Summer Camps & Programs

Program Description

Bryn Mawr College

Writing for College, Science for College, and Women of Distinction: Personalizing the College Admissions Process
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania

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For More Information, Contact
Ann Brown, Coordinator
Writing for College
Bryn Mawr College
101 North Merion Avenue
Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania 19010-2899
610-526-5376 (year-round)
http://www.brynmawr.edu/summerprograms
E-mail: writingforcollege@brynmawr.edu

Type of Program: Precollege academic programs in writing and science as well as a college admissions preparation program
Participants: Young women completing their freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior year in high school
Enrollment: Varies by program
Program Dates: Writing for College and Science for College (residential or commuter): three weeks, last week of June through second week of July; Women of Distinction (residential or commuter): one week, third week of July
Head of Program: Varies by program

Location

The College’s 135-acre campus is located 11 miles west of Philadelphia, in a suburban town with a population of 9,000. The town is an easy 5-minute walk from the campus and offers a movie theater, several cafés and restaurants, and a drugstore, a bookstore, and a variety of other stores.

Background and Philosophy

Since 1993, Bryn Mawr’s Writing for College program has prepared high school–aged young women to write well for college in a program that is intensive, supportive, and fun. The academic, recreational, and college-preparatory dimensions are interwoven to create an integrated experience whose aim is to build a community of writers. All experiences, including seminars, workshops, tutorials, student readings, field trips, college visits, guest writers/speakers, and personal interactions, together challenge and stimulate the community.
    In 2004, Bryn Mawr expanded its summer offerings to include the one-week Women of Distinction program. It added the three-week Science for College program in 2005.

Program Offerings

Writing for College: Students apply to participate in one of the following writing-intensive strands:
Creative Writing: Modeled on undergraduate creative writing programs, the creative writing strand helps participants balance the solitary act of writing with the artistic, academic, and peer interaction that nourishes and supports it. The strand links the study of the art and craft of literature to a workshop approach to creative writing that offers a range of experiences, from free writing to radical revision, in a supportive, encouraging community. As readers and writers, participants explore approaches to three genres—poetry, short fiction, and creative nonfiction—as well as cross-genre writing, literary essay, and portfolio preparation.
Urban Studies: In this strand, students investigate the spatial and sociopolitical dimensions of American cities as well as the larger environmental contexts in which cities are situated. Using the historically rich and culturally diverse city of Philadelphia as the principal site of investigation, participants apply readings and views drawn from a range of disciplines to such critical questions as what makes urban landscapes so compelling and also so complex, what can be learned from investigating the uses of space and the diversity of cultures as dimensions of life in the city, and how the role of nature in an urban environment can be understood. Participants also look at how life in cities is represented in both historical and more contemporary contexts through literature, photography, music, and film. Assignments are designed to enhance students’ descriptive, creative, and analytical writing skills.
Science for College: This interdisciplinary program is designed for students who are interested in analyzing the natural world and better understanding science as an interplay of language, experiments, and processing information to discover new concepts. The program is structured to provide opportunities for students to explore a wide variety of subspecialties in the sciences, including biology, chemistry, geology, physics, and psychology, as well as to work closely with a faculty member in each of those subspecialties. Students are encouraged to learn about each subspecialty and to make connections between core concepts and practices across all of them, with discussions of technology and its place in science woven throughout. A hands-on preparation for college science, the program draws on Bryn Mawr’s extensive resources in the sciences: world-renowned science faculty members, state-of-the-art laboratories, and dedicated, creative teachers. The program interweaves academic, recreational, and college-preparatory dimensions to create an integrated experience. All aspects of the Science for College program, including seminars, guest lectures by Bryn Mawr science faculty members, labs, tutorials, field trips, and personal interactions, work together to support a community of experienced and novice scientists.
Women of Distinction: Personalizing the College Admissions Process: This program is designed to assist students in navigating the college admissions process. Through interactive workshops and personality-assessment tools such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, students gain a better understanding of themselves and what is important to them in selecting a college. Students spend time learning about their motives and styles and what makes them unique. They receive coaching on how to express their personal story effectively in an essay and in an interview. Finally, armed with more information about themselves, students learn what distinguishes one college from another as well as what to expect in their first year. By the end of the week, students have enhanced their ability to select colleges that are a good match for their interests and preferences, and they can better communicate their strengths in the admissions process. Students who previously participated in the program recorded a significant improvement in their ability to articulate their strengths and explain what makes them unique. They also increased their optimism and reduced their anxiety about the college admissions process. The weeklong workshop is taught jointly by professionals from the Bryn Mawr Admissions Office and LEADERSHIP Philadelphia, the Philadelphia region’s premier leadership development organization. This program is designed for both residential and commuting participants.

Enrollment

The Writing for College program enrolls 45 students per year, with 15 students per instructor and teaching assistant. The Science for College program enrolls 15 students, and the Women of Distinction program enrolls up to 40 students.

Daily Schedule

The daily schedule varies with each program.

Facilities

Residential students live in a Bryn Mawr College residence hall with their resident advisers. Participants can take advantage of all of Bryn Mawr’s facilities, including the campus center, computing center, libraries, gymnasium, tennis courts, and playing fields.

Staff

The program staff for the Writing for College and Science for College programs includes a coordinator, an academic director, instructors, teaching assistants, and resident advisers who are Bryn Mawr or Haverford College seniors or recent graduates. The faculty/teaching assistant–student ratio is typically 1:8, and the resident adviser–student ratio is 1:10. The Dean of Admissions at Bryn Mawr College directs the Women of Distinction program, carrying out the program with admissions staff members and personnel from LEADERSHIP Philadelphia, a leadership development organization in Philadelphia.

Costs

The all-inclusive cost for tuition, dormitory, meals, activities, and materials for the three-week Writing for College and Science for College programs is $3000 for residential students and $2200 for commuters; the one-week Women of Distinction program costs $1100 for the residential program and $900 for commuters.

Financial Aid

A limited amount of need-based financial aid is available for the Writing for College and Science for College programs.

Transportation

The Bryn Mawr College campus is 30 minutes by car from the Philadelphia International Airport. It is also accessible by commuter train.

Application Timetable

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until May 1.