Women are dominating (and in super hip teen lingo, slaying) all areas of life right now; we are frontrunners in the US presidential race, international superstars, chancellors, Nobel Peace Prize winners, activists, and CEOs, as well as daughters, sisters, mothers, and friends. While we continue to thrive, though, we are surrounded by a mass of stereotypes and stigmas that have been deemed impossible to shake. Female intellectuals, specifically those attending women's colleges, are still subjected to ridicule for their choice of college, profession, and lifestyle. It is shocking, and incredibly disheartening, especially as a female writer headed to Bryn Mawr College in the fall.

Only 2 percent of female college students attend all women's schools. Many are still unsure if such schools still exist. Misconceptions surround these schools and their students, and it’s time to eliminate them; that is what I would like to get a start on. In this article, I would like to explore the questions commonly asked about women’s colleges, some of which I have been asked to answer myself, and debunk the myths so those entering women’s colleges in the future won’t have to.

1. That’s sweet/cute/adorable/*insert anything you would use to describe a newborn puppy here*

When I told people I would be attending a women’s college once I had made my decision, the reactions were largely unsurprising. This particular one, though, came out of left field. So, in 2016, is it cute that I want to be empowered by attending school alongside strong women? Is it adorable that I want nothing more to use my words and actions to crush the ever-prominent patriarchy? Is it sweet that I chose the most academically rigorous college I was accepted to? I guess that's just what I was trying to do by working my ass off in high school, and planning on doing the same in college, just to make some difference: to be labeled as one would label an avocado. To break up a really aggressive part of this article, how awesome are avocados? Anyone?

2. Oh, you’re going to an all-girls school?

No, I’m going to a women’s college. Not to get all technical, or ‘I am woman hear me roar’ on you, but please stay away from the phrase ‘all-girls’ to describe a selective institution of higher education, which happens to educate women. It's a respect thing, y'all.

3. So you hate men now?

Nah. Many of my best friends happen to be of the opposite sex, and I love and respect them just as much as I do my female friends. My college choice says absolutely nothing about who I will get along with in college and beyond, whether it be by gender, sexual identity, or anything of that kind. I am going into Bryn Mawr with a support group mixed evenly between men and women, and this would not change if I were going to a co-ed college. The fact that BMC is a women’s college was just an added bonus on top of about a thousand other factors that went into my decision. Don't assume I hate men because the school I am going to happens to be a women's college.

4. Don’t you have a boyfriend?

This is definitely a fun response to get. Yes, the person I am having a semi-uncomfortable conversation with, I do have a boyfriend! No, my relationship status has nothing to do with my college choice. As I said above, I don't hate men. I like them. They're pretty nifty. Women are equally nifty. I don't know what the future will hold, but I know that my personal choice to attend an all women's college in the fall has no correlation with my personal choice to be involved with anyone of either sex.

5. Of course. You're such a feminist.

This is a true statement, my friend; however, what a lot of people are missing here is the actual definition of feminism. By definition, feminism is the belief that men and women should have equal rights and opportunities. Feminists don't hate men and believe that women are inherently superior; feminists just want women and men to be treated equally. I know many powerful women who are active in the women’s rights movement, yet they currently attend or have attended co-ed colleges. Feminists are everywhere; heck, a lot of them are men! I'm not going to an all women's college because I have something to prove. I just picked the school that fits me the most, and the fact that I believe in equality between the sexes is a completely separate entity.

6. Why?

So, why am I attending a women’s college? Over time, I've worked on and perfected my answer to this question. Why not? Why not focus on academics and interpersonal relationships as a member of a small, tight-knit community of women? Why not feel empowered every day to think differently by my professors, surrounded by eloquent, intelligent peers? Why not study what I love and be challenged every day? Not that I've experienced all of this yet, but it all sounds pretty darn good to me. Why did I write this article? It may take a while to completely eradicate these stereotypes forced upon those who choose to attend a women’s college, but I hope this is at least a good start.

Thanks for reading, lovelies! Feedback in the comments would be much appreciated:)