Considering Women's Colleges

“All girls?! All?!” screams girl A.

“Only lesbians go there,” states girl B.

“You’ve got to be joking,” laughs girl C.

These reactions are common amongst girls when presented with the idea of going to a women’s college. I responded in a similar way when brainstorming a list of preliminary colleges to apply to. However, it became one of my final choices the week before my decisions were due. How did this come to be? Well, after thinking over the aspects of an all girls college, there are many positive attributes.

Most women’s colleges promote teaching subjects in female-friendly ways and create institutional environments which are healthy for young women. Attending a women’s college gives you the opportunity to experience a supportive female network without the distraction of males. A women’s college develops strong young women in a welcoming atmosphere that promotes independence and individualism. In a classroom full of women, it is easier for girls to speak their opinions without feeling self-conscious in front of male peers. This trains girls to become more self-confident in their ideas and beliefs, which leads to a refreshing self-awareness that is lacking in many co-educational colleges. While learning more about themselves, girls can gain a better grasp of the power of their feminine side. With these refreshing aspects, there is a greater chance for young women to lead in and out of the classroom at a women’s college.

Though this lack of male competition helps girls develop more independence while they are at college, it may have a negative effects on them after they leave this secluded environment. Women’s colleges should not be viewed as a place for girls to temporarily hide from the male dominated world. After graduating from a women’s college, a co-ed workplace or graduate school may come as a shock for some students. The adjustment between excelling at a women’s college and succeeding in the subsequent co-ed life can be hard to handle after four years without men.

Keeping in mind that a women’s college is not the right fit for all girls — sources have shown that women’s colleges are more successful than co-ed colleges in graduating unique women that report high levels of satisfaction, whether academic, developmental, or personal. A women’s college is ideal for preparing girls to attain the top positions and lead in their career fields. Studies show that one third of the women board members of Fortune 1000 companies graduated from women's colleges. In addition, one of every seven state cabinet members graduated from a women's college; women's college graduates also make up 20 percent of the one hundred most powerful people in Washington D.C. The Black Enterprise Magazine identified that 20 percent of the most powerful African-American women in corporate America graduated from women's colleges. With these exceptional statistics, a women’s college may just be the place for the inner you to shine.

Some notable graduates of women’s colleges:

Madeline Albright — Wellesley
Barbara Bush — Smith
Hillary Rodham Clinton — Wellesley
Geraldine Ferraro — Marymount
Edith Hamilton — Bryn Mawr
Madeleine L’Engle — Smith
Sylvia Plath — Smith