Bryn Mawr College Top Questions

Most classes are small, and with highly trained and very intelligent professors, many of whom are at the top of their fields. Students participate in class and do their homework responsibly, and the expectations are high but you'll have plenty of support from staff, faculty, and other students. There are very limited requirements, so there's a lot of room to either explore the curriculum or avoid certain disciplines. Many students major in the sciences, but overall the student body is well-rounded. Although we have certain very strong departments (Classics, Art History, Geology, etc.), the school is small and so course offerings are limited. You can go off campus to take classes not offered at Bryn Mawr, but it's a bit difficult if you have to go further than Haverford.

Bryn Mawr academics are incredibly challenging. Classes here will work you harder than anything. Professors are amazing; they know your name even in big lectures (but the biggest is only 50 students). Assignments are interesting and hard, but they really make you learn and think about your subject in new ways.

If this gives you an idea, we were placed on the Daily Beast's list of most rigorous schools in America (above Stanford). Bryn Mawr academics are TOUGH, but also very rewarding. The plus side is that classes are tiny, discussion based, and really geared toward the goals of the students. This year, I've had professors who not only know me by name, but also know about my family, academic and life goals, hobbies, friends...you name it. Professors here have a seriously genuine concern for their students and really make an effort to connect on a more personal level with them. As for class size, I have had classes with anywhere between 5 and 35 students (as a freshman with intro level classes, this is great!), which has given me an opportunity to get a lot of personal attention from my professors. Students are also invited to their professor's houses for dinner from time to time or are invited to outings with professors (looking at architecture in Philadelphia, going to various conferences, etc.) Students take academics here very seriously. We're given a TON OF READING (in my first semester, I was asked to read over 100 pages a night for an Intro Sociology course!), and are expected to work extremely hard. At the end of the day, the work is doable, and students support each other throughout our studies. Even though there's a lot of work, there is a surprising lack of competition due to our honor code system which frowns upon talking about grades and academic standing. My favorite class so far has actually been my intro writing class called "In Class/ Out-Classed: The Uses of a Liberal Education." The class had about 15 people and was focused around the topic of social class and how it affects our education. We had the chance to go on multiple field trips to local middle schools, work with middle school students, plan campus events that revolved around alleviating issues of social class, and, of course, learn about college level writing. The class was SO MUCH MORE than simply a writing class, and students were held accountable for actually creating a change within the college. For example, one event we held gathered students, faculty, and staff to address issues of social class grievances of campus and actually took steps forward to solve some of these problems--talk about a unique and rewarding experience!

The academics at Bryn Mawr are very intensive. You are expected to read a great deal every week, be active in class discussion (as the classes are usually pretty small), attend meetings with your Professors regularly, and keep an active, open mind. I often feel like I'm overwhelmed, but I've learned a lot about time management. Students have intellectual conversations in class, outside of class...pretty much all the time.

Very challenging and a tough workload. That is what Bryn Mawr is known for. Academics are number one, and although it can be intense and intimidating sometimes, it is pretty amazing to be around such brilliant women and profs. One thing that I don't think anyone talks about much is that the majors and requirements are really loose and fluid compared to most other schools. No one could say that this makes Bryn Mawr easier, but it really gives you the freedom to study what you want to. I chose political science because you can almost do whatever you want within the major, which is pretty awesome.

the classes are super small. so the professor will notice if youre not in class. the profs make themselves VERY available and have office hours. The consortium, specially with haverford works really well, because even within each department each school has diff specialties. and haverford has the music and astro departments, while bryn has the dance and cities departments.

The best thing about Bryn Mawr is the academics. You don't come here for the social life. But after one semester studying in France and another studying in Cairo, I've come to realize that Bryn Mawr truly does grant its students a world-class education. Nothing I did at either of my foreign universities began to compare to the work I've done and the things I've learned at Bryn Mawr.

amazing- supportive and helpful yet challenging staff, numerous resources, and many options for majors, studies, even just random interests. competition can be quite annoying, even with the honor system in place.

There's a 50/50 split of male and female professors. Classes range from about 8-20 students though the intro science classes can be as large as 42. (I love that 42 is such a big number here!!). Most classes are discussion type and in a round table format so the participation of students in class is really high. I was actually pretty quiet in high school until I got here. Coolest classes: Cultural anthropology, Forensics Anthropology, Organic Chemistry (I mean it, really) and a Memo writing class. There loads more, it's just that I'm a science person. Discussion of grades doesn't happen and if it does, the students taking part in the discussion must consent to do so and further more do it in private. Not in a locked room or anything, just in a space where it is assured that you are not making another person uncomfortable. This brings competition amongst students way down, one of the reasons I love the academic environment here. At the end of the day, the only person who knows your grade is you and your professor. The chemistry department is really cool! There are loads of research opportunities and your professors are everything from Guinness World Record holders to Presidents of National Chemistry clubs! Pretty awesome. Generally speaking, across all departments, the professors make a point to avail themselves to the students as often as they can. So far in all the classes I've taken, the professors have provided us with their home phone numbers "just in case". I've had A LOT of "just in case" moments, especially right before a test!

Professors absolutely know my name. I only had one (foreign) professor who thought my name was something other than Dawne. Class participation is very common and is generally one of the most important criteria in grading a students performance throughout the semester. Students are competitive however the Honor Code states that grades are not something to be discussed unless both parties agree upon discussion. This means that you won't know the grades of everyone else in the class unless you all consent to share and know. Professors will often post the low-mean-high grades for classes with 10+ students, but otherwise, your grades are the sole business of the student and the professor. The most unique class I took was Paleobiology. The professor was an excellent lecturer and the class covered millions of years in an engaging yet incredibly comprehensive fashion. I came away retaining more information than I ever have in any other course.