Why I Chose Bryn Mawr: Helen Christ '24

When it comes to making a final decision on where you’re going to attend college, the process can become overwhelming very quickly. At a certain point, many of the schools that you’re looking at might seem similar and it can be a struggle to see what distinguishes one from another. All the schools I got accepted to were small, liberal arts schools that each had great and unique programs. To make my final decision, I ended up talking to current students about their experiences, and their honesty and enthusiasm about Bryn Mawr made me excited to become a student here. Since starting here, that excitement has only been confirmed as I continually find new ways to meet people and become a part of new circles through every aspect of my life at Bryn Mawr. Here’s how I chose Bryn Mawr and what makes it special.

Consortia

As you may know already, Bryn Mawr is a part of three consortia: the Bi-College (Bryn Mawr and Haverford), the Tri-College (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore), and the Quaker (Bryn Mawr, Haverford, Swarthmore, and UPenn) Consortia. With varying degrees of ease based on our geographic distance from each school, you can take classes, participate in extra-curriculars, and expand your social circle at any of these places. Free transportation between all the schools means that interaction is not only possible, but actually encouraged. Bryn Mawr absolutely has everything that you need from a college, but these relationships with nearby schools allow you to make your community as large or as small as you want it to be.

Philadelphia

Bryn Mawr is also about 30 minutes from center city Philadelphia and having access to such a great city nearby was really appealing to me. Being close to Philly not only allows for social outings on the weekend, but also means that a number of classes end up participating in Philly’s community, either through day trips or semester-long programming. Our location also allows for volunteering and service in local communities, and transportation costs are often covered by the college.

I usually end up going into Philly about once a month and there are endless possibilities for what to do. So far, I have explored areas like Center City and Spruce Harbor, and have been to events like the touring production of Anastasia the Musical and a class field trip to the Rodin Museum. If I had to recommend one thing for your visit to Philly, I would suggest a self-guided walking tour through the Old City where you can see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. If you have time, definitely head to Chinatown and try some hand drawn noodles. My current plans for my next trip into the city are to start at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (easily accessible by train) and end up at a café with a good book and a cup of coffee.

Community

So far, I’ve talked about two of the unique aspects of Bryn Mawr that stood out to me in my college search. To be totally honest, however, neither of these ended up being the one reason for me to choose Bryn Mawr. The determining factor in my decision was–and I apologize because you’ll be probably hear this from basically every school that you apply to, but I swear it’s the truth!­– Bryn Mawr’s community.

If you are looking for more ways to interact with and understand Bryn Mawr’s community, I strongly recommend interacting with a current student. The best way to do this is by visiting Bryn Mawr’s campus, but if that isn’t feasible or you have specific questions you want answered right away, chat with one of our tour guides here. This platform allows you browse current tour guide profiles and reach out to someone with similar interests. I hope this has helped you understand a little bit more about what makes Bryn Mawr stand out among its peers, and that it will make the next step in your college search process a little easier!