The Seven Sisters schools
If you're looking to apply to an elite liberal arts school, you’ll eventually come across the Seven Sisters schools. We will discuss with you what institutions fall in this group, and give you our thoughts and tips for admission into one of these colleges.
Are you looking to get accepted into an elite liberal arts college, but do not know the importance of the Seven Sisters colleges? Join us as we explain what the Seven Sisters colleges are, the benefits of attending one of these institutions, and review tips to get accepted into these schools.
What is the Seven Sisters’ colleges?
The Seven Sisters colleges consist of seven historically all women's colleges in the Northeastern United States:
The name comes from Roman Mythology, where the Seven Sisters were the seven daughters of Titan and Pleione. Between 1837 and 1889, the goal was to provide post-secondary education opportunities for women at a similar caliber to what men were getting at institutions like Harvard and Yale. Additionally, their ambition was to fill faculty and administrators positions with women. These values continue today, with at least one of the schools, Wellesley, never having a male president. Formerly, with all-male schools like Harvard and Amherst going co-ed, some women's colleges began to think about integrating. Radcliffe then decided to merge with Harvard and no longer exist as an independent undergraduate college. One of the schools, Vassar, was offered a similar partnership with Yale, however, they turned it down and decided to go co-ed on their own.
The rest of the schools remained women's colleges but, each of the remaining five non-co-ed colleges has exchange programs with nearby co-ed institutions that allow students to take classes outside of their school. The intercollegiate academic programs on campus vary widely from school to school. For example, Barnard has a close partnership with Columbia University. There's a lot of crossover between these two schools. However, while Wellesley has an exchange program with MIT, Babson, and Olin, there aren't a lot of non-Wellesley students in classes, because of distance between them.
Why should I apply to a Seven Sisters college?
Get an elite liberal arts education
If you go to a Seven Sisters college, you'll get a lot of benefits which include small class sizes, great student-faculty ratios, and a strong focus on academics. You'll be encouraged to take classes outside of your school to expand on your academic horizons. The schools have partnered with nearby institutions that allow you to take classes there as well. If you want to take co-ed classes or are interested in a different learning environment, you'll get a more diverse academic experience with these partnerships.
A higher chance of admission
The Seven Sisters colleges are less selective than comparable co-ed schools. Here's a list of the top five liberal arts colleges in the country and their admission rates.
School Name Admission Rate
Amherst 12.8%
Bowdoin 8.9%
Swarthmore 9.0%
Wellesly 19.5%
Williams 12.6%
Wellesley can double the admissions rate of comparable colleges. Why are admission rates high? Because the pool of potential clients is cut in half since all the remaining schools (except Vassar), doesn't accept male applicants. Instead of competing against 8,000 students, you might be competing against 4,000 students, which means you'll have a higher percentage of getting accepted.
Form a life long network
If you attend a Seven Sisters school, you'll gain access to a strong alumnae network that stretches beyond the individual institution you attended to include all who attended the Seven Sisters schools. Benefits include professional connections during your job searching, getting tips on housing, settling in a new location after your undergraduate or graduate terms, and connecting socially in a place where you might not know anyone.
Learn in a women's-centered environment
Going to an all woman's school may be unthinkable to some or seem archaic in the 21st century. One of the most valuable features of the Seven Sisters schools is that they empower the importance of women taking leadership roles and succeeding in the world.
Being in an LBGTQ+ friendly environment
The Seven Sisters schools include a robust LGBTQ+ culture on campus. This case varies from school to school, and that's not to say that they aren't socially conservative because they can tend to be. The overall environment at the schools is generally socially progressive and LGBTQ+ friendly. If this is something you don't care about, you'll still have a great experience at these institutions. If it is important to you to be in an environment where LGBTQ+ is not just safe, but celebrated, then you should consider applying to one of these institutions. If you don't want to attend a school where LBGTQ+ students and culture play a role in campus life, then it won't be a fit for you.
Four tips to get into one of these colleges
Now that you've learned about these schools, you might be thinking about how to get accepted. Here are four tips to get admitted into these schools.
1. Excel in school
You can't slack off academically. A strong GPA, test scores, and letters of recommendation are needed to get admitted. Since the alumane networks are crucial, the expectation is that if you're accepted and attend one of the schools, you'll be a part of the community. Admission officers at these institutions want to be sure you exemplify the quality of a Seven Sisters student. They don't care about your grades; they care about how you interact with teachers and students. You don't want the recommender to write something impersonal like, "Kristine was a good student who succeeded academically in my class." So find a teacher willing to take the time to write an excellent letter of recommendation.
2. Do intensive research on the institution(s) you’re interesting in applying to
The Seven Sisters schools have a "why" component to their application. In other words, “Why are you interested in attending our institution.” They ask this because admission officers care about your reasons for applying and wanting to be part of the community. Do your research! Do not write an essay for Vassar and expect it to work for every Seven Sisters school. Look at what makes that particular institution unique and highlight the aspects that you value in your "why" essays. Researching the school will not only increase your chances of getting accepted, but you'll also learn if the school is a fit for you.
3. Be thrilled that you're applying to a Seven Sisters school!
You do not want to overemphasize, but you should not shy from stating that attending a women's college is appealing to you. These schools are well aware of their history and what they stand for. Stating what you specifically value from their history and/or traditions will help your chances of influencing admissions officers. If you cannot find anything that you value at a school, then you shouldn't apply.
4. Do not call it an “All-Girls school”
When you begin your "why" essay, do not call these “all-girls school”; call it a women's college. It's minor, but its a useful tip to keep in mind if you're applying to any of the Seven Sisters schools. Using the term "all-girls school" demonstrates to them that you have not done much research on that college. Make sure to review all of your application materials to remove any instances of that language. This small change can create a more positive impression.
