
but regardless, I'm going to Swarthmore.</p>
<p>I guess it sounds like I really love Bryn Mawr...and I do like it quite a bit...but I just love Swarthmore an infinite amount more. Despite Sharples and the somewhat limited course catalog. Thank goodness for tri-co meal passes and cross-registration.</p>
<p>LACtransferhopes:
You can't go wrong with Swarthmore. One of my nieces graduated from there a couple of years ago. Its amazing.</p>