Simmons or Bryn Mawr

happymomof1
Wed, 23 Apr 2014 14:37:27 +0000

BMC grad here. I had several friends who left BMC after a year or two because they out-grew the intensely academic focus there. It is my impression that Simmons has a much more practical world view, and that the graduates walk out of Simmons into solid careers as a result of the internships they pursue at institutions that are basically right next door. If that is what your daughter is after, BMC probably wouldn’t be a good long-term fit. Yes there are career pathways that would be much easier to enter directly out of college from Simmons than from BMC. If she wants to spend the next four years engaged in the life of the mind, then I’d recommend BMC over Simmons.

Meanwhile, I’d have her sit down and try to organize her reasons for each place. If the she changes her mind halfway through college, is there a reasonable transfer path from the place she is attending to the other one? What about reasonable transfer paths from either of them to a different institution altogether. If she can verbalize what she means by Simmons being “who she wants to grow into”, I think you will feel more comfortable with her choice.

She can frame all those other college acceptance letters. If she is good enough to be admitted to all those other places, but knows in her own heart and mind that Simmons is going to get her to where she really wants to be, then she is going to do a bang-up job when she gets to that place.

Wishing you and your daughter all the best!