Sally_Rubenstone

When I first visited my alma mater, Smith College, in the spring of 1968, there was still evidence on campus of the school's earlier history as a bastion of bright but mostly well-heeled young women in pearls and cashmere sweater sets. Today, however, the face of women's colleges has definitely changed, as this US News article suggests: The Changing Face of Women's Colleges - US News and World Report

Women's schools are increasingly an attractive option for non-traditional students, for disadvantaged students, and for women of color. Some offer a best-of-both-worlds situation to students seeking a supportive academic environment along with a coed social life. For instance, Historically Black Spelman College in Atlanta (which I visited earlier this week .... love that Georgia pre-spring weather!) has all-male Morehouse College right next door as well as co-ed Clark Atlanta University. A number of the other women's colleges also have coed schools as their immediate neighbors (e.g., Barnard/Columbia; Scripps + four Claremont Consortium schools; Bryn Mawr/Haverford). Other women's colleges (e.g., Smith, Mount Holyoke, Wellesley) have cross-registration options that are a bit further afield.

While women's colleges aren't right for everyone, they do provide many pluses, especially to those who might not have considered them ... or even known about them ... eons ago, when I was making my own college choices.

I'm always interested in hearing about the experiences (pros and cons) of students in women's colleges ... especially those students who surprised themselves by choosing a single-sex college.

juillet

Wow, I had typed a nice long response to this and CC logged me out, and when I logged back in, wouldn't post the message...

Anyway, I graduated from Spelman College last May. As Sally Rubenstone mentioned, it's a historically black college for women. I loved it! I had applied to two women's colleges (Spelman and Agnes Scott College) along with a couple of co-ed schools, but after visiting and doing some research, the two women's colleges were my top choices. Both of them had all the standards I needed and wanted -- excellent academics; good reputations; beautiful campuses; generous financial aid; and interesting, diverse, and friendly students. But there was something extra about these two schools that made them really appealing to me. I ended up going to Spelman because they gave me a larger scholarship, lol.

Like I said, I really loved Spelman. They induct you into the sisterhood at the beginning of the semester, and it's like being in a really big, loose-knit sorority. Spelman alumnae I had never met before would hug me no matter where I went, and they were always willing to help their younger sisters. It was a small, tight-knit community. We openly discussed feminism and women's issues in class and every class deemed it important to introduce those topics (but not to the point where you were like ugh, shut up already!) All of the leaders -- from the college president and provost on down to the SGA president and club leaders -- were women. Most of the professors were women, too. It set an excellent example. Before I had the stereotype that all researchers/professors were old white men who had no lives, spending all day in the lab. Now I realize that only some professors are like that Seeing my female professors (many of them non-white) inspired and encouraged me that attaining a Ph.D and still being a mother and maintaining a personal life and feminine identity were possible, and now I'm in a Ph.D program and I want to be a professor, too.

And the social life felt like going to a co-ed university, because of Morehouse being so close. Morehouse is men's college, and we did most of our social events and extra-curricular activities together. I took classes at Morehouse and Morehouse guys took classes at Spelman. The drama department, for example, feels completely co-ed because Morehouse doesn't have one, and so their drama majors take most of their classes at Spelman. Spelman students can take business classes at Morehouse (since we don't have a business major). When I see Morehouse guys and they identify me as a Spelmanite, they count me as a sister, too (we have a brother-sister thing going on btw the schools).

Not that there aren't cons. The residence halls were single-sex, of course, and sometimes it's just more fun to live in mixed sex dorms. (Also, the male visitation rules were ridiculous -- 6 pm to 11 pm every night -- but that's just Spelman. Other women's collegs have much more lenient rules.) The campus was beautiful, but very small and became claustrophobic after a couple of years. I sometimes yearned for the trappings of large co-ed universities, like fervor about sports or an elaborate Greek system (we had Greeks, but only the historically black ones and they are extremely competitive and don't work like the NIC sororities. And we had homecoming with Morehouse's football team, but no one cared about football the rest of the year). Every now and then, you'll wish that all of your classes were co-ed and not just one or two. And there are the stereotypes. People will stereotype you based on the fact that you go to, or went to, a women's college, especially if your particular college has a particular stereotype (like "Wellesley women are ball-busters" or "All Mills girls are lesbians").

(Surprisingly, one of the cons was NOT the cattiness of female students. I hear that as the number one reason young women won't consider women's colleges, and it's just silly. I went to one and spent a lot of time at another -- I had friends at Agnes Scott -- and I rarely encountered cattiness between students. It's a myth about women in large groups that I have yet to see validated.)

I always encourage college-bound women to consider women's colleges, and not just to rule them out.

Sally_Rubenstone

I'm sorry that you had technical difficulties, juillet, and I really appreciate the extra efforts you made to post your helpful comments about your Spelman experience. I participate in a grant-funded counseling program in NYC and have often referred some of my advisees to Spelman. Yet these students are usually reluctant to apply to a women's college and/or to go that far away from home. So, when the next crop of girls comes along this spring, I am going to direct them to your remarks. Thanks very much and best wishes on your Ph.D. studies.

Queen's Mom

My D (HS Junior) is looking at some Women's colleges, and the comments she gets from some of her female schoolmates are downright ignorant and obnoxious. I do not understand why schools whose only purpose is to educate smart capable women and give them the tools and confidence to compete in this world should be derided.

Sally_Rubenstone

Consider this something of a blessing in disguise. Perhaps due in part to such remarks as these, women's colleges typically do not attract the number of applicants that the comparable coed college do, which means that the education can be just as good but the admissions process is somewhat less stressful and exacting. For instance, at Smith, where I used to work, the applicant pool was always impressively strong, but Smith didn't routinely turn away top students who got an 800 on Critical Reading but just a 660 in Math--or vice versa--the way the Ivies often do (and Smith is SAT-optional now to boot ). Likewise, an interesting applicant who was outstanding in some academic areas but weaker in others was not quickly shunted to the "Out" pile, as she might be at the uber-selective coed colleges.

So tell your daughter to try to look beyond the bad press that her friends are providing to see if a women's school is a good fit for her. If yes, then remind her that the derisive comments she's hearing will help to improve admission odds for those girls who are willing to think for themselves.

nessainthesky918

Hi Queen's Mom! I am currently a senior in high school and will be attending Agnes Scott College in the fall. Needless to say, when some of my peers heard that I will be attending an all-female institution, they responded with catty remarks and downright rude comments that I personally would never say to/about another person. Despite this, I am even more glad that I decided to enroll in a women's college as I know that I will be with a group of women that have risen above the comments with open minds and a willingness to learn for the sake of furthering their education. While the women's college atmosphere has changed, you would think that things are still the same as they were many years ago according to the responses from the "high school elite" at my school, most of whom will end up at the local state college because it is the "cool" thing to do. Your daughter should be able to choose a college that will suit her needs best, and not feel the pressure to disregard a set of schools just because someone else is completely blind to the truth and wonderful aspects of a women's college. Sorry for the rant, but that kind of ignorance really riles me up!

Queen's Mom

Hi nessa. My D is very interested in Agnes Scott. We will be visiting during her spring break. The more she reads about the school, the more she likes it. Her number one choice is still Barnard, but that is a huge reach for her. She may wind up at ASC in 2010.

juillet

Agnes Scott is a beautiful school, with a great campus and extremely friendly, interesting, intellectual women as students. I spent a lot of time there while I was at Spelman, as I had a lot of friends there, and it's amazing. The library is great, the campus is gorgeous, all of the students that I met when I visited as a prospective student were helpful and eager to encourage prospective students to come. And they are very generous with their financial aid. Decatur is a great little town, too.

I really hope that you enjoy your visit to Atlanta!

hoedown

I attended a woman's college. This was back in the 1980s when there were more single-sex colleges than there are now, but few enough that it was still an unusual choice.

In some ways it was an unusual choice for me, priding myself on being "one of the guys" while secretly nursing an inner boy-crazy self. I had my doubts about the single-sex aspect, but in some ways the "yuck, no way!" reactions from some of my peers made it more appealing to me. I was a conformist who craved being a little different, I guess.

In the end I think the choice was invaluable. Many of the things I loved about college I would have gotten at any other small liberal arts school with a strong honor code, but the single-sex environment helped me to take more intellectual risks, go for more leadership positions, focus on my work during the week, and gain a better appreciation for women's strengths. I think I also learned to better value the support and friendship offered by other women.

I wouldn't say my experience was overtly feminist. Partly that was due to its setting (southern women's college) but also because the campus tended to live those values instead of debate the politics of them.

I have heard people hypothesize that a single-sex college doesn't prepare women for the rigors of a competitive, co-ed world. Based on my experience and the experience I have seen from other grads, that gets a big snort of laughter.

Queen's Mom

Like everything else, I guess it is a matter of fit. I know that I would not have been comfortable at a women's college. However, my daughter is an entirely different kind of person, and a nurturing college focused on her strengths (which is exactly what appeals about a single sex school) is exactly what she needs.

Sally_Rubenstone

Queen's Mom--If your daughter is interested in Agnes Scott, you might also want to look at Peace College in Raleigh. This is a school that was not on my radar screen at all until a good friend of mine (former assoc. dean of the faculty at Smith) accepted the Provost job at Peace three years ago. Since then, I've visited a couple times and have been very impressed. In some ways, Peace is a throw-back to the golden days of women's colleges when there was mandatory non-denominational chapel and strict rules governing the presence of male guests in dorm rooms. But it's also a school that is very much in the 21st Century, with lots of internship opportunities and some uncommon majors, such as "Human Resources." I met the president of Peace on one visit. She is fantastic, as is my pal the Provost. So any school that has these two women at the helm is worth a closer look, in my opinion. Also, because the school is very small (~700), the students get a lot of personal attention and atypical opportunities (e.g., my friend and a group of Peace students just returned from a week-long program in Qatar, which they got to attend for free). Peace has a pretty campus right in the heart of downtown Raleigh (and is walking distance to coed NC State). Peace is not as selective as Agnes Scott, so it might be a potential "Safety" for students aiming for Barnard as a "Reach" and Agnes Scott as a "Match" and a great opportunity for your daughter to be one of the bigger fish in a small pond.

Likewise, Meredith College is another women's college in Raleigh that is worth considering. Admission standards there are roughly comparable to those at Peace (avg. test scores appear to be a shade higher but there's not a world of difference). A current senior in my orbit, who had also applied and was admitted to far more selective schools, was just awarded a terrific merit grant at Meredith that will not only pay her way but will also provide many VIP opportunities while she's there. So for a student like your daughter who is apparently strong enough to be considering Barnard (even as a big reach), these NC colleges may be worth a visit ... at least via the Web, for starters.

Queen's Mom

As far as selectivity, Agnes Scott is more of a safety for D. I consider Barnard a reach in general based on its low admission percentage, so D is really not looking for anything less selective than Agnes Scott.

Additionally, mandatory chapel (no matter how non denominational) is a complete deal breaker for D.

I will look both schools up though since I have never heard of them before. You never know what will click with D. Thank you.

zoosermom

My daughter is a junior and is also looking at women's colleges. The school that I think is her best fit is Bryn Mawr, but she has her heart set on Barnard, although she knows it's reachy. She's also looking at Mount Holyoke, which has impressed her a lot, but she has some reservations about the location. I think the interviews that she has scheduled at Bryn Mawr and Mount Holyoke will give her a really good idea as to whether they are right for her. She also gets snarky comments about attending an all-female college and her answer is that she doesn't need to attend class with them in order to attract men -- if she wants them! I think she's exactly the kind of driven, focused personality that would thrive in a women's college because she truly believes that she can change the world and would be happy with women like herself. Now to the nuts and bolts: what should she wear to her interviews? She had thought of a simple dress with a sweater over it and flat shoes, but isn't sure. Her normal attire is a little bit on the, shall we say, dark side, which might present an image that isn't truly accurate. Thoughts anyone?

Queen's Mom

The dress and sweater sounds nice. A good pair of slacks with a sweater would also work, I think. Something that looks "business casual" should work.

I love Bryn Mawr and Mt. Holyoke, but you know D will not even consider Massachusetts (there are other possible schools there, but D wants nothing north of NY). Bryn Mawr is still a possibility, but for some reason, it just did not catch D's attention.

zoosermom

My D has real reservations about Massachusetts as well, but she's met the rep from Mount Holyoke and liked her a lot. Also, the art museum is calling her name (hear it?), so it's worth a look. The thing about Bryn Mawr is that she's received the Classics Review for over a year now and feels like her Lost Tribe of Wandering Classicists is awaiting her at Bryn Mawr!