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Our Bryn Mawr story began, quite prosaically, with a spreadsheet. 

After an unprecedented freshman year of pandemic-induced virtual learning, all at once it was time to return to life at our local public high school and — simultaneously — start thinking about college.  Deciding where and what our daughter wanted to study in three years' time was a lot to ask of a 15- year-old who was still settling into being back in the world.  Most students in our large suburban school district are funneled by default toward higher education at one of our well-regarded (and even larger) public state schools. Many other families we spoke to were feeling overwhelmed and unfamiliar with farther-afield options beyond the Ivies or well-known sports powerhouses. 

We knew that our daughter would absolutely thrive in the right college environment, one that wasn’t necessarily available in North Carolina.  But where?  Thus, the college spreadsheet was born.  On it went every possible parameter that might be of use or interest — demographics, statistics, rankings, fields of study, LGBTQ+ safety, pros/cons, reviews, deadlines, videos, Common Data Set extrapolation and prognostication — all of it cross-referenced, hyperlinked and color-coded. It was a ridiculous behemoth of information, and our daughter (mostly) good-naturedly rolled her eyes at it, but it got our conversation started.  As we researched together, patterns emerged, and a dialogue began that helped us discern what she was (and wasn’t) looking for in a college experience.   

"Our daughter’s search became focused on the unique traditions, personalities and opportunities at each of the remaining Sisters in the hopes of finding the right fit for her. "

Probably the most pivotal milestone on our journey occurred when we introduced the idea of a women’s college.  The significance of women’s education and the role that the Seven Sisters played in opening doors for subsequent generations immediately resonated with our daughter.  It was thrilling to imagine a world where the loudest voice in the room wouldn’t automatically be deemed the most important; where alums from all years and industries would lend a hand to inspire, encourage and connect; and where intellectual curiosity would be supported and valued.  Our daughter’s search became focused on the unique traditions, personalities and opportunities at each of the remaining Sisters in the hopes of finding the right fit for her. 

Back on the spreadsheet, the data was all pointing in the same direction: that just-right place featuring a gorgeous campus within easy reach of a city’s immense cultural resources; a historically respected academic program with an eye toward the future; a tight-knit community rooted in its local surroundings that also encourages the global context provided by a robust study-abroad program; and a liberal arts education that stresses the whole person and retains a respect and reverence for the humanities. Bryn Mawr College came up in our conversation time and time again.  It was time to experience it in person to see if it could possibly live up to expectations. 

Just before our first visit, a wiser and more experienced friend advised us to stand back as parents and keep our opinions to ourselves.  If you've been fortunate enough to visit Bryn Mawr, I probably don’t have to describe to you what happened next.  Seeing the effect that the campus had on our daughter as she walked through Pembroke Arch for the first time was pure magic.  It was immediately obvious as we toured the College that she could see herself there learning, living, and thriving among fascinating, passionate, like-minded people.  Everyone we met on campus was welcoming and eager to answer questions, make connections and share their experiences. 

And it probably didn’t hurt that our visit coincided with the peak of Bryn Mawr’s magnificent fall foliage season.  We toured many other lovely schools with great academic programs, but they just confirmed what we hoped — Bryn Mawr had what we were hoping for.  All of that dry data from that boring spreadsheet suddenly came alive in a way that resonated with our child and transformed the exhaustive college search into a journey toward a very real and much-desired goal.   

All along, that spreadsheet had been a love letter to my child, my way of processing the very real feeling that, in some ways, I was also interviewing my replacement — a place and a community to which I would be passing my child along to house, feed, protect, teach, and guide on her path toward adulthood and independence.  We couldn’t be prouder that, in the end, she chose Bryn Mawr College, and that the College chose her right back.  And we absolutely can’t wait to see where the next steps in her journey, both at BMC and beyond, will lead her to!