Bryn Mawr College Top Questions

The best thing about Bryn Mawr has to be either the campus in the springtime -- all the blossoming trees, it's beautiful -- or Hell Week, which is a real vibrant tradition, or the English House -- it's so cute and, well, perfect. I spend most of my time on campus writing and studying in either the library, campus center, English House or in Thomas Great Hall. With friends, I take walks around campus, watch movies in the dorm common rooms and hang out at Uncommon Grounds. I don't hang out in the town of Bryn Mawr very much because, it isn't much of a college town. But with the train to Philadelphia a less than five minute walk away and other campuses only a shuttle ride away, it doesn't really matter. Plus, there is a bookstore and a few grocery stores and a library and three sushi restaurants within walking distance. My big complaint about Bryn Mawr is probably that it feels too small and confining sometimes. Sometimes it feels like you've met everybody and are still not satisfied. But it's a small price to pay for such a caring faculty -- they know your name and treat you like an individual, but this is only possible because of the size of the school. I guess you can tell that I have some Bryn Mawr pride. It's an amazing institution. I love the faculty and the courses. I love the buildings and the traditions. I think that most Bryn Mawr women feel this way. My only warning is that the school is really small. And even though women come from all over the world, their isn't that much diversity in personalities and points of view.

The best thing about Bryn Mawr is that it can be as small or as big of a community as you want it to be. Philadelphia is an amazing city to be near, and the amount of schools surrounding Bryn Mawr is daunting. There are endless opportunities to meet people, go out, and have fun. People who complain that Bryn Mawr is too sheltered and isolated are plain WRONG and have not taken the time to explore the area. Most people who hear that I went to Bryn Mawr crack jokes about lesbians. This gets very old, especially since it's not exactly true. It just shows how closed-minded people can be. Bryn Mawr has amazing traditions which you can read about on the website. But here's one that isn't up there, for example: I just walked during graduation wearing regalia (cap, gown, and hood) that belongs to the school. It felt awesome to know that tons of other Mawrtyrs before me had done the same, and the 150 year old rabbit fur on the hood was definitely something that other schools don't have! There's also a fur free option now :)

The school is just right for me. Not too big and not too small. On campus, I spend a lot of time either in my room (my friends' rooms) or the library. The rooms are very nice, so I'm not complaining- and we have three libraries to choose from, which is great when you need a change of environment (when studying). There are many schools in the area (Haverford, Villanova, Swarthmore) and in the city, about 20 minutes away, University of Pennsylvania. Ofcourse there are a lot of other colleges as well, but not as close (relationship wise) to Bryn Mawr. Compared to the high school I went to, there isn't much school pride at Bryn Mawr, but that's in relations to sports. In general, I love Bryn Mawr! A precious part of the BM experience are the many school traditions. Although they are assets to the school's student experiences, it can also be something unusual about us, because many of the traditions are very exclusive and something only a Mawrter would understand.

When I tell people under the age of 50 that I am going to Bryn Mawr they say either of two things: "where is that again?" or "that's still all girls isn't it?" When I tell people over the age of 50 that I am going to Bryn Mawr they say some variation of: "oh, wow. That's a wonderful women's college. You must be a good student." It is sometimes hard to be proud when people ask you where you go and they don't recognized the name, but it feels really good to have the respect of adults who in their generation knew many women who graduated from Bryn Mawr or may have attended another women's college. I was in a department store over the summer and my sister was wearing a BMC sweatshirt. The sales clerk bounded over and I heard her ask my sister if she went to Bryn Mawr. My sister said no, but I did (pointing in my direction). The girl ran over to me, gave me a hug, yelled "women's college pride! I go to Smith" and bounded off again.

Going to college was scary for me at first, as I'm sure it is for most people. As soon as I got to bryn mawr I fell right into everything, like a fish in water. The customs group (the freshman who live on your hall led by the 'customs people' who act like your big sisters for whatever you need) was really nice because you immediately had friends (or at least people to go to dinner with). The traditions make bryn mawr an incredibly special place and it brings the whole school together. My most touching moments have been while working for reunion weekend seeing old old old ladies coming back with their lanterns, excited to see how the college has changed, but mostly to see how is has stayed very much the same. Bryn mawr is timeless in its culture, class and nurturing atmosphere.

Bryn Mawr is a community first and foremost. After your freshman year few can help but feel at home here. The cool thing about Bryn Mawr is you can make it as small or as big as you want. We have a close relationship with Haverford College, sharing classes and some club sports. So if you come to Bryn Mawr you can choose to involve yourself in just Bryn Mawr or you can branch out to Haverford, Swarthmore, and UPenn. (all three of which you can take classes at, Haverford being the easiest to get to)

Some of the best things include being in interesting classes that allow you to get to know your professors and being with friendly, non-apathetic and hardworking people. Other important things to mention: the food is also really good, and you would be very happy at least in comparison to being at most college campuses if you like eating healthy and/or are vegetarian or vegan. It is also very easy to get a job on campus. They hire the freshmen to work in the dining halls (there are three of them) and they hire students to work practically everywhere else: the libraries, the computer lab, as tutors or PLI's (peer led instructors), as lab instructors/notebook graders, as writing instructors, and in the civic engagement office. BMC's location is ideal. The town of Bryn Mawr has everything you would ever need within walking distance: Staples, pharmacy, grocery store, small movie theatre, Borders, eyeglass place, a bunch of small stores, etc. It only takes a few minutes to walk to the train station that goes into Philly; it's practically right there. The Blue Bus to Haverford stops in front of Pem Arch about once every half an hour, or you can walk there in about half an hour. We have three libraries. Unfortunately, they close at midnight Sunday to Thursday and 10 pm Friday and Saturday. I spend most of my time in the Park Science Building, often in the Collier Science Library. Once the library closes I find somewhere else in the building to study, but if I declared my major I would have my own key to the physics lounge (there's also a math lounge and I'm sure other science lounges too). Bryn Mawr is unusual in our self government. Once a semester there is Plenary, on a Sunday, where the students gather in the Goodhart auditorium and vote on resolutions. On that day, the only place you can get food is at Plenary, until Plenary is over. It can only proceed if a certain number of people are there. It takes about four or five hours, but it would go faster if more people came right away and stayed. There are also a number of traditions, which some people like. Finally, Bryn Mawr is unique in its honor code.

There are many things that I love about Bryn Mawr. It has a wonderfully small and tight knit community, cool traditions, and plenty of interesting individuals. Bryn Mawr is a college town, it has some nice coffee shops and a small movie theatre. It also has some great restaurants. When the weather is warm enough I like to hang out either in Taft garden or on the lawn behind Rhoads, but when it is cold the coffee shops and the lusty cup (on campus) are wonderful. The administration is really caring and helpful. Whenever I tell people I go to Bryn Mawr I get one of 2 reactions. Either they say, "where is that? I have never heard or that school." Or they say, "Wow! That's great! That is a really good school." The most frequent complaints are usually about being tired of the food, weather, or a specific class. There is a lot of school pride...mostly involved in the traditions. There are lots of experiences with my friends and hallmates involving tradtions that I will always cherish.

I love being at Bryn Mawr because of the options- we have so many, whether it's classes, activities, things to do, places to go. It's a gorgeous campus, the administration takes care of us, students take care of each other. With our Honor Code and our all-women's environment, we have a great community. As the saying goes, "You only have four years." I think Bryn Mawr students take a lot out of their college experience.

The best thing about Bryn Mawr is the students. I really love my fellow students, and in my past three years here i have really grown from the connections that i have garnered as a Bryn Mawr student. The friendships will surely last a lifetime. The school is small but with Haerford, Swat and UPenn available to take classes, and Villanove and Philadelphia so close, it feels much larger. People are usually impressed by Bryn Mawr. I even had priority for looking at apartments because the landloard likes how friendly and responsable Bryn MAwr students are. Bryn Mawr shops are too expensive for most college students. but Philly is only a 15 min train ride away.

Bryn Mawr is wonderful. I never thought I would of ended up at an all women's college but I could not adore Bryn Mawr more. The school gives so many wonderful choices for all the students. Every woman could find her own niche here. The bi-co with Haverford is very strong and I take advantage of both schools everyday. The mainline is a lil pricey but a very beautiful place to go to school.

Bryn Mawr is a really diverse school with more smart women than I could have imagined being in one place. It is a place that makes women feel comfortable, but challenges them to go beyond their comfort zones. It is a place that makes women feel confident and assures them that they can tackle whatever it is they want to achieve. Athletics are not widely supported on campus but they are starting to become really competitive. We play in the Centennial Conference, one of the top conferences in Division Three athletics, and for a small women's college, we put up a good fight. At Bryn Mawr, you can do whatever it is you want to do, and be supported, whether it is arts or athletics or a political club. It's a very conducive environment for growing as a person.

The best thing about Bryn Mawr is the sense of family and community that you gain throughout the years here. The size of the student body is great, its small enough that you are hardly ever in a huge seminar class, but large enough that you don't feel like everyone knows everyone. Bryn Mawr is a prestigious institution and has a good academic reputation. It is easy to get into Philadelphia if desired, but is also close to the town of Bryn Mawr which much quieter than the city. The school is about to come under the administration of a new President, which is very exciting. Also, the student body is self-governed for most things so we have the ability to make changes that we feel are important for the students. Although there is a good sense of community here, recently there has been some controversy surrounding race and ethnicity issues on campus. Athletics have not been a huge part of campus life, but the program is growing under the guide of a new Athletic Director. Bryn Mawr has many fun traditions to help foster the community, although to non Bryn Mawr students they often sound very strange.

I am absolutely in love with Bryn Mawr. Entering as a freshwoman, I felt supported by both the staff, faculty, and students. I think Mawrters very quickly become a part of the large Bryn Mawr Sorority. Our four major traditions (Parade Night, Lantern Night, Hell Week, and May Day) really bring the students together in a way that both creates a space for each class but also allows individuals to push themselves outside their comfort zones. I will never forget that during Hell Week, my best friend, who is not an especially extroverted person, got up on the stage a Goodhart and did an awesome lipsyncing number with myself and a few others. This was a huge step for her and she has never regretted it and remembers it fondly.

One of the best things about Bryn Mawr is the great support system created by the professors and your fellow students. The professors are always willing and ready to help whatever the problem. Study groups are also a great way to better understand the materials and Peer Lead Instruction (PLI) and Teacher Assistant (TA) sessions are offered in almost all subjects. These additional meetings offer supplemental study information or time when students can get help with work or ask questions about topics they found confusing. One thing I would like to help change is the atmosphere surrounding racial issues. There is more racial tensions than need be and it is often hard for people to speak openly without feeling like they are offending others on the subject. The school is a good size. With several hundred graduate students and Post Baccalaureate students in addition to about 1300 undergrads, the campus is more widely integrated than most prospective students originally realize. Bryn Mawr is not really in a college town, but it is surrounded by several other towns that also have colleges and it is very close to Philadelphia. Bryn Mawr is also connected to Haverford College, Swarthmore College, and the University of Pennsylvania. Bryn Mawr is full of traditions and school pride which makes students feel even more connected. I will always remember Hell Week, all the Step Sings, and May Day several of the more prominent traditions Bryn Mawr celebrates.

The best thing about Bryn Mawr is that, as at a lot of liberal arts college, the professors are very accessible. Also, like at liberal arts college (and any other institutions that have honor codes (Bryn Mawr does)), they trust you, and many exams are take home, timed, closed-book/notes. You pick it up in an envelope at the beginning of the week, turn it in at the end of the week, and sign a statement that said you only spent, say, 2 hours on it and didn't use any materials not provided in the envelope. It shows what a great academic community this is that this is so common place. I have also found, in the courses I take here, that the professors are very straightforward in their teaching style as well as their expectations. If you do your work, study at least a day or two before each exam, and think before you open your mouth or put your pen to paper, you will probably get an A. No surprises, no subjective grading (so far as I can tell). Very fair. If you put in a decent amount of work, you will get an A here. Unfortunately, though extremely beautiful, it is probably one of the more boring campuses around. There are rarely any parties, almost never any loud ones, and even on Friday nights the campus is, most of the time, dead-silent. To follow that up, though, a second GOOD thing about Bryn Mawr is that it is positioned really close to Philly. If you don't like driving, or don't have a car, or don't want to pay for gas and insurance, or whatever, the train stop is less than a 10 minute walk from campus, and you can get to Philly for about $4 (in about 20 minutes or less). So, from campus to Philly (depending on your timing) would be about half an hour. Not bad.

This even sounds corny in my head, but the best thing about Bryn Mawr is that this is just a fantastic place to be. The Student Government Association is extremely strong, so campus life and administration are largely in student hands. It is not very often that students want to take up issues with administration, which is exceptional, because administration is largely students. The Honor Code, which prohibits cheating and stealing, is strong, so professors trust us to take self-scheduled, unproctored exams during finals period, and students never feel worried about leaving their dirty shoes in hallways and clothes on the drying rack in a laundry room. This may not seem like a big deal, but it feels great trusting your fellow students and having a college that trusts you; I have more than one friend who is at a college that treats students like the enemy.

We are a close community, which is great. We take care of each other and support each other. it's really nice

Bryn Mawr is small. Within a few weeks, it can feel like home, but it can also become incredibly awkward between people quickly, as you're likely to see any given person at least once a day somewhere on campus. There are definitely advantages and disadvantages to going to a small school, but I think the cons are more prevalent on other campuses. Bryn Mawr students become close VERY quickly.

Bryn Mawr has a small and outdated gym. If I could only change one thing it would be to update and enlarge the gym.