These values continue through to today, with at least one of the Seven Sisters (Wellesley) never having had a male president. That most of the Seven Sisters colleges are all-women's schools is often a deciding factor for students considering whether or not to apply. For some, the idea of going to an all-women's college is unthinkable and may even seem archaic in the 21st century. baseball team from 1897. The group shares resources and transportation services, and students may take classes at other colleges within the Consortium. The college is dedicated to environmental issues and has been involved in a lot of environmental cleaning and teaching young children how to take care of the environment. An old list of house rules in your dorm referred to men as gentleman callers - and none were allowed past the parlor. The oldest member of the Seven Sisters, Mount Holyoke is also part of the Five-School Consortium in western Massachusetts with Amherst College, Hampshire College, Smith College, and UMass Amherst. if one was marked as male or female, the sign was likely ignored.

It was formerly known as Wellesley Female Seminary and was renamed to Wellesley College on March 7, 1873.The college is known for having the second oldest physics laboratory in the United States. Every one of the Seven Sisters schools has partnerships with nearby schools that allow you to take classes there. component to their application. However, one of the most valuable features of all the Seven Sisters schools (including Vassar), particularly in this day and age, is that they all promote the importance of women taking leadership roles and succeeding in the world. Get the latest articles and test prep tips!

It depends on who you talk to, because stereotypes about us run the gamut from large, mannish rugby players to spoiled, overly studious girls who never leave their castle-like dorms . Barnard's affiliation with and nearness to Columbia University means that Barnard students can easily cross-register to take classes there. 18. The institution was established in 1837 by Mary Lyon and was initially known as Mount Holyoke Female Seminary. #4: Learn in an All-Women's Environment. In the 1970s, when top formerly all-male schools like Harvard and Amherst were going co-ed, some women's colleges began to think about the same question. No one got dressed up for parties. College Info. Bryn Mawr College is keen on environmental conservation.

Depending on where you're located, it might be tricky to set up an alumnae interview, and so it's not a required part of the application process. I personally didn't place a huge amount of importance on this factor when I was applying to colleges—in fact, Wellesley was the only all-women's college I applied to. Now that you've learned more about the Seven Sisters schools, you're probably champing at the bit to find out how to get accepted. Radcliffe College was established by Author Gilman in 1879 as a women’s college. On the other hand, if you do not want to attend a school where LGBTQ+ students and culture are a significant part of campus life, a Seven Sisters school is probably not going to be a great fit for you. I'll also use my expertise as an alum of a Seven Sisters school to break down what the benefits are of applying to a Seven Sisters school and five tips for getting admitted.

Seven Sisters Colleges: Should You Go to One?

So make sure to check all of your application materials and change any instances of "all-girls school" to "women's college." Yeah. It's not some big secret that the Seven Sisters colleges were traditionally women's colleges that promoted women's education and women's success in the world; the schools are well aware of their own history and what they stand for. You'll still need a top GPA and test scores and strong letters of recommendation to have a good chance of getting in. It is located in South Hadley, Massachusetts, United States. The question of why you want to attend the school isn't there just to boost the schools' egos; it's there because the admissions officers genuinely care about your reasons for applying and wanting to be part of those schools' communities. Very few of the bathrooms on campus were gendered. Radcliffe made the decision to merge with Harvard and no longer exists as an independent undergraduate college. It is also known for the unique initial development plan which had a museum in it, a first of its kind in the United States. While you don't want to overemphasize it ("I truly believe that Smith, one of the Seven Sisters, is a great fit for me.

Only five remain as independent women’s colleges. 14. Boston Public Library/Flickr.

For instance, if you research Vassar, you'll learn that the campus is a designated arboretum and also gorgeous. Admissions officers at Seven Sisters schools want to be sure you're someone who exemplifies the quality of a Seven Sisters student, which means they don't just care about your grades; they also care about how you interact with teachers and other students. All the Seven Sisters schools have a "Why [school name]?" College Admissions,

20. Despite being one of the top colleges in the country, Wellesley has 1.5 times to nearly double the admissions rate of comparable colleges. Well, since all of the remaining Seven Sisters colleges (except Vassar) do not accept male applicants, the pool of potential students is basically cut in half. The seven sister colleges are a collection of colleges in Northeast of the United States that were created to give women the same chance in education like men were given in the Ivy League colleges. Sylvia Plath and Virginia Woolf were your dark soulmates. essays for one of the all-women's Seven Sisters, do not call the school an "all-girls school;" call it a women's college. From the first time I visited the women's college Smith, I knew I wanted to attend it"), you should not shy away from directly stating that attending a historically women's college is something that appeals to you. I honestly believe that my interview with an alum is what clinched my acceptance at Wellesley. It also implies (even if you don't mean it to) a certain disdain for the school, as if attending a non-co-ed school is for children.

Vassar College is famed for its innovations, and a lot of pioneering achievements in the field of education, and for the magnificence of its campus. Yes, I had a strong transcript and good SAT scores, but without the alumnae interview I did (that ended with the interviewer saying "You're the most Wellesley applicant I've seen in a while"), I don't know how things would have turned out.

Boston Public Library/Flickr. Books by Judith Butler and Virginia Woolf were mandatory reading for most classes you took - even if they weren't Women's Studies classes. Types Of Crimes By Number Of Offenses In The US. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For?

Above: 1917 Smith College Graduation.

The college was chattered in 1888 when it was still referred to as Mount Holyoke Seminary and College. He had a discussion with Charles William Eliot who was the then Harvard University president and requested him to let lecturers from the university to teach a group of female students. Located in Northampton Massachusetts, Smith College is also famous for its athletic prowess since 1986. If you can't come up with a way that you value that the school you're applying to is a Seven Sisters school, then you shouldn't be applying to a Seven Sisters school. 17. Even for Vassar, stating that you value the history of the school and the long tradition of valuing women's education will only help you (assuming you don't come off as insincere). A Comprehensive Guide. Currently, only five of the Seven Sisters are still exclusively women’s colleges. We list and rank all the current women's colleges in the US (and why you might want to go to one) in this article. turnout when you read The Group. In this article, we explain what the Seven Sisters schools are, which of them still exist, and which of them are still all-women's colleges. ACT Writing: 15 Tips to Raise Your Essay Score, How to Get Into Harvard and the Ivy League, Is the ACT easier than the SAT? And even The name “Seven Sisters” came into use in the year 1926 when a fundraising was held for the colleges. Interested in women's colleges, but don't want to go to school in the northeast? Vassar College was established in 1861 by Matthew Vassar as the first institution of higher education that granted degrees to women in the United States.

Whether you just want to take some co-ed classes or you're interested in a different learning environment, the net result is that you'll get a more diverse academic experience.