Malformed University Name, Uncategorized Surveys

Bryn Mawr gives you rigor - unbelievable rigor. You write and read and discuss and write and read and discuss and do it all again until you get it right. And you do it across many fields because the College's requirements ask that of you. And, you love what you are doing. You are genuinely curious, inquisitive, and motivated. When you leave, you write better than most people and you still want to learn more. You also like word-play, double entendre, and puns, and you carry that out of the College with you. You may be a bit salacious, too, and that is more than ok. You have opionions and, in your four years at Bryn Mawr, begin to learn the judgement that is needed to say what you think, and when, to get what you want or - better still - take a stand when it is needed. My four years offered exceptional intellectual and emotional preparation for being a really skilled grown up in the world. And, yes, possibly the best thing about it is that you are surrounded the entire time by other female students and male and female faculty who think that this is exactly what learning is all about. For the person who want this, it is the best place for you to be - and the best investment in the rest of your life.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

I loved Macalester and could not imagine a better place for me. I found the social life to be wholly satisfying, met the best friends of my life. The Twin Cities, which are navigable, affordable (at least compared to other metro areas), and rife with entertainment, cultural, academic, and professional options, are a fabulous place to go to college. Very youth-oriented.

For the most part, my professors were excellent and very approachable--almost all of them seemed to really care about their teaching and made great efforts to encourage, support, and welcome their students. There were a couple of duds but they're near retirement or have left by now. My one academic disappointment is that for my first three years there, the English Department left something to be desired, mostly because the faculty wasn't that great (in my opinion) and I had virtually no relationship with my advisor. I would be surprised if she even remembers my name or what I studied-I had her for one class, hated it, and I blame only myself for not changing. But I think my academic experience would have been much better had I been savvy enough to find someone who could give me more guidance and put a little more effort into the whole process. I know many other students who had completely great advisors. That said, there are still professors I'm in touch with, who I even consider a friend--alumni seem to keep lasting ties with their professors, invite them to their weddings, etc.

Half my academic experience came from rubbing shoulders with my peers, who are among the brightest and most engaged people I know. Every graduating class complains that things just aren't the same, the school is getting more conservative, etc. I felt the same way to a degree. Macalester definitely has a healthy contingent of yappy political reactionaries whose parents have lots of money. But it seems like pretty much any left-leaning liberal arts school has those.

I am white and I loved my school, but race was under constant discussion, and from witnessing those discussions, I know that many students of color felt alienated.

I would definitely attend again, I wish I COULD attend again, and if you're considering this vibrant, personable, supportive, and very stimulating place, I wish you all the best. Some of my best memories took place at this school.

A word about the male-female ratio: no one seems to have any trouble hooking up, and there are lots of cute guys--I didn't really notice the discrepancy but then again I only dated one person while I was there. The social scene is laid back but pretty active. Macalester students are pretty fun-loving.One more thing: the thing I liked about the place is that the workload is about as crushing as you want to make it. There are plenty of opportunities, like internships and independent projects, to stretch yourself. Lots of professors hire students to work for them during the summers (I had two such appointments). But you don't need to get unduly stressed out about academics if you don't want to. My regret is that I didn't stretch myself enough, I blew off too much, but the opportunity was definitely there if I'd taken it. For the most part, my classes were completely excellent and stimulating. And most of my friends are now at graduate school (Harvard, NYU).

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000

Attending Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the best
decisions I ever made. The professors at OWU were incredible
and always available. In graduate school, I've come to
appreciate even more the level of rigor I experienced in my undergraduate classes. I also loved my time at OWU and feel that I grew as much from my experiences outside the class room as I did from those inside.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000