My student is trying to narrow down acceptances and could use some help. Three schools are in the final run, with two (Haverford and Bryn Mawr) closely related. They like things about both schools and view them as one larger experience vs. two separate individual 1,400-student campuses. Does it truly function this way? Are there fundamental cultural or academic differences between these schools that swayed you one way or the other (thesis requirement and all-women environment aside)? All guidance is appreciated!
I think they are definitely two different experiences that can overlap as much or as little as you want. My son attends Haverford and is active in Nerd House. There are definitely bring Bryn Mawr students at Nerd House events. It’s also very easy for students to take classes at the other school in the bi-co. My son hasn’t taken any at Bryn Mawr but is currently taking one at Swarthmore. He plans to take some at Penn too.
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I’m a Haverford alum who’s still active as an admissions volunteer. I took half of my classes at Bryn Mawr, which was easy to do. I loved being able to spend time on both campuses. I think I would have found Haverford too small without Bryn Mawr (and the proximity to Philadelphia).
Academic cooperation continues to flourish with most students taking classes on both campuses throughout their tenure. Students can major on either campus but have to fulfill the general graduation requirements of their home campus. Your student may find that the requirements of one school are more appealing than the other.
Many ECs are “bi-co,” and most events are open to students from both campuses (plus Swarthmore).
Another big difference is traditions which seem to be a bigger part of Bryn Mawr life than Haverford. Bryn Mawr has Lantern Night, Step Sing, May Day, garden parties at graduation and probably others that I’m forgetting. Haverford has more low key traditions like Haverfest, Pinwheel Day, and Lloyd Lights. (TBH, I was jealous of all of Bryn Mawr’s traditions.)
Students can eat on either campus, but it’s widely-acknowledged that the food is better at Bryn Mawr, especially brunch.
The two schools do have distinct feels, aside from their architectural styles, so I would try to have your student visit both if possible.
Eager to hear what your student decides.
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This is super helpful - thank you! I have a small worry that each school is just a bit smaller than I’d like - but together they seem like a wonderful place. My D fell in love with the tri-co last spring and visited Haverford and Swat 2x each, & BMC once before applying. Fortunately, BMC & Haverford are wonderful options (Swat is a waitlist), and she’s registered for the accepted student days. I will update you on her decision. (The other school in the mix is Grinnell - very different but also appealing to her.)
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Grinnell seems like an amazing place. My D2020 was accepted, but we couldn’t visit bc of COVID. I think she would have loved it. I will say that for me, proximity to Philadelphia was a big plus. I didn’t go to the city a lot my first two years, but I went a lot during my junior and senior years.
P.S. I took one class at Swat and got my lowest grade of my college career – so boo, Swat 
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My daughter is currently in her first year at Bryn Mawr. While they are two distinct campuses each with their own vibe, they are so closely linked. You can take classes, join groups, eat at cafeterias, even potentially room at either campus. There is a school bus that runs every day and well into the night that continually takes students back and forth between campuses in a quick ~10 minute trip. It’s super easy.
With that said, they do have a different feel, and hopefully your student will be able to get a sense for them on visit day. My daughter is very happy that Bryn Mawr is her home base, but a lot of that is because of the traditions, aesthetics (she thinks BMC is a much prettier campus - totally subjective!), and the women’s college atmosphere. She does love that Haverford and Philadelphia (and all of the other colleges in the area!) make the small community seem seem much bigger when she wants it.
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Thank you for your answer! This is very helpful insight. It is such a tough decision as my daughter loves things about both campuses. I wish the visit days were closer so we could narrow the field sooner rather than later (she seems to flip back and forth every day as to which she things she would prefer). I will say - the Thesis requirement at Haverford seems to be looming large at the moment so maybe that will be the tipping point? We shall see.
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