Bryn Mawr College Top Questions

There are some students at Bryn Mawr who fall under what we are stereotyped, but with every stereotype, it can't be applied to everyone here as a whole. Most of the women here at Bryn Mawr are very friendly and caring...something our school has that most other schools don't is the camaderie that is often encouraged between freshmen and upperclassmen. The upperclassmen here really try to help out the freshmen in whatever ways they can. Students here are also very passionate when it comes to learning, whether it be in or outside of the classroom.

Not quite--I feel that many people are intimidated by us because by chosing to go to an women's college we already have a sense of ourselves that most college students need to develop while being away from home for the first time. I feel that most women here have a certain confidence that can be intimidating on the outside.

To a degree. They wouldn't be stereotypes if there weren't grains of truth tucked away in there! It's certainly not as gay/weird/socially awkward/nerdy as we're stereotyped to be, but we're also made up of people who fall into one or more of those categories.

To a certain degree, yes these stereotypes are true. I will always remember when my mom came to visit for Parent's weekend. On our way from her car to my dorm, we saw atleast three lesbian couples, and two girls wearing t-shirts referring to videogames. My mom turned to me apprehensively and said, "Are you sure you are ok here?" So yes, Bryn Mawr does seem to be a haven of sorts for geeks. If you couldnt find your place in high school, you will most likely find other misfits here. However, I have also found some great girls who are smart, motivated, hilarious and know how to have a good time. I believe anyone can fid their place here.

While academics are a priority at Bryn Mawr, it's not like we don't know how to have fun. I mean, if you're looking for the typical "college experience," Bryn Mawr is probably not your place. but if you want something a bit more fulfilling, Bryn Mawr is wonderful. As for the lesbian thing, there is a substantial gay population here, but certainly not a majority.

I think because of the community, people aren't as afraid of being out with their sexuality. Though one major thing is that here people don't really like labels at the same time. I would say at least the majority here agrees with women's rights, I don't know of many militant feminists. As for the school work-- there is a lot of work, and it is not easy. You just need to find a happy medium. And yes that's hard a lot of the time, but its possible.

Not at all. Although there are a higher number of GLBTQ students than on your average campus, we have the full spectrum of women. A huge number have boyfriends at other schools, and there are always guys on campus, especially in classes and at parties, because of Bryn Mawr's close relationship with Haverford and Swarthmore. Also, there's a great balance of drinkers and non-drinkers on campus. If you want to drink, there's always plenty around, but if it's not your scene there are enough non-drinkers that there's no pressure. As someone who doesn't drink much, I love the balance. Although the party scene doesn't last half the week like at other schools, most students go out one or both weekend nights. Again, I love the balance. I work very hard all week, and when the weekend comes I let loose. There isn't much of a party scene on campus, but most people go with their friends to Haverford or Swarthmore, or Villanova or UPenn for a bigger scene.

There is a lot of work at Bryn Mawr and students do tend to make work come first. However, Bryn Mawr women also know how to have a good time and it is quite possible to have a social life. Although Bryn Mawr is not a typical "party" school we are independant women and know how to make fun, have fun, and find fun. And yes although we are an all women's college that by no means makes every one a militant feminist. I think the term feminism is highly misunderstood as well. At Bryn Mawr there is truly a representation of all types of individuals but none that dominate the campus by any means.

I mean, they're stereotypes for a reason. Yes, our college DOES have a greater LGBTQ population than most. All of my friends are straight, though, and none of us hate men. Yes, there are radical feminists out there, but most people are just activits for womens' rights without being all in-your-face about it, and all of us are clean and neatly groomed. Yes, there is a significant population of private school graduates, but the college provides financial aid that even those not economically well-off can still attend. We're as catty as any other college with women can be, no better or worse. I actually like to think we're less catty because there isn't the same kind of competition for male attention.

While theres no typical Bryn Mawr girl, there is a pretty big gay and bisexual population as in I've met more (at least openly)gay and bisexual women here than I have ever met in my entire life.With this said however, I would still estimate that the majority of the students here are straight. To say we have a social life is pretty much a joke. There is almost always NOTHING to do on the weekends.Parties are incredibly rare. Nearby schools are more likely to have parties but the majority of these parties are so bad, your better off just hanging out in your room and drinking on your own.

For the most part, yeah, unfortunately.

As far as the positive stereotypes go, I am proud to say that in my experience they have certainly proven true for a good chunk of people that I have met here, though certainly not for everyone. As for the negative stereotypes, I am sure that some of them are applicable to some students or situations at Bryn Mawr. I cannot claim that no one has found Bryn Mawr unwelcoming or prejudiced against men. In my experience, these stereotypes are almost completely false. I have found that oftentimes they are created by people who do not attempt to understand the Bryn Mawr culture, but are more satisfied with fabricating their own ideas about how the school runs and convincing themselves and others that these fabrications are accurate, without actually considering experiences or people they have met at Bryn Mawr.

It's true that feminism is strong and that many students are gay, bisexual, or transgender, though there are also many straight students. Students are serious about academics. I wouldn't say that Bryn Mawr is a cult, but there is a strong sense of community and tradition. Bryn Mawr women have a range of personalities, but many students grow to be strong, independent, and confident in their abilities.

While I would not deny that there is more experimentation here, I would not categorically believe that all of our students are lesbians; however, our academic reputation is very much true.

All except the lesbian stereotype. There are some, but not every student like some people think.

yes.

Of course not! I think that these stereotypes could not be further from the truth. I feel because we attend a women's college, it's easier to attack and label us. Plus, most of the people that uphold this stereotype judge without knowing what we're really like.

Well, at least from my perspective and most students I know, definitely are NOT man haters! but we DO believe in gender equality and strive to gain the respect that women deserve in fields where men are still dominant. About social life, I think that in any college you go to, it is up to you and the social life you want to have, yes, Bryn Mawr demands a lot af academic committment, but there is always time to have fun, meet new people, and relax.... I personally feel great and really enjoying my time at BMC! oh, and about the third...yes, we ARE go getters! lol

Like I said, they are right to an extent. There are a lot of weird people at Bryn Mawr, but there are obviously an enormous number of normal people, too. I think because it's an all-women's atmosphere, a lot of stereotypical traits of women are emphasized--there is a lot of cattiness, drama, and gossip on campus that I don't think would be so blaringly obvious if the school were co-ed.

We're a rather liberal campus, but we are fairly accepting of people from all different points of view. As for the lesbian comment, I feel as though our campus does not have any more lesbians than any other college campus. It's just that at Bryn Mawr people feel more comfortable expressing their sexuality openly.

I think the fact that we're all driven and committed to learning is incredibly true; the idea that we all hate men really isn't. That's not what a women's college is about!