Bryn Mawr College Top Questions

Mixed. most certainly. There are some groups on campus that are more vocal than others, but you've pretty much gotten everything. If you identify with something, are interested in something, most likely, there is someone else here who is also interested in it and has already probably started a club about it.

There aren't too many people that would feel out of place at Bryn Mawr. People wear polo shirts and jeans, pj pants, skirts, dresses, suits, exercise clothes and everything in between to class. Students here are from all over the world and from many different places within the United States. If a student wants to be active in just about any campaign it is very easy to be with our multitude of clubs. The campus is pretty left and democratic, but there are definitely republicans.

The students at Bryn Mawr are mostly white. However, there are many non-white students and many international students. Many religions are represented here, but it seems that the 2 largest are atheist/agnostic and Jewish. I could be totally wrong, but that's what it seems like to me. There's a large LGBT community on campus. For socio-economic there seems to be mostly middle-class students, with smaller numbers of upper-class and lower-class students. All of the different types of students interact.

Minorities are generally accepted, especially LGBT. There are a lot of clubs on campus for different ethnic and racial groups. There is a kind of economic imbalance and there's definitely the sense that most people are relatively well-off. Dress is often very casual but it's not odd to dress nicely. Not everyone is preppy. There is a certain amount of de facto segregation but it's not universal and students of different backgrounds often interact comfortably. People do NOT discuss how much they'll earn one day.

Generally diverse, open and accepting. That isn't to say that we can't be just a stupid as the next person. Students are vocal and active, in politics and other causes, and aware of the world outside our "bubble".

There are too many "others" it breaks down community and self-segregates. I am proud these groups are proud but for pity's sake work with out differences not make them the forefront of every discussion. Conservative, upper-class, White, religious women will have a hard time conforming to the Bryn Mawr of present day. Students wear everything from pjs to prada. Yes and No - Students of different types interact when they have to through clubs, dining halls, classrooms - in the public sphere yes - in private hardly ever. High Table - "Capey" weird girls who are socially ambiguous, androgenous and study classics. Hate everyone who doesn't read sci-fi, wears a cape, or can write in latin. Insert Culture/Race here - Pride - If you aren't in a culture/ethnic/race of those at this table - you can look but don't sit. The Loner - running in for something to eat before class - sits at the edge of an empty table and will leave the minute someone puts their key card down. Usually what happens in the upper classes. Freshman - Will stick exclusively to their customs group (assigned friends on their hall) until the morph into loners, high table or and aforementioned culture group. Students are mostly from NY, MASS, PA, NJ, VA, CT, FL Financially it runs the spectrum from super wealthy to low socio-economic standing - causes major tension. Most students are neo-conservatives posing as liberals. The kind who wear fur and are strict vegetarians. Students don't speak of how much they will earn someday - but it is assumed - it is the unsaid - the rich will keep getting richer and the everyone else - well there is teach for america....

Bryn Mawr students come from so many different backgrounds, it would be impossible to address them all. There are students from 48 states and numerous countries outside the US. Everyone has had a different upbringing, regarding religious beliefs, politics (though most students at BMC are of the liberal persuasion), financial situation, etc. Somehow, though, we have all found common ground in this amazing school, and I personally could not be happier to be here.

Bryn Mawr is a very diverse environment. There are all sorts of minority groups on campus, so there is a spot for everyone to fit in. Students wear whatever is comfortable to class, for most this is jeans or sweats, but some students like to dress up. Most of the students come from the North Eastern United States, probably the largest population of students are from Pennsylvania and New Jersey. There is a wide assortment of financial backgrounds present on campus. Most students on campus Democrat, and have a general sense of current events.

I don't think any kind of student would feel out of place at Bryn Mawr. We've got everything from super quirky to calm and cool. I was expecting that there would be a typical Bryn Mawr student. I suppose I envisioned that person to be someone a lot like me since I saw myself fitting into the campus culture so well. Needless to say, it is impossible to describe a typical Bryn Mawr student. I've met people who are the polar opposite from me. We all seem to share a desire to learn but other than that, we're as diverse as can be in every sense of the word. Although there are distinct groups of friends, Bryn Mawr isn't a clickish or exclusive community. Most people tend to get along with one another and students often belong to several social circles. People tend to become close with those who live in their dorm, students in their major department, students in their clubs or on their teams, and their co-workers from on-campus jobs. There are a lot of ways to meet new people and if Bryn Mawr starts feeling too small, students turn to the consortium schools to mix it up.

LGBT are very accepted here on campus. Only hard-working and open-minded people belong at Bryn Mawr. There is a lot of class interaction - freshmen and upperclassmen are very friendly with each other. Upperclassmen really try hard to welcome the freshmen and to make them feel comfortable. There are many students here who are politically and socially aware, but there are also the few who aren't. However, what is most important is a willingness to learn from each other. We are predominantly leftists. Most Bryn Mawr students come from fairly well-off families.

The style here is much more varied than I expected: At most women's colleges one assumes every girl will be wearing sweatpants and going bra-less to class, but every Bryn Mawr girl has a certain style--sporty, indie, preppy, boho--everyone stands out just a little bit. At bi-co parties, you can always point out the Bryn Mawr girl--the girl who isn't wearing one brand head to toe, the girl who is put together with a certain twist.

Despite being all women, Bryn Mawr has a really diverse student body. There are the prep school kids, the partiers, the stoners, the loud and proud lesbains, and everything else in between. I would say there is a lot of interaction between all types of students, though there is a bit of racial self segregation. I wouldn't say that racial self segregation is really prominent on campus, just that it exists. I really believe that you can find any kind of woman here.

I came to Bryn Mawr as a conservative Christian. I am leaving Bryn Mawr as a radical Christian. That is, Bryn Mawr has taught me a lot about my faith. I've learned so much about people I had never had the opportunity to interact with before, and about how they show love. I have learned to love people who are so different from myself and I love that about this school. I think almost anyone who comes to Bryn Mawr will feel out of place at one time or another, and that is a great thing. Economically, Bryn Mawr is a wealthier environment because liberal arts education is so expensive these days and it's a private school. At the same time, it offers more financial aid than most private colleges and that makes for a great environment. Different types of students have several opportunities to interact, although I would say that deep friendships are more often than not with people who are similar to one another. Most Bryn Mawr students are from the North East, though there are students from all over the world here. I would love to say that students are very politically active, but I'll admit that there's a huge level of apathy here. I think students get their acts together just in time for a big election, but other than that the political scene is pretty quiet. Bryn Mawr students are overwhelmingly left-winged. Although Bryn Mawr students say they're accepting of anyone and anything, that acceptance seems to come a quick halt when it comes to conservative ideas of any kind. It was a sad day for my Republican friends when Bush was reelected my freshman year.

Of course, Bryn Mawr is very LGBTQ-friendly. I would also say that we're fairly diverse in where we're from (throughout the US and international) and religion. Besides that, Bryn Mawr purports to be diverse in race and socio-economic status, but the truth is that we are a predominantly rich, white campus. Or, at least, one of the problems Bryn Mawr has been facing is that most students fall into groups of friends that are all of one race or one class, which is sad but true. We are also fairly liberal. At the same time, people who don't fit the mold should never feel out of place at Bryn Mawr. I consider us to be a very accepting and caring community. In fact, varied backgrounds makes Bryn Mawr what it is.

It is really diverse here. I feel like there are still many issues with diversity though

There is a lot of diversity at bryn mawr, and there is no stereotypical Bryn Mawr student. We have a huge variety of people, and they don't clique. People are very open, and mix a lot.

The Bryn Mawr student body is extremely diverse. I came from a high school of relatively little to none diversity and Bryn Mawr really opened my eyes to the world. There are many international students of all different backgrounds and religions. I find it fascinating that we have so many students not just from all over the United States including Hawaii but all over the world. I think the only student that might feel out of place at Bryn Mawr would be an extremly conservative student with very right winged beliefs. However as long as the student was open to new ideas than I think they too would even be okay at Bryn Mawr. Students are very politically active and tend to be predominately left. Students do not really talk about how much they will earn one day, it is really about what students aspire to do and hwo they wish to change the world. I really have no idea what financial backgrounds are most prevelant as again we do not talk much about those sorts of things. There are many students that are involved in the Work Study program in order to pay for college but then again there is a fair amount of stu dents that are not so I really am not sure how many students are on financial aid or what not. Students really are from all over the country but of course the east coast is most prevelant but not overwhelmingly so.

My experiences with the student body are varied and unique. It's easy to talk to anyone, as long as one does the usual, like staying away from politics and religion unless you want to get into a heated debate. My experiences with all the different religious, LGBT, socio-economic, and other groups tends to be positive. No-one tries to force themselves on me, except for the Communist Paper that shows up in front of the Campus Center once a semester. I think the only student that would feel out of place is an extreme right-wing, bible-thumping Republican. Then again, why anyone with that kind of background they would go to a college anywhere in the Philadelphia area would be beyond me. Most students wear whatever they want to. Those without specific religious requirements, at least. I've seen the spectrum from "extreme punk" to "$500 jeans and shoes twice as expensive". No-one really cares, as long as you're clean. Yes, all types of students interact. Um...that's a hard question to answer. We have 3 dining halls, and each tends to attract its own group of people. BROADLY generalizing, Rhoads gets all the sports teams(since it's open late), Haffner gets the eco-conscious onces(it has a large salad bar and a Vegan bar), and Erdman gets whoever's left (just kidding). I tend to eat at Rhoads because it's closest to my dorm. Most Bryn Mawr students are from the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern area of the US, though I have met someone from the Southeast Asia. Financial backgrounds vary, but a significant amount of people don't need financial aid, if you get my drift. God, you can't escape politics on campus. Left and center are the general leanings of the populace. Everyone I've ever spoken to is ignoring Real Life for the time being. The "Bryn Mawr Bubble" is nice, at least for now.

Bryn Mawr is really small. So you'd think it would be a really intimate and supportive environment. But I have found that relationships here are cold, artificial, and surface level. People are so busy that they rarely stop to say Hi and talk to you. Another thing you should know. People don't really hang out at Bryn Mawr. If you go to the Lusty Cup or the Uncommon Grounds...you will not usually find a large group chilling, chatting, laughing....guess what...they are studying. Many are socially awkward and don't know how to relate to people other than other socially awkward people. There is a group of girls called the "Capies" who walk around in capes. People are obsessed with Harry Potter and often compare Bryn Mawr to Hogwarts (I don't really see it though...I mean Harry was a boy...so he couldn't go here...we hate men: wizard and muggle alike). One great thing about BMC is that no one here is mean (in fact its a violation of the "Honor Code" which is a nice idea but sometimes ends up feeling like a police state that limits free speech etc.) and for the most part people are accepted for who they are. BMC is full of PC hounds, be careful of what you say or they will getcha! Bryn Mawr is pretty racially diverse and there is a good deal of interaction between everybody. There are a lot of African, East Asian, and South East Asian students. The African American community is smaller, and the Latina community is even smaller. What is really lacking is a diversity of ideas and personalities! Many girls have lived very sheltered lives and had overbearing parents. Think about it, what girl would really choose to go to an all women's college?

We actually had a huge blow out last year when our SGA treasurer made a racial slur on Facebook. She had to step down from her post and a huge series of "town hall" meetings ensued, in which all the students came together and discussed how they felt about racial and discrimination issues on campus. Our campus is very liberal and very aware of diversity issues and politically correct language, which is a dispute in itself since not everyone here likes to be "PC". Different types of students definitely interact. People dress in a whole medley of ways but I guess if I had to chose a specific style I'd say preppy-casual. Students are politically aware and active. I have never discussed what I will one day earn with a Bryn Mawr student, but thats not to say that it never happens.