inspiration08

hey guys!

every time i look at colleges/universities and there are no new threads in the bryn mawr section, i get really sad. anyone/everyone attending, applying to, or interested in byrn mawr is welcome! i just want to talk about who has done campus visits, who is applying early, and what you love about BMC. we need a community here people!

BMC love,

inspiration

inspiration08

okay, ill start. i did the fall preview weekend in october and i had a great time. im applying to four girls schools, and bryn mawr is my favorite right now (close with barnard). i really hope i get in! i've already written my supplement essay, but im not applying early decision.

what i love about bryn mawr: several things here, haha. the all girls aspect most definitely is important to me. i love the environment it provides. also, the intense intellectual atmosphere is really important to me. im the type of person that loves it when school and life merge. i feel like bryn mawr is a place where everyone is very committed to their studies, and the whole campus is a big mix of living and learning. the fact that dorms are so awesome helps, big time!

i didnt see much of philadelphia when we were there, because i was on campus a lot. my mom does not like philly, for some reason, and says she doesnt want me to go there. but who knows?

okay, girls. help me out with some posts here!

bklyndad

inspiration, my daughter is a junior and many of the things that appeal to you about Bryn Mawr based upon your visit and some of the very things that she loves about it. While the academic demands are indeed intense, the opportunities for balance are plentiful, whether they be extracurricular or social. D has many friends at Haverford, Villanova, Swarthmore and Penn and it really is easy to circulate among them.

Please let your mom know that recent news reports may legitimately raise safety concerns about Philadelphia, D nor her friends have avoided availing themselves of all the diverse and interesting attractions the city has to offer. As with any major urban center, one needs to be observant and use common sense. The SEPTA ride in on the R5 is about 25 minutes into the main train station with easy transfers to the bus or subway once you're there. Some people take advantage of the opportunity more than others; it's all a matter of personal preference.

redsexton

Hi, I'm applying to BM too, but I'm international, so fingers crossed!

Have you checked out the videos on YouTube. They're really insightful; talks with students, etc. Just type in Bryn Mawr and they should pop up.

However, what are these "safety concerns", bklyndad? It's not going to stop me from applying, but I'd just like to know if I'm gonna get tasered at the local store for mulling too long over which candy bar to choose.

bklyndad

By safety, I simply mean the issues related to crime which finds in any major U.S. metropolitan area. In most areas you would be likely to visit as a student, that would not be a major issue at all.

inspiration08

redsexton: no, i hadnt seen the videos! thanks for the tip!

bklyndad: thanks for posting! its nice to hear about someone who is already there.

okay, 36 views and not nearly as many posts. i (we) will NOT let this thread die! also, i think maybe i mean mawrtyrs ...haha.

sillypossum

I'm applying early decision!!! I'm so glad you started this thread, inspiration, I was surprised at the dearth of current bmc-related ones!

As for others who appiled ED--anyone know the exact notification date? I've heard Dec. 15 but the official website says "mid December". Bryn Mawr, you're killing me here!!

What I love about bmc? The fact that their mascot is the owl!! No but really, what's not to love!?

I'm a bit worried because originally when BMC came up on my preliminary college list, I took it off because my college counselor told me it was very, very academically rigorous. I work hard, but my grades aren't stellar (they are quite respectable, though). And I like to have fun. Not hardcore-get-wasted-and-pass-out partying fun... what I mean is that my entire life does not revolve around studying.

By the way, I'm from N.C.

momof2011

My D applied ED1 a year ago and I remember how "tense" our house was this time last year. She received a phone call from the Director of Admissions on December 12th (2006) - so a few days before the official December 15th date. I think more acceptance phone calls are made for ED applicants than RD applicants (smaller number to have to call!). She is now heading into first semester finals of her Freshman year. She has a ton of papers to write by next Friday! She loves just about everything about BMC...the rigorous and challenging academics, the people, the profs, her dorm, the food is pretty good (she's a vegan), the gorgeous campus and she takes full advantage of the easy train to Philly...attending small venue indie concerts every few weeks. She is a film buff and loves being able to walk to town to the Bryn Mawr Film Institute. She has become very involved in some extra curriculars (more than I expected) and even has her own show as a DJ on the bi-co radio station at Haverford. The only negative in her mind is the gym requirement (she has medical issues). So far BMC has been very supportive of her health issues with the exception of the gym requirement (we're working on that!).

I don't think BMC gets a lot of attention on college confidential - but for those considering attending...it's one of those "best kept secrets"...a hidden gem. Good luck to all who applied ED1...your wait is almost over!

b@r!um

Yay, the forum is back alive

What I love about Bryn Mawr: the people. My classmates are about the most open-minded, respectful and interesting group of peers I have ever met, the staff is awesome and the faculty are amazing!

The one thing I am unhappy about is the rigor of my classes. I wish comp sci and math were a little bit more challenging...

What subjects are you interested in?

inspiration08

momof2011: i agree! bryn mawr is totally a hidden gem. i'm so glad i found it. i can't wait to hear about ED1 for those who did it- good luck all!

b@r!um: anthropology! on my visit weekend, i sat in on a class with professor murphy and absolutely fell in love. also creative writing...and political science. basically, im not sure. haha. when i was on campus i met a girl who was taking a playwriting class, which really interested me. and wow, im impressed that you think comp sci and math are not as challenging as they could be. im the farthest from a math/science person you could ever get, haha!

on another note, i have a question about dorms. it seems to me that many freshmen get dorms that are doubles, but with two rooms, and you can either have a bedroom and a living room/study, or each take a room to yourself. this is the ideal living situation for me, because i want a roommate, but would also appreciate being able to close the door sometimes, you know? so i guess my question is, how often does this happen? are most of the rooms two room doubles? do many girls have more than one roommate?

lizbobiz

I'm applying as a transfer student from the University of Florida. Bryn Mawr appeals to me because everything about it is the exact opposite of the school I'm at now. Since I can't really visit, I was wondering if anyone could tell me how it compares to Wellesley? I'm sure this question has been asked a lot, but everyone seems to be saying different things. Some say that Bryn Mawr is so much more friendlier and less competitive, which is what I want, while the girls at Wellesley are competitive, but not as weird/geeky. I don't really know what they mean by "weird/geeky". I guess I'm geeky, but generally normal, and not socially awkward. Sorry if I'm generalizing, but I can't really do much else without seeing the campus, which will be much later from now.

b@r!um

I've heard a lot of girls raving about creative writing classes. The classes really popular (though you will never find me in one of them ).

What your room looks like depends mostly on the dorm you are in. Haffner, for example, has only singles and so all the freshman living in Haffner get a single. Doubles in Brecon (my dorm) are just one room with two beds, two desks and two closets in it.

Some other dorms have two-room doubles, but I think they are the worst rooms on campus. One of the two rooms is significantly smaller than the other, sometimes so tiny that after fitting a bed and a desk into it there is not enough space for two people to pass each other, and it is really dark. Some girls have had really bitter arguments about who gets the larger room. There are larger two-room doubles (basically two singles with a door between them) but they do not usually go to freshmen.

The nicest rooms in my opinion are quadruples. Quadruples consist of three rooms: two rooms with two beds and closets in each, and one really large common room with 4 desks and plenty of space for chairs and sofas (or parties ).

b@r!um

lizbobiz, I have not visited Wellesley so I am not able to make a comparison, but 98% of Bryn Mawr girls are not socially awkward. You could describe me as weird/geeky because I usually spend my Friday nights in the computer lab working on comp sci projects. It would not be necessary to invest that amount of time into a project to get a good grade but I want to do the very best I can.

I think that's characteristic of most Bryn Mawr girls: they don't do their work to get it done and get a good grade (or to do better than everyone else) but because they enjoy doing it and have set high standards for themselves. Most of my classmates are ambitious and idealistic and many could accurately be described as perfectionists.

sillypossum

b@r!um:
What's the best dorm for a freshman? I wouldn't want to live in a single my first year. I stayed in Pem West for the October visit day--are they all pretty similar? What's the procedure concerning incoming freshman and housing?

inspiration08

b@r!um: i thought haffner was only for language majors? and isnt brecon the one where you have to walk up and down all those stairs by the gym to get to? i would volunteer to take the smaller room if it was even just barely big enough to live in, because i actually like having compacted space (weird, i know). but im pretty much cool with whatever kind of dorm i get, wherever i go to college.

lizbobiz: obviously, i dont attend either wellesley or bryn mawr, but i have visited both, and the impressions i got were vastly different. while both campuses are spacious and beautiful, wellesley felt much more spread out to me than bryn mawr. i also get the impression that girls at bryn mawr are very intellectually curious, and take random classes that interest them just because they want to, while wellesley struck me as incredibly career oriented. i felt like many girls at wellesley were intent on becoming doctors, lawyers, bankers, economists, politicians (a la hillary), whatever, and were fast tracked and time pressured towards those careers. as a gross generalization, bryn mawr seemed to be more about community, and wellesley was more about the individual. to note, the dorms at bryn mawr are vastly superior to those at wellesley, as is the transportation into philly (vs transportation into boston). as with any schools, whether you would be a better fit at bryn mawr or wellesley is completely dependent upon you as a person. i personally am in love with bryn mawr and it has slowly and unexpectedly crept up to be my front runner. when i visited wellesley, i was less than excited, and decided not to apply. my college counselor, who is convinced that if i must go to a womens college, i would do well to go to wellesley, especially since i already refuse to apply to smith (nothing against smith at ALL, its just not right for me) because i visited and hated it. (it rubbed my OCD the wrong way...such a hodge podge of buildings...*shudders*). anyways, if bryn mawr will have me, thats where i want to be!

sillypossum: i did october visit day! i was in erdman. i wonder if i met you...