<p>What are your opinions on women's colleges vs coed schools? Are there distinct differences between each?</p>
<p>I would go to a coed school. You might not like the idea of being stuck around girls the entire time.</p>
<p>Well, there are more complex considerations than that . . . . </p>
<p>As the product of both single sex high school and college, I think one of the benefits of women’s education is that, when all the class presidents, varsity athletes, star students etc are female, you can develop a strong sense that women can be successful in any field and, therefore, can develop tremendous faith in oneself. That self-confidence and belief in my own ability helped me be as successful professionally. I was so accustomed to an environment in which women’s talents and achievements were to be expected, that it was not until grad school (my first “coed” educational experience") that I encountered real bias. But after years of single sex education, I was actually less aware of sexism in my workplace because I did not expect to see it – it was alien to my experience. So, in some ways, I was equipped to focus on my work and did not get distracted by real and imagined slights – and there were plenty of real slights and bias and insults. </p>
<p>Some single sex schools have close collaborative relationships with other coed schools – such as Bryn Maw/Haverford, Barnard/Columbia; Smith/Amherst – and that can provide the best of both worlds. As a student at a single sex college, you get all the benefits of an administration and faculty focused on your success, but have access to a coed environment, including classes. Other women’s colleges, such as Agnes Scott, are in vibrant metropolitan areas (or close to, Decatur can be charming but wasn’t hopping when I lived in the area), and have access to lots of opportunities for a broader experience. </p>
<p>Also, if you are being strategic, a number of the excellent women’s colleges have better acceptance rates than academically similar peers so, if you are comfortable with that environment, that can make it a little easier to survive the college application process. </p>
<p>to go to a good women’s college is to learn to see the world thru the lens of gender in ways the student probably could not have done before going to college. Gender will be intellectualized for her, and intellect will be–no, I’m not going to say it. gender will be seen as essential, and gender will be seen as constructed. the notion of two genders will be interrogated, and a lot of other binaries will be challenged as well. the signs of gender will be rewritten. suffice it to say that knowledge itself will be considered thru the lens of gender. For four years of her life, she will be surrounded by people who share her interests in gender, and some of these people will have “written the book” on the subject in their fields. Many of her assumptions about gender will be reconsidered, some will be abandoned, new ones will be integrated. This is an experience, like childbirth, that men can never have, and there are no places I know of where a person can do this outside of a women’s college. </p>
<p>There are ideas that can be shared in a women’s college that women sometimes are reluctant to share in other places in their lives. I think these institutions one of the great contributions of American colleges to the world and to humanity. It’s important for us to support these schools.</p>
<p>Women’s college often have an extremely supportive, friendly, and welcoming environment that you don’t find at co-ed schools. They also have strong alumni networks, which can be super helpful when it comes to internships and jobs.</p>
<p>Another thing we noticed is that there seems to be a higher percentage of students who are genuinely psyched to be there, and very engaged, than at co-ed schools. My theory is that at co-ed schools you have a certain percentage of people who are just “meh” about college: they are there because it was expected of them and this was the college their parents told them to go to. At women’s colleges, I think -because it’s a somewhat unusual choice- you get a higher percentage of people who have personally chosen to be there and are genuinely excited about it.</p>
<p>Also, I think it is easier to get accepted to a school that is equal in educational quality and academic success/intelligence of peer group than at co-ed schools. (Because the applicant group is reduced by 50%!)</p>
<p>Lastly, as noted above, most women’s colleges have close ties with co-ed schools. My daughter attends Mount Holyoke, which is part of the 5-college consortium with Amherst College, hampshire College, Smith and UMass Amherst. There is a free bus that connects all 5, and students can take classes and attend cultural events and parties at all campuses. Plenty of boys available nearby, but then it’s nice to come home to a relatively quiet campus with less distractions.</p>