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.

99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time, professors will know your name -- but what makes the difference is the approachability that the faculty offers. Students are studying all the time. But there is always time for play, somehow-- even when about to pull your hair out over a paper. You'll always be stressed. ALWAYS. You'll never EVER be completely finished your work until the end of the year.

Where to begin? Well, Bryn Mawr was founded to be academically equal to its brother school, Princeton. Now, I'm not claiming that Bryn Mawr is ANYWHERE near Princeton in any way. But suffise to say, its tough. How tough depends on your major of course, and how well you really want to do. If B's are ok for you, it may be a breeze. But don't expect straight As. It probably wont happen, not until your junior year if at all. A lot of people say they NEED to go abroad, to escape the academic rigor and the social scene. I don't really know if thats true, so far, BMC is working for me! We're not competitive at all, only with ourselves. We honestly do NOT discuss grades. It just doesnt happen, seriously. And, its great...sometimes you want to know how everyone else is doing, but you can kinda get and idea without flat out going "Whadya get??" Bryn Mawr is about learning for learnings sake. Its such a nuturing environment, even if it is insanely intense

Since Bryn Mawr is a small school, your professors will defiinitely know you, most of the time they'll know your name too. Professors are really accesible and are very very very understanding. Depending on the type of class, participation is highly encouraged, especially since the class size is usually small. At Bryn Mawr you better study study study because classes are tough in general. However, in spirit of the Social Honor Code you don't feel the competitiveness (though keep in mind that some girls do choose to talk about grades). In general I would say that the Bryn Mawr community is intellectual. I have had and heard intelligent conversations outside of class.

The professors get to know you as a person, especially the math department.

Again, there's a lot for me to write about. I'm sort of just going to go down the list of recommened ideas, so excuse me if this is a little choppy. Yes, many professors know your name. In my last semester, I would say that 3 out of 4 of my profs knew my name. My favorite class (at Bryn Mawr): Females at Risk, by Prof Briggs. How often do students study: Everyday, every weekend, a lot. Intellectual conversations: My friends and I talk about politcals, religion and other "intellectual" subjects alot, but that's not to say we haven't had intelligent conversations about Harry Potter or characters from North and South. Students aren't really competitive: we have a social and academic honor code. The academic honor code highly encourages students to not discuss grades with any one other than your teachers. Some might say that it doesn't work, but I feel that it is generally very succussful.

At Bryn Mawr, students rarely have intellectual conversations outside of class. Also, at Bryn Mawr students are encouraged to compete with themselves, rather than with others.

Wow. I often feel like I've had the wind knocked out of me after a particularly rough exam or a singularly intense class. Bryn Mawr is a tough place to navigate academically. Students should be prepared to work their asses off, to listen, with jaws agape, to their brilliant professors, and to take cat naps in classes that are naturally dull. The college is great in this way: women get a feel for the highs and lows of the academia while learning to be organized and self-disciplined. One of the most unique things about Bryn Mawr is that grades are not discussed openly. On one hand, this is a great system; students are able to concentrate without worrying about the opinions of their peers. However, this set-up forces women to push themselves harder and to prove their abilities to their inner-critics.

Too much work most of the time... but within the classroom, no one asks any questions. I just dont understand but everyone is just so accepting and no one thinks critically. Its such a linear learning process. No one probes deeper into things

There are many excellent, eccentric professors, and many fall all over themselves to be available whenever we need/want them. I feel that I have been able to explore all of my areas of interest (Though many of my friends in the sciences do not feel this way). The academics are definitely geared more toward learning for its own sake; almost everyone I know seems to want to go to grad school right after they finish here, and many of them want to eventually go into academia as a career. Though I really believe that learning for its own sake is very valuable, I have found that it is not really the right atmosphere for someone who does not want to stay within academia for an extended period.

Bryn Mawr is just small enough that you really get to know your professors. That does make it very difficult to sneak in late or shirk, but few mawrtyrs would do that anyway. Most of the students here are very serious about their work--which there is a lot of. It's not unmanageable, but it requires some very serious time management. "Mawrtyr" isn't just a cute epithet; a good deal of students seem to really enjoy the strain and pressure of the workload, since the reward is that it forces you to become a better, more intense intellectual. The professors are brilliant overall and usually very approachable and accessible. Mawtyrs are very personally competitive. It's against the honor code to talk about grades, and after freshman year most students don't even suffer from the impulse to do so; you stop caring. That doesn't mean mawtyrs themselves aren't very concerned about their GPAs, though. Everyone I know is a very driven, hardworking intellectual.