Bryn Mawr CollegeGuys & Girls Summary

I think that everyone has her own experiences in terms of meeting boys, so I can only give you my experience mixed with what I've heard. First, a lot of students like to party, and that's a great way to meet guys, though it doesn't USUALLY produce a real relationship. It's pretty easy to go out on the weekends and meet boys (through the Tri-Co, Penn, Villanova, etc.), so that is one way of finding a more "traditional" college experience. That said, the parties don't usually come to you; for the most part, you have to leave campus if you want a larger-scale party with a good guy-to-girl ratio.

Besides partying, I think with enough effort some people do succeed in making Bi-Co/Tri-Co relationships work (with students at Haverford and Swarthmore, if you're unfamiliar with the terms). However, it's pretty rare. Like with musical theater, though, if you have your heart set on it, you can probably make what you want out of it! I do know of a few longer-term Bi-Co relationships, it's just preeeeetty rare. If that kind of thing is super important to you, Bryn Mawr's not the first place I would recommend, but if you love other aspects of Bryn Mawr, you might be able to make it work.

I also know a lot of people who come into Bryn Mawr as freshmen already in relationships, and at least during the first year, it seems like it's hard but it works out okay. Maybe that's one way that a women's college makes that easier!

Guy friends can be super easy to make if you're really outgoing, what with parties and classes and stuff. If you take a class at Haverford, you most likely won't be the only Bryn Mawr student in it (this is rarer at Swat), and almost all classes at Bryn Mawr have at least one guy in them, sometimes even a Swattie. There are guys walking around campus during the day, but not so much at night, and the dining halls are full of them. So if you're really into meeting people, you can definitely make platonic guy friends through the consortia. If not, then you might have more trouble -- Like I said, I think the most common and the easiest way to interact with guys at Bryn Mawr is to meet them through the party scene, and that doesn't usually yield lasting friendships or serious romantic relationships (but it can be fun!).

Hope that answers your questions! Some girls seem satisfied enough with this aspect of Bryn Mawr/the consortia, some girls complain but seem okay with it, and some girls seem quite unhappy; however, I think that if you go for it and try to create the social scene you want to have ("Be the change you want to see in the world," lol), you'll probably be okay.

thank you sooooo much!

Good info.

Yes there is a large community and it's very close knit. Even those people who don't identify as LGBTQ are extremely supportive of those who are. The Rainbow Alliance, and other similar groups are very active on Campus. 'Out Week' is a very big event and at the start of every semester is a 'Q-Sem', a forum that freshmen are encouraged to attend during which questions about the LGBTQ community, and what it's like to be LGBTQ are asked and answered.

My daughter has not found this to be true at all. She has loved her freshman year tremendously and believe me, does not come from money!

Granted, Bryn Mawr does have its share of students from wealthy families but it also has a good percentage from other segments of the financial continuum. In general, catty and snobby are not the character traits I think of when it comes to Bryn Mawr women. More like serious, driven, involved and welcoming. I think the "traditions" that occur in intervals throughout the year help bind the student body together into a community whose members genuinely look out for one other.