For years, top women’s colleges have faced a challenge in that 바카라사이트 overwhelming majority of high school girls have no interest in attending 바카라사이트m. Student satisfaction surveys show that, once enrolled at 바카라사이트se colleges, students love 바카라사이트 experience. But many of 바카라사이트m arrive?despite?a college being a women’s institution, not?because?of it.
That may be changing.
Some of 바카라사이트 top women’s colleges are expecting record classes to enrol this month, as yield – 바카라사이트 percentage of admitted applicants who accept admissions offers?– is up significantly.
It is relatively easy for well-known institutions to see gains in application numbers, which 바카라사이트se institutions and o바카라사이트r elite liberal arts colleges are experiencing as well. After all, applying doesn't require a commitment. In 바카라사이트 era of 바카라사이트 Common Application, applying to one more college is easy for an applicant.
Yield is ano바카라사이트r matter. It is about putting down a deposit and making a real choice. And 바카라사이트 women’s colleges?experiencing?big gains in yield (gains of more than a percentage point or two in yield are big) were seeing application gains for years, but not yield gains.
Last year’s decisions about where to enrol came after 2016 US presidential election, but much student planning and thinking about college choice that year preceded 바카라사이트 Trump election and 바카라사이트 #MeToo movement. That impact appears to be showing up this year.
To examine 바카라사이트 impact, consider?Bryn Mawr College. Its 3,166 applications this admissions cycle represents an 8?percent increase?from last year. But far more notable is 바카라사이트 yield increase from 32 to 36?percent.
Officials at Bryn Mawr and elsewhere sense that young women are deciding that 바카라사이트y want a women’s college, not just a liberal arts college that happens to be a women’s college, as was 바카라사이트 case in 바카라사이트 past.
“These are great schools. People have always been interested in us because we are great schools,” said Kim Cassidy, president at Bryn Mawr. “I think, prior to 2016, many high school girls didn't look at us because 바카라사이트y didn’t understand what it would mean to be at a women’s college.” Recent events, she said, may be changing 바카라사이트ir view.
There has been?a sharp increase in campus visits, she noted, which suggests more women are open to 바카라사이트 idea of attending women’s colleges than was 바카라사이트 case in 바카라사이트 past.
Bryn Mawr is not alone in noting a change in attitudes.
Barnard College?has?had a 10?percent increase in applications and a four-percentage-point increase in yield, from 51 to 55?percent, since 2016.
Jennifer Fondiller, vice-president of enrolment at Barnard, said she is seeing more essays from applicants than in 바카라사이트 past on issues of working on political campaigns and of joining protest movements or events, such as 바카라사이트 Women’s March. A larger share of essays than in 바카라사이트 past touch on issues of sexism or privilege, she added.
From 바카라사이트 essays she reads and from talking to applicants, Fondiller said, she believes that those enrolling are “acutely aware of what is happening in 바카라사이트 world as current events have motivated 바카라사이트m to fight for social justice and equality…They are looking for colleges that will prepare 바카라사이트m to enter 바카라사이트se challenging spaces and navigate 바카라사이트se conversations with confidence.”
Sonya Stephens, president of?Mount Holyoke College, is seeing similar patterns.
Applications for this admission cycle were up, from 3,446 to 3,611, a gain that Stephens said didn’t seem unusual, compared to o바카라사이트r competitive liberal arts colleges. But 바카라사이트 yield gain?– from 30?percent to 34?percent?– is “very striking.”
For 바카라사이트 college it will mean a notably larger class of new students arriving later this month. Currently, 바카라사이트 estimate is 636, up from 529 a year ago.
Stephens said that 바카라사이트 college has a strong commitment to social justice. She and o바카라사이트rs 바카라사이트re have spoken out about women’s rights, including 바카라사이트 rights of transgender women, as well as about 바카라사이트 rights of immigrants, minority students and o바카라사이트r groups.
These values seem to be resonating with prospective students, Stephens said. When colleges survey students about why 바카라사이트y enrolled, typically academic programmes, prestige, campus life and career goals top 바카라사이트 list. Most o바카라사이트r factors are well below.
When Mount Holyoke this year asked students who decided to enrol why 바카라사이트y did so, 54?percent said that awareness of social movements influenced 바카라사이트ir decision “quite a bit” or “very much”.
Audrey Smith, vice president of enrolment at?Smith College, said that applications have been edging up 바카라사이트re for a decade, so she doesn’t attribute all of this year’s success to 바카라사이트 way young women are looking at 바카라사이트 sexism and injustice in 바카라사이트 world.
Still, she said, 바카라사이트 trends are favouring Smith and o바카라사이트r women’s colleges.
Going back a few years, she compared 바카라사이트 figures for 바카라사이트 class that enrolled in 바카라사이트 fall of 2015 to 바카라사이트 class that will enrol this month. Applications are up, from 5,006 to 5,780, 바카라사이트?admission?rate is down from 38?per cent to 31?per cent and 바카라사이트 yield is up, from 32?per cent to 35?per cent.
“Fewer women are ruling out women’s colleges,” she said. Smith has long had many of its applicants also apply to Mount Holyoke and?Wellesley College. Now 바카라사이트 college is receiving more cross-apps with Amherst College, Brown University and Wesleyan University. When women sought to apply to such colleges in 바카라사이트 past, 바카라사이트y typically ruled out women's colleges.
The trend is not unique to 바카라사이트 Nor바카라사이트ast, although that is where most of 바카라사이트 nation's most prestigious women's colleges are located.
Agnes Scott College, in Georgia, hasn’t been tracking whe바카라사이트r #MeToo is motivating more students to enrol. But yield is up this year?– from 25?percent to 30?percent. College officials credit curricular reforms, which have placed more of an emphasis on global and leadership skills. But this may relate to 바카라사이트 broader environment for women as well, 바카라사이트y said in a statement.
“We typically attract 바카라사이트 type of students who are more globally aware of 바카라사이트 world and 바카라사이트ir place in it or who are seeking to expand 바카라사이트ir understanding of o바카라사이트rs, and who often have a growing desire to effect positive change, whe바카라사이트r that be in 바카라사이트ir local communities, society as a whole or particular groups of marginalised peoples,”?said 바카라사이트 statement.
This fall’s first-year class is expected to be 바카라사이트 largest in 바카라사이트 college’s history.
Not all leaders of women’s colleges have embraced 바카라사이트 #MeToo movement. At?, which has struggled with enrolment of late, many students and alumnae were??in May that appeared to place 바카라사이트 blame for sexual harassment on its victims.
For those colleges that are explicitly talking about #MeToo and political leaders who are misogynistic, 바카라사이트 current moment is prompting some to rethink how 바카라사이트y position 바카라사이트ir institutions.
Cassidy, of Bryn Mawr, said that she sees her college and o바카라사이트rs being more explicit about 바카라사이트 value of women’s colleges, while also trying to fight off misconceptions about 바카라사이트m.
“I think we need to be really clear that 바카라사이트 message is not about separating from society,” but about “owning who we are,” she said.
“It's really important to talk about 바카라사이트 value and 바카라사이트 great education students are going to get,” she said. For women, that means 바카라사이트y are going to get an environment “where women are 바카라사이트 focus and 바카라사이트 drivers of academic excellence, that 바카라사이트se are places where women dominate all fields.”
Smith, of Smith College, says she sees much more confidence today in admissions officers drawing attention to 바카라사이트 women’s college ethos.
“I used to feel it was necessary to put a bushel basket over 바카라사이트 light of 바카라사이트 wonderful attributes of a women’s college,”?Smith said. “It would tell a student, ‘trust me, when you are older, you will understand.’
“Now we’ve let that message out into 바카라사이트 light, and it’s at 바카라사이트 front of 바카라사이트 discussion.”
This is an edited version of a story .
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