Bryn Mawr College
Reviews

Traditions, All Women, and Opportunities

We have traditions that are wonderful and unique! It builds a unique sense of community and support that is wonderful. It is an all women's college. There are incredible scholarship, internship, and study abroad opportunities.

Beautiful Dorms, Lively and Supportive Community

Living on campus is wonderful! The dorms are beautiful, the staff at the college is very friendly, helpful, and I love the supportive atmosphere with transitions.

Quirky and Amazing

Bryn Mawr women are intelligent and outspoken, and a lot of them are gorgeous. I also know a lot of nerds, punks, metal kids, etc. We're very accepting of oddities and general nerdy awesomeness. There are definitely more normal kids too if you're into that... I think there's a pretty good mix of people who party hard and people who think a crazy night is watching 7 episodes of Dr. Who on a Saturday night, so whatever you're into, it's probably here. Haverford boys, I'm going to be honest. They're kind of divided into guys who are really nerdy and guys who are just the liberal arts variety of dumb jocks.

Dorms Like Palaces -- Seriously

Our dorms are gorgeous, inside and out. They really do look like castles. People say Erdman (one of the newest dorms) is one of the worst options, but it's only because it fits in differently with the campus aesthetic -- it's more of a foreboding fortress than a pleasant castle. On the inside, though, the rooms are big and well-furnished, the walls don't let sound through (in the rooms -- the halls echo madly), and you can access the dining hall without having to go outside. It can be isolating, though, as many of the rooms are singles and the layout is not so intuitive. For me, the worst options are Brecon (because it's super far away from the rest of campus, including 80 stairs practically straight downhill and 80 straight uphill) and Haffner. Haffner also doesn't fit in so much with the aesthetic, but it also tends to be isolating. It's divided into three towers (French, German, and Spanish), which are technically supposed to be "language halls" where people learning languages can speak them with others in the dorm, but actually are just normal dorms. Most of the people living in a given tower have never taken the language in their lives. All the rooms are singles, which is a plus, but again, it can be isolating, especially because the walls are thin enough to preclude any sort of noise above a normal speaking level. There is a dining hall in the same building though, and the common rooms are gorgeous. All of the other dorms on campus are beautiful, each with its positive and negative quirks, of course. There are designated freshman rooms in each dorm. It's mostly luck of the draw for this; some rooms have window seats, some have fireplaces, some are suites, and some have huge closets. Some are bigger than others; my freshman year, my roommate and I were in a double that was half the size of some of the other doubles (although we did have a fireplace). But there are no real bad deals. You take a really extensive survey (seriously -- extensive) way before registration where you put down all (and I mean ALL) of your preferences for housing (neat/messy, sleeping with/without music, guests/no guests, sleep with window open/shut, ok/not ok with borrowing things, morning/evening person, do work in/out of room...etc.) If you vist campus and find a dorm you really like, you can write that on your survey and if they can (no promises) ResLife will try to put you there.

Overlooked and Underfunded

While the athletic facilities have received more money in recent years, they still aren't really what they should be. We don't have our own cross country course or track (indoor or outdoor) and we don't have indoor tennis courts, which hinders those sports. Our fan support is minimal at best, we are a joke in our conference, and even some of the athletes don't take it seriously. We also have very little support or understanding from the administration. As a serious swimmer, this frustrates me, but I see things going in a positive direction.

Yummy Food

There are two dining halls on campus and the food is stellar. There is a lot of variety of food available even though the student population is small. Only problem is that the dining halls close kind of early in the evening on the weekends.

Common Sense

I was surprised reading some of what has been written about Bryn Mawr. The transportation is great, and easy to use. All that is required is the ability to read a schedule! There are shuttles to and from Swarthmore and Haverford, and the train to the city is right up the street. I use all frequently and with ease. Shuttles are free, and I am reimbursed from the school for the cost of getting into city for my class at Penn.

Small Campus, Small (But Good) Facilities

For such a small campus, we have great facilities. The libraries are great, we have tons of books and the hours are decent. Bryn Mawr also has an amazing new gym. It is BEAUTIFUL and has tons of great equipment, as well as a lot of fun classes to sign up for. However, since it's a small campus, it is just going to lack what a big university can offer. For instance, I've found there isn't many places to study on campus beside the library and your own room. Sometimes I wish there was a cozy place I could go besides the noisy campus center and the library just to hang out and do some reading.

Lenient

Pretty much if you don't get to the point of having to go to the hospital you won't get in trouble.

Perfect for Science Majors

I have to strongly disagree with another reviewer, Anonymous001, for saying that Bryn Mawr offers "watered down science that even women can do". Besides from insulting everything Bryn Mawr stands for in a single statement, I've found the opposite of that. As a Chemistry major with a minor in Biology also taking Physics classes, I've found Bryn Mawr classes are substancially harder and require more work than both Haverford and Penn classes. Bryn Mawr science classes are so great, not because they "water down the science" (something which the high scores we achieve on GRES, getting into top Grad Schools, and getting hired by the best companies would contradict) but because the professors offer so much support that it makes learning and retaining the concepts so much easier. Being in an advanced PChem class with 5 other students and having the professor at your disposal for problem sets and questions is something Haverford and Penn don't offer.

Of course, I can't speak for all science classes. Some of the Intro level courses are easy, and I've never taken a computer science class. However, if you're that good at science, simply place out of the Intro classes, expand your options by taking Penn/Haverford/Swat classes, and enjoy actually learning difficult science that you retain.

In addition, the research oppertunites are amazing and give you a leg up when you want to enter grad school/start working.

Drugs?

I never know if a good score on here means yay a lot of drugs or yay no drugs. Either way, I'd assume Bryn Mawr is in the middle of the pack. Drugs don't dominate the scene, but I'm sure you could find what you were looking for.

Gotta Love Ardmore!

Bryn Mawr and the surrounding area is awesome to live. Having spent my senior year in an apartment in Ardmore I can say that it's a really nice area to live, within walking distance of great stores, such as Trader Joe's, Apple, Urban Outfitters and get restaurants and bars.

North East Weather

Your typical north east weather, cold winters warm summers. Not great but not at all terrible.

Parking? Never Worry

First of all, Bryn Mawr's campus is so small, you don't need a car. That being said, I had one and drove from Erdman to Park every day, limiting my walking time to about 2 minutes. Tickets are annoying if you park illegally, but the lots are so close to buildings, there's really no need.

Bryn Mawr or Bryn Fun?

Bryn Mawr itself isn't much of a party school, but if you're one who enjoys going out there are plenty of oppertunities. Under 21, Haverford is close, as are Penn, Drexel, and Swat. Over 21, there isn't a better area to be. Bryn Mawr has plenty of fun college bars, and Philly is a close 20 min train ride away.

BMC Computers

There are many computers on campus. We have PCs all carrying Windows 7 software and there are also an abundance of Macs. There is always one open wherever you go.

Bryn Mawr's Financial Aid

The financial aid department is filled with nice people, but they are a little disorganized. I turned in everything on my online list and a couple of weeks later I received an e-mail saying I still needed things, which was very frustrating as I would have taken care of it when I was dealing with everything else. I received a decent amount of aid, but it was a complete hassle going through the process.

Weather

While Bryn Mawr gets the occasional rainy day the weather's hardly noticeable. The dorms are kept warm and the classes are less than a two minute walk from the dorms. The winters get some snow, but the campus pathways are kept clear and the Blue Bus never stops running. That being said if you want to take advantage of the weather you can! Every winter you can see at least one snow man standing guard over the spacious lawns. Plus the beautiful campus makes the weather that much more enjoyable. Bryn Mawr is stunning all year round, and every girl has her own favorite season, though I'm quite partial to Spring and Fall. If you get the chance to visit, which you should, I suggest you do so during those times.

May Day

This campus-wide holiday is a fun break before the craziness of finals. Its characterized by laying in fields among Cherry Blossom petals, wearing white dresses, hanging with friends, and breaking the bonds of the patriarchy.

General Campus Aesthetics

Bryn Mawr's campus is known for its beauty in all seasons. Its overall sense of serenity keeps students calm even during the most stressful times of the semester. There are not many paths, which can make the daily trek to class a little muddy sometimes, but Bryn Mawr's lack of concrete makes its sprawling fields that much more spectacular.

Honor Codes and Campus Enforcement

One of the most defining things about Bryn Mawr's campus "strictness" is the honor code. This is most evident in the way that people feel comfortable leaving laptops in the library or keeping their doors unlocked. There isn't an extensive list of school policies or a hyped-up security force patrolling parties. It all comes down to mutual respect, among students and with the staff and public safety officials. They're there to protect you, to help you - not to turn you in for underage drinking.

Small Town Suburb Close to Major City

There are numerous restaurants near the school - from tasty burgers, to Greek-style cooking, to exotic Asian cuisines. Even more great eateries in Philly are just a train-ride away.

Public Safety at Brynmawr College

I have never felt unsafe at Bryn Mawr, public safety takes their job seriously. Because it is a small all woman's college it is easy to recognize people and easy notice people who are out of place. Also public safety is here to help no matter what even if your drunk.

I wouldn't know much about...

I wouldn't know much about parking. I, like the majority of the student body, do not have a car. I would imagine that parking is not great since the parking spaces always seem to be full. Freshmen can't *technically* have cars, but it isn't actually unheard of. You don't really need a car at Bryn Mawr. The R5 is only a short walk away and there is the blue bus system to take you to Haverford and Swarthmore.

Well, besides being an all-women's...

Well, besides being an all-women's college, we are remarkably diverse economically, ethnically, and definitely sexually. However, you won't find a lot of people who are conservative politically, and we tend to share similar ideals in terms of women's and gay rights.