As your senior year of high school flies by, you’re faced with a million choices about where you want to go to college next year. One huge consideration that doesn’t even cross most senior girls’ minds, though, is whether or not they should attend a single-sex university.
There are negative connotations associated with girls-only schools, the majority of which are entirely false. It’s these preconceived notions that keep most collegiettes from even considering attending a single-sex university. However, there are countless benefits associated with attending a girls-only school. Is a women’s college the right choice for you?
The Stereotypes
When someone announces their decision to attend a single sex university, the response that they get is usually a stifled jaw-drop and a polite nod with wide, disbelieving eyes. “A school full of nothing but girls? Are you nuts?” seems to be their underlying message.
“You Go to a Women’s College? You Must Be a Lesbian.”
There are negative stereotypes associated with students who choose to attend single-sex universities. People assume that women’s college attendees are either super religious (and therefore chaste) or lesbians. Those assumptions lead the majority of the female population to coed universities when, in reality, single-sex universities have a lot to offer too.
Elizabeth Schmitt from Mount Holyoke College spoke a bit on this topic. “A lot of my friends in high school joked about me being a lesbian [when I chose to attend a women’s college], but it never bothered me. I knew that my reasons to attend Mount Holyoke were so much more important than the lesbian stereotype.”
When asked about the LGBT community on Mount Holyoke’s campus, Elizabeth said, “I’d say that there’s a very vocal minority of gay and transgender women here, but most girls are straight. The assumption [that we are all lesbians] is quite petty, and I think it unfortunately deters some students from women’s colleges. We are a supportive and allied environment if you are gay or transgendered, but I think the assumption that we are all gay is grossly inaccurate.”
“There Must Be So Much Drama All The Time!”
Generally when a lot of girls are put in one place, the catty escapades of a teenage TV series like Gossip Girl tend to ensue (or so we think). Girls are notorious for their inability to interact without injecting unnecessary drama into a situation. That’s why the idea of living on a campus full of thousands of females can put someone who likes her life to be drama-free a little bit on edge.
However, Elizabeth had nothing but positive things to say about the girls-only atmosphere.
“I think we have an extremely strong sense of community and solidarity,” Elizabeth said. “It’s not like high school where there’s a lot of cattiness. We are all here because of the amazing academics and community, and I don’t ever feel overwhelmed by that!”
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Student Life
Dating
A lot of girls go off to college hoping to find the man of their dreams. Since there are no boys living on campus, it’s a common fear that if you attend a women’s college, you will have the chance to socialize with boys, or to be more specific, to find that Joseph Gordon-Levitt clone you’re looking to one day marry and procreate with. However, that’s not the case. Just because there aren’t boys in classes or residence halls does not mean that you will not see a guy for four years straight.
When asked when and how she gets the chance to interact with guys while away at school, Elizabeth said, “There are other colleges near Mount Holyoke, and guys come to campus occasionally to party. I honestly don’t seek out environments with guys very often; I have a ton of work to do and have really great friends on campus, so I don’t need an extra social outlet all the time, but I know it’s there if I want it.”
Patty echoed Elizabeth’s sentiment. “Everybody has friends, boyfriends, brothers. They come here to visit. We aren’t a convent! They’re allowed in your residence hall, they just aren’t in your classes. That allows you to be you.”
Academics
In regards to academics, the first thing Patty said was, “Men and women learn differently. The classes that we offer are geared toward the way that girls learn. It’s a very different atmosphere. Historically, women who go to women’s colleges are much better prepared when they leave. They have such a wealth of opportunity that they wouldn’t have had at a coed school. It’s such a caring environment to be in. It’s nice to see that side of smart girls.”
She went on to explain the personal benefits of attending classes without boys. “You don’t have to sit in class and worry about that cute guy across the row, like ‘If I’m smart and I give the answer all the time, what is he going to think about me?’ Because that’s not in the mix, there’s much less drama in the classroom and in the residence hall, because everything is doing things for themselves rather than for boys.”
Elizabeth’s answer was almost identical. “I love the single-sex environment because I feel no pressure,” she said. “I’m comfortable around my peers, and I never hesitate to ask questions or to add to the discussion. [Attending classes without guys] wasn’t strange at all to me, even in the first few days of my semester. It felt completely right.”
Involvement on Campus
One of the best aspects of attending a women’s college is that every important position on campus, from the editor of the school newspaper to the student council president, is held by a female.
Kimberly Parrent, a counselor at another Pennsylvania women’s college, Bryn Mawr College, said, “One of the primary benefits of being at a women’s college is that the entire campus is built on empowering women in as many ways as possible. Women being a part of self-governance and changing campus policies, and the way that we are able to encourage our students to be leaders… That’s what women’s colleges are really about.”
Knowing If It’s Right For You
Kimberly understands the caution that girls feel when considering whether or not to attend a women’s college. “One of the things that students can be hesitant about is that the school will feel a lot different than a ‘regular’ coed school,” Kimberly said, “but once they’re here they can see that it doesn’t feel different. It’s just like any other college campus.”
Patty echoed her sentiment. “It’s this really liberating experience. Until you set foot on campus, you’re not going to know if it’s for you. It’s not for everyone. We don’t want it to be for everyone. If you’re considering a women’s college, definitely visit first. You’ll see that it’s totally different, in a good way.”
Elizabeth agreed emphatically, and says she has no regrets about her decision to attend a women’s college. “I made the right decision for me,” she said, “and that’s all that matters in the end.”