Admission Advice > Making the Final Choice

Why Choose A College That Is NOT Coed?

By Deborah Knight

Pop Quiz: Who said the following?
• “I was not going to a women’s college by any means.”
• “I took the stuff from the all-male school and tossed it into the trash can.”
• “I remember getting in a fight with my mom. I said, ‘I’m not going to a women’s college—no way.’”

Answer: These are all comments made by graduates of colleges that are not coed. These students all changed their tune and ended up enthusiastic about their non-coed schools. How did that happen?

First, during their college search, these students went to visit a non-coed school, often because something about the school attracted them. Women’s colleges (and most of the few remaining all-male colleges) are almost all small liberal arts schools that offer small classes, lots of personal contact with professors, and strong academic programs. That’s a great combination, one that many high school students are looking for in any college they consider.

And then these students found something extra. For some, it was the strong sense of community. For others, it was an exceptional financial aid package. And for some female students, it was the opportunity to take a leadership role in an environment where all the leaders are women.

Students who have loved their experience at a non-coed college offer this advice: don’t dismiss a college simply because it’s not coed. If the school offers things that attract you, check it out.

Some firsthand experiences
Stacy Villalta, Mills College ’09: Stacy’s parents were immigrants from Central America, and as a child she lived in a poor neighborhood in Los Angeles. When Stacy was in high school, a teacher put her on the mailing list for Mills College in Oakland, California. She was won over by the idea of small class sizes, a beautiful campus, and studying in a place where she would be known by her name rather than a number.

Stacy says, “Because Mills is a women’s college, it’s allowed me to focus on my education rather than impress a boy. I have a social life, but Monday through Friday I concentrate on my studies.”

Susan O’Brien, Sweet Briar College ’06: For her senior year in high school, Susan transferred to an all-women’s boarding school and also took one coed class at a local community college. “I realized I was a lot quieter in a coed classroom than a single-sex classroom,” she says. “That surprised me, because I didn’t think that’s how I was.” This insight led her to decide to attend an all-women’s college. She recommends, “If you’re quiet in the classroom or a little quiet around guys, put yourself in the all-women’s environment for a while.”

Gina Patterson, Simmons College ’06: Gina, whose mother is from Trinidad and father is from Jamaica, wasn’t sure about going to an all-women’s college. Now she thinks it’s the best decision she could have made. “I probably would have been sidetracked by social life at a coed school. Going to a women’s college has been so empowering for me: for me growing into myself, for really being able to be comfortable in my own skin, to love being a woman.”

Joe Martin, Wabash College ’06: “When I came to visit, I was impressed with the people, the community, the professors. We’re close-knit. You’re not worried about trying to impress anybody during the week. You can just roll out of bed and go to class.”

Patrick McKiernan, Valley Forge Military College ’05: “There’s a lot more focus on your goals and less on dating. You don’t have to juggle between your academic program and your relationship with your girlfriend. I feel the relations here with my fellow students are far stronger than they would have been in a coed environment. The people here are like brothers to me. In a coed enviroment, they would be more like friends.”

Minority women welcome
Giulietta Aquino, associate dean of admission at Mills College, is Filipino American. She attended a women’s college because the school offered her the best aid package. “The price tag was extraordinary,” she says, “but the price to me was minimal.” She encourages students from all backgrounds and income levels to apply to college, including women’s colleges. “We want our student body to be made up of students who have different backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.”

If you are the first in your family to go to college, your family may not know what questions to ask about admissions and financial aid, and may be reluctant to consider a college loan. Colleges have staff to assist you and may help you with the cost of visiting and applying. If your parents don’t speak English, ask the college if there’s an admissions representative who speaks their language.

What is right for you?
Bianca Passos, Barnard College ‘08, was born in Brazil and moved to the U.S. with her parents when she was seven. “I wasn’t looking at women’s colleges,” she says, but she stumbled on Barnard College when she was visiting other schools in New York City and immediately decided to apply. Barnard is across the street from Columbia University, which is coed, and Columbia’s classes, activities and even dorms are open to Barnard students. Bianca says, “It’s easy to balance between the academic and the social.”

To Bianca’s surprise, the fact that Barnard is a women’s school came to be one of the things she valued most about it. Her advisor, the head of the American Studies Department, was a woman, and 60% of the faculty are women (the national average is about 30%). Having role models at Barnard inspired Bianca. “I hate to use the word nurturing, because it fits the female stereotype,” she says of her experience at Barnard, “but they recognize the student body as female and cater to us. It’s very nurturing to our abilities and potential as women.”

Bianca has also come to realize that diversity goes beyond the color of someone’s skin and their background. “Barnard teaches us to be very culturally aware,” she says. “We learn it in the classroom, but I’ve learned it most from the other students. College is eye-opening in many different ways, not only to racial and religious diversity. It’s also geographic and demographic diversity, and all of the different interests. There’s diversity in a lot of different senses.”

What about the opposite sex?
Non-coed colleges vary considerably in location, from quiet rural settings to New York City. Some have all-female or all-male classes, although many have cross-registrations with coed schools, and a few even have some coed dorms. So the opportunities for interaction with the opposite sex vary widely. At many non-coed schools, students endure—and to some extent enjoy—the relative absence of the opposite sex during the week, which gives them the chance to focus on their studies and other activities without distraction.

Still skeptical?
A non-coed school is not for everyone. There are students who regret attending a non-coed college, and a certain number do transfer out. It’s a decision you should make carefully.

Judge a non-coed college the way you would any college: get beyond the glossy brochures and admissions reps. Go to visit. Stay overnight. Attend some classes. Talk to a lot of students to get the vibe of what’s going on. Compare it to other schools you visit. Then you be the judge.

Deborah Knight is a freelance writer who frequently contributes to this magazine. She is based in San Diego, California.

2007