Guys are great and all, but when it comes to college…do you really need then in your classroom? Living and learning solely among smart, ambitious women is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and might even come with greater returns than a co-ed education: A study from the Women's Colleges Coalition (a consortium of U.S. and Canadian schools) says all-female school alums feel better prepared for post-college life than other grads.
For proof, look no further than some of the kickass ladies who've earned degrees from all-female institutions. Secretaries of State Hillary Clinton and Madeleine Albright (Wellesley), journalist and women's rights activist Gloria Steinem (Smith), Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Suzan-Lori Parks (Mount Holyoke), Grammy-winning Sugarland lead singer Jennifer Nettles (Agnes Scott), and entrepreneur Martha Stewart (Barnard) are all notable women's college alums. And they certainly aren't the only women who benefited from single-sex schooling.
Of course, a lot of factors contribute to your overall undergraduate experience—like certain professors, academic culture, and school traditions, to name a few. But there's still no denying the fact that women's schools are distinctive in a truly awesome way. Here are six reason an all-girls college might be the right choice for you:
1. Women rule the roost. It used to be that men ran the show at universities—thankfully, times have changed. The leadership thing, though? Not so much. Male administrators and faculty still dominate at most colleges, but at single-sex schools women hold more of the top jobs, which translates to more female role models and mentors. Ninety percent of women's college presidents, and 55% of faculty, are women. And of course, when only girls make up the student body, they have way more access to all of the government, club, and activity positions.
2. The environment is empowering. When women occupy every role, comfort levels increase, which can lead to increased self-confidence boost. That makes it easier for girls to take initiative and spread their wings into new territory. Fun fact? Women studying at single-sex schools are 1.5 times more likely to major in math, science, or pre-med than those at co-ed colleges.
3. Girls stand center stage. Smaller, guy-free classrooms create a climate where women feel free to speak up without being judged. Without that worry, the focus turns to critical thinking and gaining smarts, instead of looking cool in front of a guy (or having one interrupt you). Potential, ambition, and who you want to be take precedence over how you might be perceived by a guy.
4. Cool traditions create lifetime bonds. High academic standards aren't the only thing that make women's schools stand out. Long-held customs and ceremonies are a nod to previous generations and foster school spirit as well as lifelong friendships. On Mount Holyoke's Mountain Day, students take an impromptu day off and climb the college's namesake mountain after the school bell tolls in the fall; Bryn Mawr's Lantern Night hands off cast-iron lanterns to incoming freshmen; Meredith College's week-long Cornhuskin' competition pits classes against each other in activities like apple-bobbing, corn-husking, skits, and songs; and Wellesley's senior hoop-rolling race and sophomore tree-planting—in which the original 1879 spade is used—helps forge identity and camaraderie.
5. Grads are geared up for the professional world. Women's colleges create a culture of achievement—so it's no surprise that alums are better prepped for their first gig than the average grad. Single-sex schools also get an "A" over public universities for readying students to get ahead or make a career change. Not to mention, women's school grads are more likely than any other students to earn a graduate degree (and more than twice as likely to get a doctorate!).
6. Girl power produces power players. Women's colleges encourage us to be competitive and ambitious, to take risks and become leaders—like Harvard University president Drew Faust (Bryn Mawr), news anchors Gwen Ifil (Simmons) and Diane Sawyer (Wellesley), former NASA astronaut Pamela Melroy (Wellesley), and Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Jhumpa Lahiri (Barnard).
The takeaway here? There's a lot to be said for getting schooled in a place that's definitely not a man's world. So when you're searching for the right school fit, don't skip over women-only institutions!
