The Blogs on Higher Education website contains links to non-affiliated blogs from around the world, aimed at collecting and presenting helpful information to prospective students and parents on college-related issues. Blogs contained in Blogs on Higher Education and the opinions expressed within them are not affliated with Rosemont College and do not necessarily represent the official policies of Rosemont College.
1. Do We Need Women's Colleges?
You would expect that the president of a women's college would be in support of their continued existence but the arguments in favor of women's colleges is quite strong. As pointed out by President Creighton, the number of successful women that have attended an all women's college is very high. Modern women's colleges are not the finishing schools that many believe them to be. Their placement rate into top graduate programs is very high and their graduates are able to compete in the "real" world just as ably as those women who attended coed colleges. READ MORE
2. Why We Need Women's Colleges
The naming of a woman president of Harvard is a giant step for womankind and for Harvard itself, long a bastion of white-male privilege. That the new president will cross the street from Radcliffe Yard to Harvard Yard seems especially freighted with symbolic import. Because women are no longer excluded from the academy, and because, like Drew Gilpin Faust, they are in greater numbers assuming positions of leadership within it, some might think that women's colleges are now redundant or outmoded and that they should, therefore, follow Radcliffe's example by either assimilating into a formerly all-male institution or going coed themselves. While many have done so, about 60 women's colleges remain in this country, and only one of the "Seven Sisters," Vassar, went coed and did that in 1969, nearly 40 years ago. Why do Mount Holyoke, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Smith, and Wellesley -- and dozens of other women's colleges -- stubbornly carry on as single-sex institutions? READ MORE
3. A Different College Experience
WHEN my editor asked me to share my experiences of studying in the US, I had two options - the typical student life in a typical college in New England where alcohol, drugs, parties and sex rule the campus or the not-so-typical student life in a not-so-typical college. I chose the latter. New England conjures up an image of old elite institutions set in picturesque fall and gloomy winter. The colourful fall foliage on my campus could also be the postcard-perfect portrayal of a typical New England college - but underneath the facade of the breathtaking spectacle, my school is far from being typical. Half the world's population is forbidden from attending this women's college. READ MORE
4. All Women's Colleges
What type of person do you think would be suited for an all women's college? There are some really nice colleges that I would consider going to, but having the student body be solely women kinda turns me off. Not that I hate women. It's just that I like listening to the male perspective of things, too. Males' brains are wired differently and it would be nice to have both genders' inputs. What's it like attendng an all women's college? Be as honest and blunt as you want. I honestly want to hear you out. READ MORE
5. Benefits of Attending a Women's College
Did you know that despite the fact that only 2.5 percent of the women attending college attend women's colleges, their graduates account for 24 percent of our U.S. Congress members and one third of the female board members of Fortune 1000 companies? Considering the rough start women's colleges got, that's impressive. READ MORE
6. A Brief History of Women's Colleges
Women's colleges were originally founded in the 19th Century to meet the educational needs of women—needs that had, up until then, largely been ignored. Depending on the forces behind their creation, these new educational institutions took on different forms. READ MORE
7. Why Attend a Women's College?
Fall of senior year and you're having trouble picking schools to apply to. You've considered cost, location and programs, but you're worried about learning atmosphere, safety and social life. You want to make friends that will last a lifetime - and receive a rigorous education. Have you considered a women's college? If the words "women's college" brings up visions of militant bra-burners or finishing schools, think again. READ MORE
8. An Educational Advantage for Women
Students may investigate many variables when exploring options for higher education. The size and location of the institution, types of majors offered, and the amount of financial aid available are just a few of the considerations for potential college students. However, few students stop to contemplate the gender composition of their future institution. While some students might not consider attending single-sex colleges and universities, there are numerous benefits in single-gender institutions. In fact, research suggests there are multiple educational advantages for students, and for women in particular, who attend single-sex colleges or universities. READ MORE
9. Advantages of Choosing a Women's College
A women's college is a sanctuary where intellectual, spiritual and cultural advancement is nurtured. It's a place where the age old adage "It's a man's world" is traded in for the academic, professional and personal development that reinforces a truth still well-buried in the world's male-dominated workplace - that women have more to offer, are competent multi-taskers and natural leaders. In short, a women’s college is a place where women get a taste of being in charge - and it's a lesson that lasts a lifetime. READ MORE
10. The Compelling Case for Women's Colleges
The imperative for women's colleges was underscored by a recent survey completed by the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research (National Survey of Student Engagement, July 11, 2006). It confirmed that first-year students and seniors at women's colleges perceive greater support for success than their peers at coed institutions and gain more from their college experience compared with women at coed institutions. READ MORE