I got into both William and Mary and Bryn Mawr, and I would like some advice on where to go. I am interested in majoring in International Relations or Political Science. I would be a Monroe Scholar at William and Mary and I love their IR department. The only issue is that William and Mary is close to where I live and A LOT of people from my area go there. Bryn Mawr is my ideal college community, has a very strong alumni network, and (from what I heard) is very academia focused, but it is maybe not as strong for my major and is ranked lower. Any help would be appreciated!
My goal is also to maybe go to law school or maybe work for an international NGO (UN type stuff). I like being near a city, but not in it (so Bryn Mawr is good), and I want a strong study abroad program.
If both are affordable, it sounds to me like you really like Bryn Mawr more for a variety of reasons.
I would encourage you to go to admitted students day for each. You can meet other potential students and explore the campuses more in depth. My son is at WM and is having a really great experience. But you need to decide which campus feels best. Even though there are a good number of students from NoVa at WM (assuming that’s where you are from), there are more students from lots of other places.
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I think W&M is wonderful - and how many from your local area can truly go?
I think Bryn Mawr is wonderful - I’m assuming the cost will be more than W&M in state. Is that a concern for your family.
Of course BM is a women’s only school - but you share with Swat and Haverford and can even take classes at Penn…so that’s very nice.
Of IR - and likely going to law school or working for an NGO, I wouldn’t quite frankly worry about where I was going.
But these two schools are both wonderful - and both will get you to where you want to be. And based on your write up, it seems BM is the right choice (assuming affordability and your family’s willingness and ability to pay).
Best of luck.
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I think William & Mary sounds like a really good academic fit for you, and I think Monroe is a big additional incentive both for the resume line and the other perks (including the sweet new dorm!). I think for most people it really ends up feeling like a national private college, and I suspect the presence of other people from your area would end up a non-issue.
But then Bryn Mawr is going to be a much more specific sort of experience, and if that is the experience you want? I would not give that up lightly. And I am sure you could find ways to pursue your eventual chosen career (which, frankly, has a pretty good chance of changing in college anyway).
Unfortunately I do not think any of us can really tell you which way to go. But I don’t think there is a wrong choice either, this is a great pair of options to have.
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