Bryn Mawr College
Responses from the Student Interview
From a student who identifies as Major: Political Science with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies
Minor: None
Student Self Identifies as: Biracial – White & Arab Straight Female
Summary
I [have a leadership position] in the Muslim Student Association (MSA).
Background
Gender Identity: Female
Race/Ethnicity: Biracial – White & Arab
Sexual Orientation: Straight
High School Experience: Private day and boarding high school in Pottstown, PA with about 120 students in the graduating class. There was a culture of going to college.
First-Generation College Student: Yes
Major: Political Science with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies
Minor: None
Extracurricular Activities: I [have a leadership position] in the Muslim Student Association (MSA).
What impact has the Muslim Student Association had on your experience so far?
I really wanted to go to a school with a strong Muslim Student Association, but when I got to Bryn Mawr I realized it wasn’t as active as I thought it would be. [It’s had a big impact because] I’ve been trying to make it more active.
Academic Experience
Can you describe your weekly coursework for your major?
I have a lot of essays and readings. I have a few hundred pages of reading a week. I’m taking three Political Science classes this semester so I’m writing a lot. I have an essay due at least once a week across all the classes, and they make up the bulk of my grades.
Is there anything you feel that your major’s department does especially well or poorly?
There’s a lot of diversity in the department. There are classes on a lot of subject areas, so you can go from political philosophy to policy work, which I really like.
How would you describe the learning environment? Do you think it’s particularly competitive or collaborative?
There isn’t a lot of competitiveness in the Political Science department. It’s a lot of seminar and lecture classes, and they’re pretty small. I don’t have more than 20-people in any of my Political Science classes, except in an introductory class. You do work with a lot of other people, and there’s a lot of discussions.
How accessible are your professors?
They’re pretty accessible.
Do you feel that people are open to multiple schools of thought in the classroom?
Not really. Everyone is pretty left-leaning and liberal which dominates the discussion space in the classrooms.
Why did you pick your major? Are you happy with your choice?
I’ve always been really interested in politics. I have a lot of different academic interests and thought political science would be a good way to incorporate my passion for social justice and learning about different places in the world. I’m pretty happy with my choice. It’s probably the best fit for me.
How has going to a historically female school impacted your academic experience?
Not that much. My classes are majority women, but there are a few men in my classes. I don’t think that it being a historically women’s college has an impact on my .
How has being part of the Tri-College Consortium impacted your academic experience?
It’s really enriched it. I’ve taken several classes at Swarthmore and Haverford and it opens up the diversity of classes I can take. The Political Science classes at Bryn Mawr open it up for me and I can choose what I really like because there are options available to me.
Reasons to Attend
1) The people are really great. There are really caring people here.
2) The food in the dining hall is pretty good.
3) The Tri-College Consortium is a great reason to come.
Reasons Not to Attend
1) If you’re a really poor student, it would be better to find a school that could pay everything for you so you don’t have to go into debt.
2) The suburb [can be boring], so sometimes you have to go all the way to Philadelphia for something to do.
Around Campus
Where have you lived on and around campus?
Freshman: New Dorm in a single
Sophomore: Pembroke East in a single
Junior: In a house in Philadelphia, so I commute by taking the train. It’s a lot more affordable and there are more per friendly options.
How was transitioning from your hometown to Bryn Mawr, PA in terms of location?
I come from a lower-income town and Bryn Mawr is a really affluent area, which was a bit of a switch. I had gone to a day and boarding school in high school, and my senior year I boarded, so transitioning from home was pretty seamless. [The median household income in Bryn Mawr, PA with a graduating class of about $58,636.]
Can you describe the level of safety you’ve experienced on and around campus?
It’s super safe. Nothing ever happens here.
Social Opportunities
What kind of weekend activities or nightlife do you like to participate in?
I really like going to Swarthmore parties, but now as a junior, I’m partied out so I like going to a café or a restaurant at night in Philadelphia. The parties are usually on Fridays and Saturdays, and on Thursdays, they have PubNites. Usually, the student affinity groups host them, like the Black or Latina student associations. They usually throw better parties, I like their music more. They are the only ones throwing parties now because the fraternities got banned. There’s a place called Olde Club, which is a party venue on campus. I would spend most of my time at Swarthmore since there are only about two parties worth going to at Bryn Mawr every year.
What’s an alternative to going to a party or a bar that you like for a night out?
We have a movie theater right in town where they give student discounts so you can go see a movie for about $10. I know people like going into Philadelphia and to museums.
How happy are you with the weekend activities or nightlife at your school? Is there anything you would change if you could?
I wish there was a little more to do, so we didn’t have to go all the way to Swarthmore for a party. Given the nature of the suburbs, there’s not much to do besides the movies and the restaurants.
Campus Culture
How did you meet your closest friends?
I met them through a Tri-Co Diversity Conference before orientation. I met some of my good friends at Swarthmore and Haverford through that program too. I met my other close friends through the Muslim Student Association. There aren’t that many Arab students at Bryn Mawr, so we met each other by knowing there’s another Arab person on campus.
How accepted have you felt as a Muslim student on campus and in the greater community?
I feel like Bryn Mawr is pretty accommodating for most Muslim people.
How would you describe the overall social scene at Bryn Mawr?
It’s not that good. There aren’t too many avenues to make friends. The closest friend groups I’ve seen are athletes because they have to spend so much time with each other. Not many people at Bryn Mawr who will show up for events. For the Muslim Student Association, the most time people will show up for our events is when we have food.
How has going to a historically female school impacted your social experience?
I love having more female friends than I did in the past, but sometimes it can be too much being on a campus that’s mostly women. I’ll go to Swarthmore to hang out with friends who’re men.
How would you describe the student body?
Most people are introverted and really quirky. There’s a stereotype of what a Bryn Mawr person is. They’re really particular about people and aren’t super social. I feel like there’s always tension on campus and people are ready to have an argument. People are quick to debate you on things.
How often do you mix with students at Swarthmore and Haverford?
Several times a week.
To what extent do people of different races and sexual orientations mix socially?
To a moderate extent. I really feel that Bryn Mawr is pretty separated. I mostly hang out with people of color, and I feel like there’s a sort of animosity toward White people on campus. Most of them are pretty affluent, so it feels like we can’t even relate to them on a basic level. [The undergraduate population is 52% White, 11% Asian American, 8% Hispanic, and 4% African-American. Socioeconomically, 26% of students come from the top 5%.]
To what extent do people in athletes and non-athletes mix socially?
Very little. I have almost no athlete friends because they’re always practicing and travel a lot for games.
How do you like the size of Bryn Mawr? How has that impacted your experience? [Bryn Mawr has about 1,300 undergraduates.]
My high school was 500 people and Bryn Mawr is [about 1,300] people so I thought I would be satisfied with that number. I’m really not and I feel like it’s too small. It’s so small that everyone knows each other’s drama and I feel like that’s too much for a college experience.
Careers
What have you used the career office for? How helpful have they been?
They’ve been really helpful. They helped me go through my resume and picked at it in depth. They gave me advice on applying for grants over the summer so I could live in Philadelphia and do my internship.
Have you learned any computer programs or computer languages that will be helpful professionally?
I learned a little about how to do SPSS in my statistics class. I took a Computer Science class last spring, and they were pretty accessible. We have a half-credit course where you can learn Python, and it’s for people who aren’t STEM majors.
Financial Aid
Have you used financial aid? If so, how accommodating was the office to your needs?
I actually worked in the financial aid office for a year and a half and I don’t think they do the work in reaching out to students and trying to help them. I’ve seen a bunch of people not hand in their stuff on time. I get financial aid and when applying there’s a net price calculator and it said I wouldn’t be paying anything. I know it’s a big estimate, but I’m a few thousand dollars of debt and I didn’t expect that after hearing so many good things about Bryn Mawr covering financial aid.