Bryn Mawr College Top Questions

The cultural groups on campus are active and have yearly culture shows. There is a special program for incoming students of color. Most Bryn Mawr students are Democrats and feminists, so a Republican student with conservative values might feel uncomfortable. Students of various backgrounds interact. Students wear whatever they prefer. Many students are from the Northeast, though there is diversity in place of origin, and most students are middle-class or upper-class.

I think a straight, white, upper-middle class girl with a closed mind would be incredibly uncomfortable here. I think that most students keep to their own groups, the same at larger institutions; however, I do believe that there is far more interaction here because it is such a small school. When I was a freshman, most women wore pajamas to class--that has gradually changed and I think today's seniors look much better than they did four years ago. I have friends from a myriad of backgrounds- racial and economic - however, there is a general consensus that more students have more money than they used to. Students are pretty liberal but apathetic in many ways. Because of our policy of not talking about grades, money sort of goes along with that. I don't think any of us make such broad claims about the future.

I feel that for the most part, everybody interacts with people based on personality and not on race or religion or sexuality. From what I can tell everybody is accepted. I feel that I talk about race and religion, but very rarely about class and financial standing. I know some people's background with that, but only because they are my best friends. I feel that generally it's not an issue, Also, a lot of people work in the dining halls but it's not a reason for anybody to judge them, especially because a Bryn Mawr education is a lot to pay for no matter where you come from, and so there's no stereotyping of those that do work-study. Politically, the general student body is very liberal but people differ in how active they are with politics. I think it's a major topic of discussion, especially with the upcoming election, but not everybody is actively involved. However, I think that most students agree with each other politically.

They are vocal and visible? A square. Sweatpants. Yes. What qualities do they all share?--fat? The Mid-Atlantic. I don't know. Aware, yes, active, no. Centrists. Students talk about how broke they will be for the rest of their lives, yes.

No one would feel out of place here at Bryn Mawr. We're not about cliques or popularity.

There is tension on campus, and a lot of groups gravitate toward each other. People don't talk much about religion here, because the majority of people are so liberal and automatically bash any sort of conservatism. I haven't really noticed any strain between socio-economic classes, but honestly? I think the majority of people here are pretty well-off back at home. Like I said, most racial groups befriend each other and kind of put a barrier between themselves and the rest of the campus. LGBT stick together as well, but as a straight girl, I still have tons of friends who are lesbians--it's not completely unheard of. Yet, different groups really don't interact that much. Let's say we're in the dining hall. One table will be brimming with loud, crazy rugby girls. The next will be half full, and have some nondescript girls eating and having a quiet conversation. The third will have a few pretty girls and a sprinkling of guys from Haverford. The fourth will be occupied by two girls, both with their noses buried in books. The dining hall can be awkward--I tend to get take-out and bring it back to my room to eat while I work or watch a movie. Students who are outspoken about their political activity are overwhelmingly liberal. It's easy to start a conversation about politics and just assume that everyone around you is going to agree with your liberal statements--you really have to catch yourself, because people with conservative views generally don't speak up about them.

I feel like Bryn Mawr really represents an interesting mix of cultures, beliefs, and backgrounds. That's one of the reasons I was attracted tot his school. The student body really runs the spectrum from those girls who would have been in sororities to those who chose to wear capes daily.

We're all over the board, and everyone is accepting of everyone else. The best thing I can say about Bryn Mawr is that we attract every type of person from every type of background. Admittedly, the type of school we are means that a lot of people here come from relatively affluent backgrounds and you won't find people who are just at college to pass four years of their lives, but you can find almost anyone here. We mix and match, and everyone respects everyone else. It's a great environment.