Using Bi-Co and Tri-Co

<p>My D is applying at both Bryn Mawr and Swarthmore. I’d like to ask current students if they have had much experience in using Bi-Co with Haverford and Tri-Co with Swarthmore. I’d like to know what classes they took and why, if they were satisfied with the experience and why. My D is interested in English, writing and the humanities in general, so if you have any relevant experience, that would be particularly helpful.</p>

<p>I am a current Bryn Mawr student and I am taking 3 out of my 5 classes at Haverford this semester (2 math and 1 music). Next semester I am planning to take 2 classes at Bryn Mawr, 1 at Haverford and 1 at the University of Pennsylvania.</p>

<p>It is very easy to take classes at Haverford because the bus and class schedules are coordinated so well that we can take back-to-back classes at the other college. (E.g. 10-11 at Bryn Mawr and 11:30-12:30 at Haverford.) There is no particular reason that I am taking a lot of Haverford classes this semester - frankly, I didn't pay attention to where the classes I was interested in would be taught, and 3 of them ended up being at Haverford.</p>

<p>I like the Bi-Co exchange because it gives us access to more classes. That's helpful in two different ways: on one hand, there is a larger variety of upper-level classes than a college of our size could offer by itself, and many departments split up specialities between Bryn Mawr and Haverford (for example, Bryn Mawr's economics department is geared towards students with an interest in government and non-profit organizations while Haverford is leaning more towards business economics). On the other hand, the Bi-Co exchange allows us to avoid scheduling conflicts. If I cannot take Intermediate French at Bryn Mawr, maybe the class at Haverford will fit my schedule. Since Bryn Mawr and Haverford are so small, most classes only have one section at each college.</p>

<p>In my opinion Bryn Mawr and Haverford classes are very similar in terms of work load and expectations. I have also never felt discriminated against at Haverford for being a Bryn Mawr students. Socially, I don't have too many friends at Haverford but that is a personal choice - other Bryn Mawr students are best friends with Haverford students. I also like Haverford's dining hall better, but most students would disagree with me on that one :)</p>

<p>Taking classes at Swarthmore is more tricky because Swarthmore's class schedules are not well-coordinated with ours and the Swarthmore van runs only once every 60-90 minutes. I have never taken a class at Swarthmore (mainly due to scheduling conflicts) but Swarthmore classes have a reputation for being more intense than Bryn Mawr and Haverford classes. There are also very little social interactions between Swarthmore and the Bi-Co.</p>

<p>We are also allowed to take classes at the University of Pennsylvania and Villanova University, though our options there are more restricted.</p>

<p>In our room:
One of my roommates is taking two classes at Haverford next semester, one is taking a class at UPenn, and another is taking a class at Haverford. I saw a bunch that I was interested in but they conflicted with an education class that I really really want at Bryn Mawr- if I don't get that, then I will definitely be taking a class at Haverford as well.</p>

<p>Also, when I'm not a freshman, I'm going to try to take the Urban Education class at Swarthmore- I don't care how annoying the vans are, I will seriously do anything to take that class. It's supposedly wonderific. It'll be a lot easier if I bring a car, I think.</p>

<p>Reasons to take classes there:
-Looked interesting (if it seems good, then why not?)
-Meeting new people
-Change</p>

<p>A bit belated, B@r!um and Brillar, but thank you for your information. It's good to know there's such flexibility and variety with both Byrn Mawr and Haverford courses to choose from and you can bop back and forth. B@r!um, what class will you take at UPenn next semester? When you mention restrictions in taking UPenn and Villanova courses, what do you mean? Villanova is right up the street from Bryn Mawr, isn't it? Is there transportation there? I can understand the commute time to Swarthmore is a bit inhibiting, but, Brillar, how did you find out about the Urban Education class?</p>

<p>Thanks for any specifics.</p>

<p>"When you mention restrictions in taking UPenn and Villanova courses, what do you mean?"</p>

<p>You can choose to take a class at Haverford for any reason or no reason at all, even if the same class is offered at BMC. I believe you can take classes at Penn only if they are not offered in the Bi-Co. Sometimes it's obvious that the class is unique -- I knew someone who took Turkish at Penn -- but with social science or literature classes, it can be a little more challenging to show that the same material can't be found in the Bi-Co.</p>

<p>Hanna stated: "you can take a class at Haverford for any reason or no reason at all..."</p>

<p>I noticed that Haverford's biology major is unique in that one is required to take a full-year of chemistry freshman year, but biology (for majors) does not start until sophomore year (based on Haverford's biology having "moleculaar and biochemical underpinnings"). If a BMC student finds the biology approach at Haverford more to her liking, will BMC permit the student to take primarily the Haverford's biology sequence, rather than BMC's sequence? Also, if a BMC student does something like that, when its time to apply to grad school, can one request a Haverford professor for a recommendation or is something like that done only within the confines of BMC? (Do these questions make sense?)
Thanks.</p>

<p>Yes, you can major in a Haverford dept., get letters from its profs, etc.</p>

<p>Villanova is almost walking distance- you could take a train too, I think. It would only be one stop.</p>

<p>And yes, if a class is not available in the Bi-Co, then we try taking it at Swat. If you can't find a class in the tri-co, then you go to UPenn or Villanova.</p>

<p>I found out about the education class from a Swattie friend who took it (strangely enough, it's also the only Swat class in BMC's online catalog- I guess it has a separate procedure than other Swat classes because it's popular). And I'm also going to try for an education certification, so that means I have to take some classes at Swat.</p>

<p>As others before me have stated, we may only take liberal arts classes at Penn that are not offered at Bryn Mawr or Haverford (Swat doesn't matter). Villanova is off-limits to most students. Juniors and seniors may petition to take a class in their major if that class is not offered in the Tri-Co, if they can present a compelling reason for taking it, and if their major adviser and their dean support it. I don't think I know a student who has actually done it though.</p>

<p>CarolynB, I am planning to take an upper-level math class at Penn (differential geometry).</p>

<p>brillar, Swat classes are added to VBM only after a student registers for them. That's why there are so few Swat classes in our system.</p>

<p>To add to brillar's post, Bryn Mawr and Haverford offer enough education classes for a certification, but having Swat as an additional resource makes scheduling a lot easier.</p>

<p>Thanks, everyone, for the details. It's useful to have an idea of how to deal with the complexities of registering for courses with the different schools.</p>

<p>a bmc friend of mine knows that i read the cc forums for relaxation during school breaks and asked me to comment on my views of the tri co cooperative. in two and a half years at swat, i can't recall ever having a bmc student in any of my classes. of course that is not to say that my small sampling precludes any bmc students at all, but the only time i see bmc students on campus is during parties. i assume that the reason for this is the proximity of swat in relation to hc. hc is right next door whereas swat is 20 mins (if the bus driver is late for another appt, otherwise 30 to 40 mins) away. there is probably another reason why bmc to swat is a little used educational road. the reason being that it's no picnic taking a swat class.</p>

<p>And you also have to figure in the time between the class and when the van arrives- it's more difficult fitting a Swat class in your schedule if you have to spend the entire day at Swat.</p>

<p>Note that I didn't mention before: I also applied to Swat and BMC and I've been at Swat to see friends as well (not just for parties, although I've been to parties too). It's pretty bad, I think I know Swat's campus better than Haverford's. But, yeah, that's a rare situation. Hav is much more popular for classes.</p>

<p>And I have NEVER had a 20 minute ride- that van driver must have been crazzzy speeding.</p>

<p>hmmm, maybe i was making out with a bmc student, lost track of time and the ride seemed like it was only 20 min. possible?</p>