Wordless Wednesday

Wordless Wednesday

Photo Date: 1954

Hogwarts Castle Returns to This Women’s College

Earlier this month, when first-semester ended, this women’s college transformed their library into Hogwarts Castle. It’s a tradition held every 4 years at Bryn Mawr College where students celebrate the college’s End-of-Term Feast and Yule Ball.
 

How Fun!
 

 

 

 

View additional images here.

Bryn Mawr College is located in Bryn Mawr, PA. Learn more here.

Celebrating Senior Thesis

Senior year is always so much fun and so much to finish before commencement. Soon these young women (Nikki Chang, Sara Eliason, Megan Petersen, Elisabeth Pfeiffer and Madeleine Wills) will graduate from Scripps College, but not before they receive a passing grade on their senior thesis. If you’re wondering what each wrote about, you’re in luck! Check out the subject matter of each student as well as learn about their future plans by reading the college blog post, "Celebrating Senior Thesis."

Women's Colleges Rock! Ask Me How!™

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The Sisterhood Found at Women’s Colleges

When I was deciding which college to attend, I underestimated the importance of sisterhood (specifically the sisterhood found at women’s colleges). Perhaps this video, from Cedar Crest College, will express it more clearly. Enjoy!

Cedar Crest College is located in Allentown, PA. Learn more about this single-sex college by visiting the college Web site. And I'm sure you will want to check into their 4-year graduation guarantee.

Merry Christmas

Agnes Scott College  - Decatur, GA

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Aspire Higher at this Women’s College

Lots of wonderful things going on at this women’s college including a new sports and recreation center! Plus, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College is ranked as a top college, receiving a ranking of 16 in the 2015 edition of Best Colleges is Regional Colleges (Midwest).

Learn more about Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College, located in Saint Mary of the Woods, IN by visiting the college Web site.

Aspire Higher!

Women’s College Trivia - Georgia O'Keeffe

Which women’s college did Georgia O'Keeffe teach at?

Click here to learn the answer.

                                      Pink Shell with Seaweed

                                              Lavender Iris

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25 Ways This Women’s College Rocked in 2014

My favorite is number 14: Computer science students built robots from scratch and I also included this in my HuffPost blog post: What These STEM College Women Are Doing This Summer.

To learn the additional 24 ways, continue reading here.

                     Photo Credit: Mount Holyoke College / Emily Weir

To learn about this women's college, located in South Hadley, MA, visit the Mount Holyoke College Web site.

Notable Judson College Alumna: Julia Zitella Cocke, prolific poet

"Julia Zitella Cocke (1840-1929) was a prolific poet during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. During her lifetime, she produced more than 300 poems, several essays and short stories, and 11 musical compositions. She covered a variety of subjects in her poetry, but her best works were inspired by her native South." Continue reading here.

Learn more about Judson College here.

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Women College Alumna Inspires Song

How cool is this? Elizabeth Reed, a student at a women's college (Wesleyan College in Macon, GA) influenced this song by The Allman Brothers.

In Memory Of Elizabeth Reed The Allman Brothers Band

"Elizabeth Reed was a young Southern woman in 1860 when she came to Macon, Georgia to attend Wesleyan College. She eventually married a Confederate Army Captain named Briggs Napier in 1865 and began a long life as a farmer’s wife and the mother of 12 children. She passed away in 1935 and her body was laid to rest at Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon.

Over three decades later, a group of young men, aspiring local musicians, would regularly frequent the very same cemetery that held Elizabeth Reed. They would congregate under the ghostly, blue light of the Georgia moon to find inspiration for their creative powers while the eerie ambience of the buried dead hung thickly around them. The young men, six of them, Duane, Gregg, Dickey, Berry, Jaimoe and Butch all burned with youthful passion for creating music and basked in the foreboding atmosphere the cemetery offered. While there is speculation as to exactly how it may have occurred, one thing is certain. Dickey, a guitarist, noticed the tombstone of Elizabeth Reed Napier and gave free rein to his imagination. Little did he know that he was creating possibly the greatest instrumental song in the history of rock music."

Continue reading here. And check out the song via the below YouTube video!

Women's Colleges Really Do Rock!!!

Learn about Wesleyan College here!

Holiday Hair Style Idea

How Cute!

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Christmas Vespers, Concerts, and Candlelight Services at Women's Colleges

Here's the link to my latest HuffPost blog post . . . Christmas Vespers, Concerts, and Candlelight Services at Women's Colleges . . . enjoy!

St. Catherine University located in St. Paul, MN
Photo Caption: Candlelight Christmas Concert
Photo Credit: Rebecca Zenefski '10 / St. Catherine University

12 Reasons to Attend a Women’s College

The top 3 reason are:

1. More women’s college students graduate on time!
2. Women’s colleges are better at helping students learn how to learn!
3. Student’s at women’s colleges practice what they learn in internships!

Continue reading here to learn the additional reasons.

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Women’s College First-Year Student to Play Lead in Local Production of Cinderella

"Meredith College freshman Lauren Knott, ’18, is playing the lead role in the 2014 Raleigh Little Theatre (RLT) production of Cinderella. The performances will be held in December."

Continue reading here.

This Week at Salem College: December 5, 2014

Fast Facts (from the college Web site) about Salem College located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

"Salem College is a four-year liberal arts school for women. Men are accepted into undergraduate programs through the Fleer Center for Adult Education and to the graduate programs in teacher education.

We are the 13th oldest college in the United States, according to the American Council on Education in Washington, D.C., and the oldest women's college by founding date (1772).

Motto: “Knowledge and Virtue”

Salem offers four undergraduate degrees (BA, BS, BM, and BSBA); two graduate degrees (MAT, MEd); teacher licensure (Elementary Education K-6, General Curriculum Special Education K-12, Middle/Secondary Content Area 6-12, Second Language - French and Spanish - K-12 and Art Education K-12; add-on licensure is available in Academically and Intellectually Gifted (AIG), Birth-Kindergarten, Reading, and English as a Second Language); and four certificate programs, in Accounting, Historic Preservation, Not-for-Profit Management, and in Injury-Preventive Keyboard Technique.

Salem's total enrollment of 1,100 includes traditional college students (all women), adults enrolled in the graduate-degree programs in education as well as men and women ages 23 and up who take courses through the Fleer Center for Adult Education.

Student to faculty ratio is 12:1; 90% of professors have Ph.D. or terminal degrees in their field; 70% are women.

Salem College has the most racially and ethnically diverse student body of any local institution: 7 percent international students; 25 percent students of color.

Salem College’s law school admission rate is 100 percent; the medical school admission rate is 85 percent.  (The national average for medical school admission is 50 percent.)

Money magazine has named Salem one of the top 10 "Best Buys" among women's colleges seven years in a row. (We were also ranked in the top 150 "Best Buys" for all colleges and universities in the U.S and one of the top 25 “Best Buys” among liberal arts colleges in the Southeast.)

Salem was the first college in North Carolina to add a master's degree program in which students can earn licensure to teach children from birth to kindergarten.

Salem is one of the top "Character-Building Colleges" in the nation by the John Templeton Foundation, in large part because of the unique Salem Signature program.

Women who attend women's colleges are twice as likely as their peers in co-ed institutions to pursue careers and advanced degrees in the sciences. At Salem, our science programs are among our most popular. Salem's Women in Science  program is designed to provide academic and career support for students interested in pursuing careers in science or mathematics."

Learn more about Salem College by visiting their Web site!

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Who Watched Peter Pan Live Last Night?

If you’re a Peter Pan fan, here’s an interesting piece of trivia.

Who was the original Peter Pan? 

If you guessed Maude Adams, you’re correct!

But did you also know that Maude was the former head of the theatre department at Stephens College?

Stephens College, a liberal arts women’s college located in Columbia, MO,  (with a focus on creative arts and sciences) has a top-notch theatre department offering both a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Arts and a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre Arts. Learn more about their Theatre Arts program here, Theatre Management  program here, or Musical Theatre program here.

Stephens also offers a Master of Fine Arts in TV and Screenwriting: the first low-residency M.F.A. program specifically for TV and screenwriting. Learn more about the program here.
 
Additional information about Stephens College is available here or by visiting the college Web site here.

Learn How This Women’s College Alumna Launched a Tech Startup

I enjoyed reading this blog entry “Shaan Kandawalla '98 Shares Story of Launching a Tech Startup with New York Times Blog” and know you will as well.

“In a New York Times blog called You’re the Boss: The Art of Running a Small Business, a recent article profiles Shaan Kandawalla ’98, founder and CEO of two-year-old PlayDate Digital, a company that produces educational games for small children.

In the profile, with its accompanying video, Kandawalla speaks about some of the assumptions she faced as a woman launching and running a tech startup, especially when early in the process she became pregnant and had a child. As the Times reports, she was working “day and night” to get partners and others lined up behind her vision. “I think I was eight and a half months pregnant when I did a final pitch at Hasbro,” Kandawalla tells the Times; she clinched the deal a week before her daughter was born.”

Continue reading here.

Learn more about this women’s college, located in Wellesley, MA, Wellesley College here.

Congratulations Shaan Kandawalla . . . Way To Go!

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Quote: What a Women’s College Did for This STEM Woman

“MHC gave me role models that I can look up to. As I am part of a male-dominated field where I hardly see other female engineers, I remind myself of what MHC has taught me. MHC builds in women the desire to succeed no matter how difficult the task and it instills in women the confidence to go forward.”—Shehzeen Hussain ’14
Learn more about Mount Holyoke College or about their notable alumnae.

Her College Story: Hidden College Gems - Women's Colleges

By Sarah Hwang
Mount Holyoke College
Class of 2017
Major: In the process of creating her own major combining Art History and IR/politics called: Art and Policy.
Social Chair, MHC KASA: Korean American Sisters Association
Co-Vice President, MHC Planned Parenthood Generation Action

Women’s colleges seem to be hidden gems among the great pile of colleges and universities. I have visited and researched more than 15 liberal arts colleges during my college selection process and I ended up applying Early Decision to Mount Holyoke College. Students are caught up with the linear belief that the ideal college experience is one involving a well-known, highly ranked, co-ed school. I have seen many of my friends conform to this narrative and underestimate the possibilities of a women’s college. Thanks to my guidance counselor, I was lucky to have been exposed to the option of a women’s college.

I was initially against the idea of a women’s college. However, with the help of my counselor and my mother, I was able to learn about the numerous opportunities and advantages only available to students in a single-sex environment, such as Mount Holyoke. One of the many reasons for my decision was for the opportunities to be a strong and efficient leader in not only my college community but in my field as well. I am interested in studying International Relations and World Politics. Both of these are still a “male dominated” field of study today. The fact that we still do not have a woman president and that women make up only 18.3 percent of the 113th congress says a lot about our country. My dream is to eventually represent our country, whether it be working for the United Nations or serving as an US ambassador in a foreign country. However, I feared that my dream would be unachievable due to the harsh reality that my interests are still dominated by men.

In one of my visits to a co-ed college, all of the admissions officers as well as the student representatives were men. It was hard for me to relate to these leaders and envision myself attending these colleges. However, my visit to Mount Holyoke was inspiring as I was able to see myself in the young women leaders of the college community. All of the leadership opportunities are held by women at these single-sex colleges. From the student representatives to the alumnae, I had a number of women leaders to look up to. At a women’s college, such as Mount Holyoke, they help build confidence and strength to prepare students to not only compete with men but to work with them as well. They assure the success of women in their career by overcoming the gender challenges of our society.

Another factor of my decision to attend a women’s college was the close-knit community. During my visit to Mount Holyoke, I immediately felt a sense of community and a common consensus amongst the students. From the various traditions, such as M&C’s and Mountain Day, to the sisterhood that bonds the students, I was drawn to the opportunities to create life-long friendships and connections.

People often question me about my decisions to attend a women’s college. I am usually asked if I am either intimidated by men, very religious, or a lesbian. None of these are true but these questions just show the lack of knowledge that people have about women’s college. I catch myself going on into a rant after trying to explain my reasons for choosing a women’s college. My decision was solely based on what women’s colleges had to offer to me as a student. I feel that a women’s college education is not for everyone but I do highly recommend young high school women to keep an open mind towards this option. I did exactly that and I can truly say how that was one of the best decisions I have ever made. 


                                         © 2014 - Sarah Hwang

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Oscar-Winning Filmmaker and Women’s College Alumna Awarded Grant

Meet Cynthia Wade ’89 from Smith College!

"Oscar-winning filmmaker Cynthia Wade ’89 has received a MacArthur grant to support production of her documentary "Mudflow," about the social and political impact of a toxic mudflow caused by natural gas drilling in Indonesia."

Read more here.

Congratulations Cynthia!


                                   Women’s Colleges Rock! Ask Me How!™

Happy Thanksgiving!

Below is a Thanksgiving wish from the President of Mount Mary University.

 
It's that time of year when we reflect on all of our blessings.

At this time of Thanksgiving celebration our thoughts turn gratefully to you with warm appreciation. Best wishes for a Happy Thanksgiving!

Sincerely,

Eileen Schwalbach, Ph.D.
President, Mount Mary University

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College-Bound and Looking for a Career in Sales?

Consider this unique program at St. Catherin’s University.

"Mary Jacobs, a veteran corporate sales manager and consultant, and director since 2013 of the Center for Sales Innovation at St. Catherine University, runs what she says is the only four-year degree program in business-to-business sales and health care sales in Minnesota. Although a relatively small major, Jacobs said it fills a niche for companies looking to diversify their sales ranks and also gives nursing and other students who take some of the courses an inside look at how to sell knowledgeably and ethically."
 
Continue reading the article, "St. Catherine program in sales fills need for diversity,"  here.

Or visit St. Catherine University Web site here.

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Real Students, Real Stories: Katie, 2014 Communications Major

If you're interested in Communications, let me introduce you to the 2014 Communications Major Katie Besley via the above video.

Learn about this women’s college, Columbia College on Facebook or via the college Web site! You also can learn about the college's communications studies program. Columbia College is located in Columbia, SC.

Women’s Colleges and Fantastic College Scholarships - This One is for STEM Students

Another advantage of attending a women’s college – excellent financial-aid packages!

Check out this scholarship for STEM students at this women’s college; College of Saint Mary and their $80,000 Marie Curie Scholarships (over four years) to new students majoring in biology, chemistry, or mathematics. Or learn more about the college here.

In the past I’ve blogged about the affordability of women’s colleges and also identified this scholarship, “A $10,000 Scholarship for College-Bound High School Girls -- The Harriet Fitzgerald Scholarship.”


                                Women’s Colleges Rock! Ask Me How!™

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Photo Credit: Rita Quigley '65

Girl Power!

We all LOVE Girl Power! Check out the new statue at this women's college, Brenau University Women’s College located in Gainesville, GA.

"Golden Tiger Sisterhood Revs-Up at 'Grrrl Power Hour' During Women's College Convocation Brenau held its first Informal Women’s College Convocation on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at Pearce Auditorium in Gainesville. The theme of the convocation, “Grrrl Power Hour" (alluding to the university Golden Tiger mascot), ties into not only celebrating the Brenau sisterhood and igniting the sense of “girl power” in female students . . . " 

Continue reading here.

"Pictured: Debra Dobkins, dean of Brenau's women's college, brought the first informal women's college convocation out to the steps of the Simmons Visual Arts Center to talk about a new statue on Brenau's historic campus."

"The second piece outside the building by Jean Westmacott, titled 'Brenau Woman #2,' is a confidant woman walking off of campus, ready to take on the world, with her freshly gained education."

Might Brenau University Women’s College be right for you? Learn more about this women's college here.

Why Attending a Women's College Was the Best Decision I' Ever Made

I love, love, love reading women’s colleges blog post from fellow HuffPost bloggers!! Check out Sofia Lyons’ blog post, “Why Attending a Women's College Was the Best Decision I' Ever Made.”

". . . No, I don't feel as though the lack of men is leaving me ill-prepared. Rather, I feel confident and ready to speak my mind, thanks to the simultaneously nurturing yet challenging environment. I never feel as though I'm in competition with my classmates, because I have the opportunity to speak in a free space, without feeling as though I'm being judged or criticized. Every class is an ongoing discussion between peers and professors alike. While this may be possible at co-ed universities, studies have shown that women are less likely to speak up when they are outnumbered by men. Women's colleges teach leadership and confidence through active participation. (And believe it or not, "women's studies" isn't the main focus of every class -- and when it is, we analyze gender roles from every side, including the male perspective!) After four years of this, you can imagine that graduates emerge empowered and ready to take their seat at the metaphorical table. In a study by Marie Claire magazine, researchers found that overall, employers were less likely to hire women because they lacked something called executive presence - basically, the kind of presence and self-assured attitude that makes you CEO material. Women's colleges produce these kinds of women, without a doubt. . . ."

Continue reading here.

Sofia ’17 is a Comparative Literature (French and Italian) major at Barnard College in NYC with an eye on becoming a style writer/women’s columnist.

Learn more about this single-sex college, Barnard College, here.

Women's Colleges Rock! Ask Me How!

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Alumna from this women's college.

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Women’s College Wins Women's Soccer Conference Carolinas Championship

Winning season (14-2-1 overall record and 9-1-1 in conference) for this women’s college, Converse College as they were recently crowned Conference Carolinas Champs. 

Continue reading here.

Learn more about Converse College.


Photo Courtesy of John Byrum.

Congratulations!!!!

Women's College Student Video: Shake It Off, Scripps College Style

Studying too hard? Take a break and dance it out to "Shake It Off" like these Scripps College students do!!

Scripps College is a women's college located in Claremont, California. Check out their Web site here! Learn about their notable alumnae here!

Women’s College Rock! Ask Me How!®

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A woman for all seasons

Meet Frances Perkins (1880-1965) alumna of Mount Holyoke College.

“Frances Perkins (1880-1965) was a trailblazer on several fronts. We remember her most vividly as secretary of labor under Presidents Franklin D. Roosevelt and Harry Truman. In that post she wielded more power for a longer period than any American woman up to that time and for years after.”

Continue reading “A woman for all seasons” here.

Learn more about Mount Holyoke College by visiting the Mount Holyoke College Web site.

Her College Story: Finding Home in the Least Likely of Places

By Gabrielle Thompson
St. Catherine University
Class: 2017
Major:Speech Communications


When I started my college search, I wasn't looking for a women's college. I just started looking for a school kind of close to home with a small-medium student population. I also was looking for a college with a more personal atmosphere and a campus that didn't feel like it was in a "big city". I used sites like collegeboard.com and the princetonreview.com to help me narrow down my search list. In all honesty, I just kind of stumbled upon St. Catherine University.

To say I chose St. Catherine University would be a lie -- It chose me. St. Kate's was the only college I actually toured. But from the moment we drove up to the campus and I stepped foot outside of the car, I got a feeling in my gut that St. Kate's was where I belonged. It had a friendly atmosphere and beautiful flowers and landscaping everywhere. It felt like a place that would challenge me but also offer me the feminine empowering atmosphere I wanted. After walking around more and seeing and hearing about everything the school had to offer, I knew it was the place I would be calling home.

St. Kate's gave me the feeling that I mattered. And without a male dominated population, I knew I would be able to pursue my dreams while also growing as a person. I know that St. Kate's will help me to accomplish anything I put my mind to.

My friends and family have been very supportive of my decision. But I guess we've never really look at my decision as one to attend a women's college. It's only been viewed as a decision to further my education. When I say that the school chose me, it sounds a little funny, but God has been guiding this whole process. Originally I was hesitant about attend a private, Catholic, women's college because it was so expensive. But everything has worked out. Through St. Catherine's financial aid and local scholarships I received, I will be attend for less than any other school I could have gone to. St. Kate's cares about making women's dreams possible and they are very willing to find every possible option when it comes to financial help.

                                                © 2014 - Gabrielle Thompson

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Women’s College Quote: One great advantage of a women's college is that whatever there is to be done, we women do.

Madeleine L’Engle is referenced in this article, “25 Famous Women on Their College Lives.”

Madeleine L’Engle, Smith 1941
"One great advantage of a women's college is that whatever there is to be done, we women do. If there is a magazine to be started, we start it. If there is an officer to be elected, one of us will be elected. I left college and went to New York to earn my living with the assurance that all doors were of course open to me, and that's a good attitude to have. If you expect doors to be open, they're likely to be open. If you expect them to be closed, they're likely to slam in your face." —Wellesley Commencement, 1991 

Continue reading here.

Careers in Politics and Women’s Colleges

Meet Kate Campanale (B.A. Business Management ’07) Sweet Briar College alumna and congratulate her for winning the November 4th elections as State Representative in Worcester, MA. 

Congratulations Kate!

Learn more about Kate’s alma mater here. Sweet Briar College is located in Sweet Briar, VA.

Women's Colleges Rock! Ask Me How! ™