So I know I’ve really waited until the last minute but it’s May 1st and I would love some advice. I visited Bryn Mawr last week and liked the programs and the Bi-Co relationship but didn’t vibe that much with the community and the people. Just yesterday, I visited Occidental, where I felt a lot more connected to the students and the campus (as someone from the west coast, I also felt more comfortable in LA) and felt that I could become a better person there. However, the orchestra at Oxy is definitely not that strong compared to the Bryn Mawr/Haverford orchestra which isn’t amazing but is still a lot closer to what I’m looking for. I am planning on double majoring in environmental studies (which seem to be equal at both colleges) and music and having a good orchestra is important to me.
Reputation is another thing I am really considering although I really am more interested in how it translates to campus life. I actually got into Cornell and decided not as I am really interested in going to a liberal arts college. Clearly, because of that, reputation isn’t that big of a deal to me. However, I think that I still see Occidental as a safety school for me (which it was as I applied) and have also heard that there are several kids who go to Oxy with the intention of transferring. I also am not sure if that academics at Oxy are as rigorous as they are at Bryn Mawr.
If anyone could offer me some advice, I am really desperate as the deadline is today. I have family and friends helping me but getting some input here would be really appreciated!!
Sounds like a tough decision! I don’t know Occidental but have visited Bryn Mawr multiple times and love it. It’s possible that when you felt like you “didn’t vibe that much with the community and the people” that was because it was a short visit and you were out of your element. Somewhere familiar does feel more comfortable at first, but human beings are so adaptable. The people we met at Bryn Mawr were warm, welcoming, smart and articulate.
On Bryn Mawr’s website, you can find student blogs which helped me get a sense of student life. There’s a blogger named Miranda who writes about attending the orchestra in Philly on Free College Night and at Haverford: https://canilang.blogs.brynmawr.edu/2016/09/22/college-night-at-the-philadelphia-orchestra/
https://canilang.blogs.brynmawr.edu/2016/04/15/bi-co-orchestra-spring-concert/
Reading what you’ve written above, it sounds like you’d be more comfortable at Occidental. Most of your views on BMC are negative–didn’t “vibe with the community and the people”, the Bryn Mawr/Haverford orchestra “Isn’t amazing”. That doesn’t sound like a place where you want to spend the next four years.
I’m familiar with all 3 colleges - we visited them when my daughter was applying to college. I have to admit that I agree with post #2 - it sounds like you really want to stay in CA. That’s ok. Not everyone is ready to go far from home at 18. Personally my daughter and I had the opposite experience where she loved BMC/H and thought Oxy was “just ok.” It seemed like a nice LAC, but not what she was searching for. We live in CA and she is going to college on the East Coast and loves it there. But this is a personal decision and you need to choose which one feels right to YOU.
My DD came down to BMC/Oxy last year. Had not visited Oxy but went with her gut. She’s just finishing her freshman year there and it was the right choice