When I applied to six women's colleges my senior year of high school, a lot of people were surprised for a lot of different reasons. Some didn't even know women's colleges still existed. Others didn't know why they still existed. Most just didn't understand why I would want to be in an environment without men for four years.
While women's colleges may have outgrown their original purpose as the only places where women could access higher education, they're still incredibly valuable. Students continue to choose to attend women's colleges for all kinds of reasons. Here are seven of mine:
1. Traditions
One thing that most, if not all, U.S. women's colleges have in common is their rich, time-honored traditions. Women's colleges take their traditions very seriously. Like, very seriously. A year never passes without the famous Wellesley hoop-rolling race. Wednesday afternoons always mean tea time at Scripps. Smith and Mount Holyoke have Mountain Day every fall, when the president spontaneously cancels classes for the day. At Bryn Mawr new students are given a lantern in their class color.
2. Supportive environment
Some people assume that being in a community of mostly women would include a lot of drama and general cattiness. Fortunately, it's just the opposite. The types of people who choose to go to women's schools are just not like that. The people who choose women's schools are strong, passionate and thoughtful, and they tend to be very much committed to helping their peers succeed. Plus, the small size, traditions, and all- or mostly-female nature of women's colleges create lots of opportunities to form close bonds and develop tight-knit communities.
3. Strong alumnae network
A strong alumnae network is a natural product of schools that admit a bunch of women who love helping other women. This, combined with the tight-knit communities formed while at school, and the general positive experiences that women's schools generate, makes alumnae want to help contribute to the successes of fellow alumnae and current students.
4. Less violence
On a more serious note, the (relative) lack of men on women's campuses does make them safer. With the rapidly-growing problem of campus sexual assault, safety has become a big concern for students. While people of all genders are victimized at devastatingly high rates, studies have shown that almost 99% of perpetrators of sexual assault are men. Sexual assault can and, unfortunately, does happen at women's colleges, but it is much less common.
5. Fewer gendered expectations
Having a classroom filled with women is so refreshing. There is no longer the pressure to be "polite" or "ladylike" in class. Women don't start questions off by saying "I'm sorry." Without the politics of gender in the classroom, there is finally room to be who you are, whether that's a nerd, jock, dancer, scientist, or anything else. Female students are not only affirmed in their pursuits but actively encouraged to pursue majors and professions in male-dominated fields like science and math. Nearly all of the leadership positions on campus are held by women. This doesn't happen in co-ed schools--or anywhere else in our society.
6. Women-centered
I can't express how awesome it is to be in an environment where femaleness is normalized. While not all students at women's colleges are women, due to trans-inclusive admissions policies, the needs and wants of women are prioritized women's schools more than at any other institutions in society. Everywhere else, men are catered to; male is the default setting. At women's colleges, professors can't get away with only teaching about men or men's writings. People aren't embarrassed to talk about menstruation or birth control. Schools spend money on rugby fields instead of expensive football stadiums and coaches' salaries. Women's colleges are the only places where women are always put first, and that's pretty freaking cool.
7. Greater success after college
Alumnae of women's schools are more successful professionally than other women. Only two percent of women in the U.S. go to women's colleges, but women's college alumnae make up 20 percent of women in Congress and 33 percent of women on Fortune 100 boards. They are about twice as likely to attend graduate school, and about 1.5 times as likely to major in STEM than women at co-ed colleges. Students at women's schools are also more likely to graduate with "soft skills" like leadership and problem-solving. Women's schools have proven to prepare women better for the workplace, which is kind of a big deal. I mean, it's what college is for, right?
