Bi-Co: Not What It's Cracked Up To Be

So, you have identified a problem, and one that is being "covered up." What are you going to do about it? How could you influence people to make the situation better?

The main goal of the customs activities was to indoctrinate the incoming freshman class to the way of life, activities, and resources of their new college. It is also a way for the upperclassmen to meet and greet the new members of their Bryn Mawr family. I enjoyed the opportunity to find out more about Haverford.

Regarding the ratio of boys in Judge Hatchet's class, perhaps the genre of classes she is enrolled in has something to do with the lack of male students. Bryn Mawr's report to the National Center for Educational Statistics http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/Enrollment.asp states that 2.3% of the enrolled students at Bryn Mawr are male. The Bryn Mawr admissions Office website reports the student/faculty ratio to be 8 to 1. Using the Admissions' Office information, your experience of having one male in one of your classes is actually near the target. If you assume that a student is taking four classes and there are eight students per class, you have a total of approximately thirty-two students in all your classes. To use the percentage of 2.3% taken from the NCES website you should have .74 male students in your class. You are actually ahead of the game with a whole male. Relatively speaking that is.

You say that the close relationship between the two colleges was
misrepresented to new students. I do not recall the bico being a selling point when I visited the college. Although I came for admissions walk throughs and gatherings, very little was mentioned about the relationship Bryn Mawr had with Haverford. I do remember that I was told that the schedule of classes included those available at Swarthmore and Haverford but the graduation rate and close interpersonal relationships between faculty and students was what was stressed to me.

If you have not met any interesting males from Haverford ... maybe it's a blessing in disguise. It would just mean you would have even more to fit into your already hectic schedule. I'm glad you are here with us at Bryn Mawr and that you are happy with your decision to come here.

Never Regret the Biggest Mistake of Your Life

The boy issue isn't the thing I, or City, was complaining about. Personnally, I assumed I was coming to an all girls school to have all girls in my classes. I also have a boyfriend, so its not as if I was complaining about the boy situation. The fact is that when I ahd my interview and stayed overnight with a current student, they assured me that boys were not an issue at all. I know that its not the appealing thing to say, "There is only going to be .74 of a boy in all your classes," but we shouldn't lie to students who may be basing their lifechanging decision on the fact that this girls school actually does have some boys. When talking with prospective students, we shouldn't try to sell our school by lying. By tellign them the truth, they are able to make a more informed decision about college and the Bryn Mawr community will have students who aren't disappointed in their eduational experience. Everyone should just make sure that they don't overly talk up the school to prospective students just so they will go here. Its not like we get commissions from incoming freshman, so why not tell them exactly what Bryn Mawr life entails, and let them make a decision for themselves?

None of this is about boys or even who is "the better half of the bi-co community." Apathy, maybe you disagree with my view of the Bi-Co because you've had a different experience, but I really do think that the Bi-Co is misrepresented to prospective students. After reading your comment, I asked the other people in my dorm and they agree with me that the Bi-Co was definitely a selling point for Bryn Mawr. The way it was portrayed didn't reveal anything about the disdain that some students have towards the other school. I'm disappointed in the lack of one school's respect for the other, even the lack of support for Haverford at Bryn Mawr.

As to the boys, I didn't come here expecting Bryn Mawr to be like a co-ed school just because of Haverboys. I applied to Bryn Mawr for Bryn Mawr, but I'm sure there are other girls who thought about the Bi-Co community, and to a lesser extent, Tri-Co.

Again, like most people, I am going to say that I found the Bi-Co Custom's weeks activities forced and uncomfortable. Students were unsure of how to interact with those from the other school and, most of the time, ended up talking or playing games with those in their dorm. Okay, we all agree, it was really weird.

However, I am very surprised to read some of these reactions. The fact that some of you feel as though you were lied to by the admissions office is completely absurd. I was at all of the same Bi-Co customs week meetings as you were all at and I know that they sucked too. But that in no way stopped me from trying to make friendships over at Haverford. I took into context that the Haverford students were trying to get used to life at college, just like the students at Bryn Mawr were. So I kind of dismissed the first few meetings with them because everyone was nervous and a bit intimidated at the whole situation.

Instead, I decided to take a class there. That way, I am getting not only another educational experience, I am also getting to meet people at Haverford when they are more comfortable. And, believe it or not, they are not all "uninterresting, introverted, and snobby boys", as you might think. If you try to engage them in conversation every once in a while, I think that you might be surprised. Especially now, when most students have a routine and a schedule and no longer have the pressures of tyring to start this whole new life at college.

My suggestions to all of you who have had a bit of a bad relationship with Haverford and its students is to give it another try. I know that I sound like a mom right now, but first impressions are not always accurate. Catch the blue bus or take a nice walk over there (that way, you also get to see what stores are in town) and try to get to know them. The students at Haverford are not all weird and snobbish. All in all, it is what you make of it. So go, do, meet, relax and try to have fun.

I realize that this is all getting really redundant, but some people just seem like they want to preach to us that we need to put ourselves out there to get friends at Haverford. That was never even an issue here. I could care less if I went to a billion parties at Haverford and knew everyone on the cricket team. The only point we are trying to make is that there is a misrepresentation of the bi-co relationship. That's it! If I really want friends, I know how to make friends and don't need Friend Making 101 above. I realize that this may sound really rude, but it seems like the entire point of these posts has been missed and that you as readers/commenters think that we are just complaining that we don't have Haverford friends. If I wanted to be an intricate part of Haverford College, I would have applied. The only deal here is that the bo-co relationship isn't all that it's cracked up to be.