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WOMEN’S COLLEGES IN THE 21ST CENTURY
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“I decided very early on,” confesses Director of College Guidance Hector Martinez, “that every girl at Vivian Webb School would at least consider a women’s college. If some of our girls weren’t going to consider it on their own, I would ‘casually’ add it to their college lists. ... If they were going to consider Harvard, Penn, or Columbia, then they would also have to consider Wellesley, Scripps, Bryn Mawr, and Barnard.” Martinez felt strongly that every girl should investigate women’s colleges, even if it required a little push from him. “Each year, I would visit countless college campuses and I was always most impressed by the women’s colleges,” he explains. “Something was happening [there] that just wasn’t happening as quickly or as naturally at coed schools. There was a sense of confidence and belonging in these all-female communities that was transforming these smart girls into women ready for life’s challenges.”
He found, however, that “women’s colleges were poorly understood and mostly feared.” Some students categorically rejected the idea. “I told him flat out that I refused to go to an all-women’s college after going to an all-girl’s school,” recalls Lily Chen ’04, who graduated from Bryn Mawr in 2008 with a dual major in mathematics and psychology. Lana Madanat ’03, who received her BA in neuroscience from Smith College in 2008, responded similarly, even though her sister, Jumana Madanat Misleh ’99, was then a senior at Smith. Martinez says VWS students are becoming much more open to the idea and Webb is now a top feeder school for women’s colleges: 51 percent of the 2012 graduating class applied to and 24 percent are attending a women’s college. Still, resistance remains common. “For many prospective students,” laments Smith College Dean of Admissions Debra Shaver, “the notion of a women’s college is full of negative connotations. ... I think we need to change the conversation to what women’s colleges are: academically challenging, encouraging, empowering, and fun. Our outcomes prove our worth.” THEN AND NOW
AN ACADEMIC EDGE
Several recent studies on women in higher education have concluded that female students would be better served by a classroom environment tailored to the ways most women learn, with greater emphasis on participation, collaboration, and hands-on learning. What these studies seldom mention is that women’s colleges have offered just such an environment for decades. Unlike most coed universities, the pedagogy at women’s colleges is tailored to the learning styles of female students. “Smith professors know how to teach women and how to keep them engaged in the classroom,” says alumna Jumana Misleh. She recalls:
I never considered myself strong in mathematics, but somehow I managed to earn A’s in Calculus I and Calculus II, and I credit my professors’ innovative teaching style for my success. ... Things were explained visually, using computer modeling programs and other hands-on exercises, and aside from exams that would test rote memorization, students were also expected to complete analytical research projects where we applied our mathematical skills to real-world problems. That was the first time in my life that I was confident in a math class!
In the 1800s, women’s colleges were almost the only choice for women seeking higher education; few universities accepted female students. Some of the earliest women’s colleges, like Mount Holyoke, were originally seminaries. Others were (and still are) affiliated with established colleges—created, in some cases, as an alternative to admitting women to existing all-male institutions. Today, the need for women’s colleges is less obvious. Most American universities are coeducational and women outnumber men on college campuses. Some traditional women’s colleges have disappeared, while others are now coed. However, as many women have realized, just because an institution is open to women does not necessarily mean it is welcoming or supportive. Researchers have noted that the climate for female students on coed campuses is often less than ideal, with negative consequences for women’s academic achievement and even their physical health. Furthermore, while about 60 percent of college students are female, teaching methods at coed universities predominantly favor the learning styles of male students. Nowhere is the impact of these disparities more pronounced than in science, technology, engineering and math. A recent study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research notes that female students are far less likely than men to receive undergraduate degrees in these disciplines and warns that the number of women in math and computer-related fields has actually fallen since 2000.
Such results are no accident. “At a women’s college, every resource is dedicated to the education of and opportunities for women,” says Wellesley College Dean of Admissions Jennifer Desjarlais. Smith’s Debra Shaver adds that pedagogy at women’s colleges also tends to be more innovative than that at coed universities, pointing to examples like Smith’s open curriculum, which encourages students to take classes in many different fields, not just a narrow range of prerequisites. “It changes the dynamic in the classroom,” says Shaver. “Every student in every class wants to be there; she is not there because she needs to check off a requirement.” Another advantage of women’s colleges is smaller classes. “I don’t think I had a class of more than 30 people,” says Jessica Anand ’05, who graduated from Wellesley in 2009 with a double major in political science and Spanish. “I had a class of seven girls at one point. ... When I left a class, every single teacher knew my name and if I went back after a semester, they still remembered who I was.” Jumana Misleh says that at Smith, “on a rare occasion when I was late or missed a class, my professor would personally call me to ask if I was okay and would offer to go over the lecture with me.”
Lily Chen, a Bryn Mawr alumna, had high praise for the faculty and the “easy access to well-respected professionals in their specific fields.” She recalls: One of the best memories I have of college was my senior seminar for mathematics, where each senior would take part of the lesson plan and teach it to the rest of the seminar. ... The seminar was based on the professor’s research field, which in this case was knot theory. ... It gave me the opportunity to not only learn something that was so different from the required math-major courses, but also gave each student access to an expert and highly regarded specialist in knot theory. ENGAGEMENT AND CONFIDENCE
Whatever the discipline, women’s college students often display a level of engagement that is rare for students of either sex at coed universities. Even VWS alumnae are sometimes startled by the passion for academics at women’s colleges. “There was tons and tons of participation [at Wellesley],” says Jessica Anand. “Nobody was really missing class. That wasn’t necessarily because people wanted to get good grades, but because they were passionate about what they were studying. I cannot emphasize enough how important that was.” Alumnae describe the academic experience as demanding but energizing. “Women’s colleges can bring out the best in you,” remarks Jumana Misleh. “It is pretty difficult to slack off when you’re surrounded by amazingly intelligent, driven women.” Such passion can be a confidence booster for young women. “If you can be shy, especially when participating in classroom discussions, it is nice to have a classroom of female peers where you can feel comfortable speaking up,” says Lana Madanat. According to the National Association for College Admission Counseling, 92 percent of women’s college graduates report improved self-confidence, compared to only 70 percent of public university alumnae. A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
Research shows that women’s college students have higher graduation rates and are more satisfied with their education than women at coed institutions. The Women’s College Coalition notes that women’s college alumnae are also significantly more likely to go to graduate school. According to Debra Shaver, “Almost 70 percent of Smith alumnae pursue postgraduate education within five years of graduation.” Nationally, 51 percent of women’s college alumnae receive graduate degrees, compared to 33 percent of alumnae of coed liberal arts colleges and only 27 percent of public university alumnae. Shaver adds that at Smith, the only U.S. women’s college to offer an accredited engineering degree program, about a third of undergraduates major in engineering, mathematics, or other scientific fields, considerably higher than average.
TEN WOMEN’S COLLEGE PIONEERS One of the central missions of women’s colleges is to prepare women for leadership roles, and in that area, the record speaks for itself. A substantial percentage of women serving in Congress are women’s college alumnae,
“The numbers don’t lie,” says Hector Martinez. “The admission rates to medical school, law school, MBA programs, and other professional degrees are higher coming from a women’s college, even in comparison to the most prestigious coed colleges— including the Ivy League.”
as is Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton (Wellesley College ’69).
T H E P O W E R O F PA R T N E R S H I P
Here are some other pioneering women to graduate from women’s colleges:
A less-recognized advantage of women’s colleges is the relationships many have with other nearby colleges. Wellesley, for example, is affiliated with Harvard and MIT and allows cross-registration with Babson, Brandeis, and Olin College of Engineering. Scripps College is one of the Claremont Colleges, along with Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Pitzer, and Pomona College, while Smith is one of the Five Colleges, with Amherst, Hampshire, the University of Massachusetts, and Mount Holyoke, another women’s college.
1 The first woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature: Author Pearl S. Buck (Randolph-Macon Women’s College ’14), in 1932, for her novel The Good Earth. 2 The first female neurosurgeon in the U.S.: Dorothy Klenke Nash (Bryn Mawr College ’22). 3 The first woman appointed to a U.S. presidential cabinet: Frances Perkins (Mount Holyoke College ’02), secretary of labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1933-1945. 4 The first African-American woman to graduate from Yale Law School and the first African-American female judge in the U.S.: Jane Matilda Bolin (Wellesley ’28), who graduated from Yale in 1931 and was appointed to the bench in 1939 by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia. 5 The first woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize: Pacifist author, sociologist, and economist Emily Greene Balch (Bryn Mawr 1889), in 1946. 6 One of the first two women to reach the rank of general in the U.S. Army: Brig. Gen. Elizabeth P. Hoisington (College of Notre Dame ’40), Director of the Women’s Army Corps, promoted June 11, 1970. 7 The first woman to serve as president of a major U.S. university: Historian Hanna Holborn Gray (Bryn Mawr ’50), acting president of Yale, 1977-1978, and president of the University of Chicago, 1978-1993. 8 The first woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations: Jeane Kirkpatrick (Barnard College ’48), 1981-1985. 9 The first female vice presidential candidate from a major American political party: Geraldine Ferraro (Marymount Manhattan College ’56), who ran with Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondale in 1984. 10 The first woman to serve as U.S. secretary of state: Madeleine Albright (Wellesley ’59), secretary of state under President Bill Clinton, 1997-2001.
These alliances give students access to a vast range of classes. “Through cross-registration, our students can choose from about 2,500 courses and more than 60 majors,” say Scripps Dean of Admissions Victoria Romero and Assistant Director of Admissions Margaret Nilsson. Wellesley’s Jennifer Desjarlais says crossregistration also facilitates interdisciplinary programs like the Sustainability Certificate Program offered by Wellesley, Babson, and Olin Colleges. Another benefit is that each student can effectively select her own balance of single-sex and coed courses. Not all students cross-register; “I didn’t take very many coed classes outside of Wellesley and a few MIT classes,” says Jessica Anand. Other students actually complete their majors off campus, like Natalie Sacks ’07, who majored in public policy analysis at Pomona College while attending Scripps, and Jumana Misleh, who earned her BA in government from Smith and an interdisciplinary degree in international relations from the Five Colleges. SOCIAL LIFE
The access to off-campus classes, clubs, and events does much to alleviate one of prospective students’ biggest fears about women’s colleges. “Initially, I really thought my social life would suffer or be stunted,” says Ari Litman ’08, who received her BA in psychology from Scripps in 2012, “but it was the complete opposite. ... It was so much fun.” Students at women’s colleges have many social options. Jumana Misleh says of Smith: “The accessibility of four other schools meant that there were always numerous parties, concerts, and sporting events to attend. You could start the
to have served me well in my professional life.” (She is now an international trade attorney with Stewart and Stewart.) NETWORKING AND OTHER BENEFITS night out attending a screening of an independent film at Women’s colleges offer other perks, as well. Jumana Misleh Hampshire, go to dinner at Amherst, and end up at a fraternity explains: party at UMass. Students from the other schools regularly attended our on-campus parties. I really loved how everything at Smith was geared towards women, from the classes to the There is a free bus that circulates housing. Two totally different examples: (1) My senior year, I participated in a weekly lunch-time among the campuses, so it was also really easy to get around.” seminar ... intended to teach young women how to be financially savvy and how to deal with investing, loans, and other issues, so that we never had to be dependent on someone else to Alumnae admit that being socially manage our finances. (2) The athletic facilities are designed for women. I was never a serious active requires more deliberation than at a coed school. “It took more athlete, but it was great to be able to use equipment designed for our bodies. of an effort to get out and do things socially on the weekends,” says Perhaps the greatest benefit of women’s colleges is networking. Eissa Villasenor ’98, who graduated The solidarity among alumnae is strong and the resulting from Mount Holyoke in 2002 with a double major in politics networks can be very powerful—particularly since, as Victoria and Spanish. However, Lana Madanat notes she and her friends Romero and Margaret Nilsson of Scripps observe, women’s had a very satisfying social life despite only occasionally college alumnae “are disproportionately represented in business venturing off campus. “We could have visited the other colleges and government.” in the area and made friends with more boys,” she says, “but we “Before I started,” says Eissa Villasenor, “someone told me that found that there were so many parties and on-campus events the network of women I would have just from graduating from at Smith that it wasn’t necessary to leave campus to have a Mount Holyoke would be tremendous. I found that to be true, good time.” 110 percent. ... I’ve found mentors in my career that way, friends in law school that way, friends abroad that way. ... I think it’s THE QUESTION OF MEN really inspiring.” For many young women, the prospect of four years without men is distinctly alarming. Even Jumana Misleh, who “was intrigued HOW TO CHOOSE by the idea of going to class without (male) distractions,” For VWS students considering women’s colleges, alumnae admits, “When Mr. Martinez first suggested Smith, I believe stress the importance of campus visits. “For me, the college my response was, ‘But I like boys.’” visit sold it,” says Eissa Villasenor. “I came back [from Mount In practice, alumnae say the single-sex environment is less Holyoke] and I was certain that that was where I wanted to daunting than it sounds. “We didn’t miss having guys on campus spend the next four years of my life.” Jumana Misleh and Lana [at Wellesley] because you could always go see them if you Madanat say they had no interest in Smith until they toured wanted to,” says Jessica Anand. “I never felt a void of male and fell in love with the campus. presence in my life.” “Don’t be deterred by the fact that it’s a women’s college,” offers “In the end, my experience at a women’s college did not keep Jessica Anand. “Don’t be scared that there aren’t men in your life, because if you want them, you’ll find them. I met my fiancé me from men,” says Ari Litman, who met her significant other during my junior year of college. It’s a different environment, while at Scripps. “Instead, it gave me the safe space to but it’s a lot less nerve-wracking once you get there.” educate [myself] and experience my growth. College was almost a retreat, and when I wanted male interaction, all “Based on my sister’s experience and my own,” says Ari Litman, I had to do was go outside.” “a women’s college is really the best place for a girl who’s looking to grow intellectually [and] socially, have really strong bonds “I do think women’s colleges play a huge role in shaping with women, develop her character, and find out who she is.” our identities and our views of men,” notes Jumana Misleh.
“We learn to be more analytical in our relationships and to not accept everything at face value.” She says her time at Smith made her more confident in dealing with men, which “seems