Monday, April 18, 2011
A puff of white smoke, a decision. LCA will be attending Smith in the fall. Somewhere I am I sure there is another school that would suit these daughters; perhaps there are several. For now Smith is what works, and I am pleased with this outcome and delighted that the process is over.
Bryn Mawr didn't go down without a fight, and until we went I was sure it was going to be the pick. The Admissions office did an outstanding job of promoting the school, and courting LCA, starting with a personal, handwritten note from the Director of Admissions included with her acceptance letter. The note, which referenced LCA's essay, was a great touch, as was the button, also in the admission package, that said "Bryn Mawr Class 0f 2015". Later they sent a coin, with "Bryn Mawr" on one side and "Bryn Mawr Class of 2015" on the other. This weekend we visited, and they had a well-organized program along with tours that showcased the pretty jewel box of a campus.
What swayed her? I'm not sure. Both A and I would have been fine with Bryn Mawr (although I think A was quietly rooting for Smith all along). On the drive back I found myself musing over the fact that none of the faculty, staff or students were quite as aggressive about the idea of Bryn Mawr as a women's college as the people we've met at other Seven Sisters schools. In my experience if you ask a Smithy if she is a feminist you will be told "Hell yeah!", or perhaps the response will be even more assertive. At Bryn Mawr they seemed to me to shy away a bit from the word, even though they clearly embrace the ideals, and this troubled me. It might have something to do with the school's Quaker heritage, with its reluctance to be confrontational, but the way I figure it the faculty, staff and students at a place like Messiah College wouldn't be bashful about telling you what they believe. I want the institutions that are on the right side to be every bit as unabashed.
Beautiful campus though, academics that impressed me, and I wouldn't have minded the excuse for an occasional trip to Philly.
Bryn Mawr didn't go down without a fight, and until we went I was sure it was going to be the pick. The Admissions office did an outstanding job of promoting the school, and courting LCA, starting with a personal, handwritten note from the Director of Admissions included with her acceptance letter. The note, which referenced LCA's essay, was a great touch, as was the button, also in the admission package, that said "Bryn Mawr Class 0f 2015". Later they sent a coin, with "Bryn Mawr" on one side and "Bryn Mawr Class of 2015" on the other. This weekend we visited, and they had a well-organized program along with tours that showcased the pretty jewel box of a campus.
What swayed her? I'm not sure. Both A and I would have been fine with Bryn Mawr (although I think A was quietly rooting for Smith all along). On the drive back I found myself musing over the fact that none of the faculty, staff or students were quite as aggressive about the idea of Bryn Mawr as a women's college as the people we've met at other Seven Sisters schools. In my experience if you ask a Smithy if she is a feminist you will be told "Hell yeah!", or perhaps the response will be even more assertive. At Bryn Mawr they seemed to me to shy away a bit from the word, even though they clearly embrace the ideals, and this troubled me. It might have something to do with the school's Quaker heritage, with its reluctance to be confrontational, but the way I figure it the faculty, staff and students at a place like Messiah College wouldn't be bashful about telling you what they believe. I want the institutions that are on the right side to be every bit as unabashed.
Beautiful campus though, academics that impressed me, and I wouldn't have minded the excuse for an occasional trip to Philly.
// posted by Bill @ 8:37 PM 
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