<p>I was also considering Mount Holyoke before ultimately selecting Bryn Mawr. While they are both Seven Sisters and very similar at face value, the geographic and social experience at Bryn Mawr is what helped me decide.</p>
<p>Academics are very strong at both institutions, there’s no doubt about that. Like Mount Holyoke, Bryn Mawr is also in a consortium with other colleges-- Haverford, Swarthmore, and UPenn. Our courses are included in the same registration pool so it’s very easy to go from campus to campus. You can even major at Haverford if you prefer their department over ours. Basically, there’s a tremendous pool of options. Haverford offers a really cool class called Epidemiology and Global Health, which sounds pretty up your alley. I’d go on the department websites and look around at course offerings to get a feel for the programs.</p>
<p>You won’t be hard-pressed for campus traditions at Bryn Mawr. WE LOVE THEM. no, seriously. They’re a huge, huge part of this community and are truly the glue that brings so many diverse women together. We have four major traditions a year in addition to tons of smaller superstitions. We roll hard with the traditions, so to speak. You can read more about them here: [Student</a> Activites | Bryn Mawr College](<a href=“http://www.brynmawr.edu/activities/traditions.shtml]Student”>http://www.brynmawr.edu/activities/traditions.shtml)</p>
<p>While Bryn Mawr is very academically rigorous, because of our Social and Academic Honor Code, we do not speak about grades with our peers. Therefore our only competition is with ourselves, greatly minimizing that “cutthroat” stress or competition that many of us felt in high school. As emphasized through traditions, Bryn Mawr really facilitates a feeling of support where we all look out for each other. The fact that we are the smallest Seven Sister I think really underscores this idea that everyone knows everyone, especially Professors. It’s a great feeling.</p>
<p>Every floor in every dorm has what’s called a “tea pantry” and has a microwave, sink, and full fridge. Beyond that, our Self-Governance House offers a full kitchen that students can reserve to cook meals in. Our Dining Services is ranked 4th in the nation and always offers plenty of ways to personalize your meals-- from tons of spices and herbs to make-your-own eggs, stir-fry, and panini stations. After your freshman year you can also opt to live in Batten House, a residence that operates as a co-op where students that live there are responsible for cooking all of their own meals. They have a full kitchen that’s both vegan and meat-friendly. I have several friends living in Batten and it’s a great option for cooks! You can read more about Batten here: [Residential</a> Life | Bryn Mawr College](<a href=“http://www.brynmawr.edu/residentiallife/floorplans/batten.shtml]Residential”>http://www.brynmawr.edu/residentiallife/floorplans/batten.shtml)</p>