Wellesley Takes the Media

A language trend group has ranked the nation’s top 200 colleges according to their appearance in print and electronic media. Wellesley claimed the top spot in the college rankings, followed by Colorado College, Williams and Amherst. This year is the first time a women’s college has topped the rankings.

The most-cited university was the University of Michigan, followed by MIT, Harvard and Columbia.

Click here to see the top 25 rankings.

(Thanks to '06er Lindsey B. for the tip)

Women in Science, Class of 1913

Any 96-year-old female biochemist would have had to overcome gender discrimination in her day. Mildred Cohn eventually won the National Medal of Science for her pioneering research but was once told that studying chemistry would not be "ladylike." After earning her Master's degree (at the age of 19), Columbia University wouldn't hire her as a teaching assistant because the position was reserved for men.

"My career has been affected at every stage by the fact that I am a woman, beginning with my undergraduate education," she once wrote.

Mildred Cohn didn't go to Wellesley but did attend Hunter College when it was a women's college. Click here to read the obituary for Mildred Cohn.

New York Times on Choosing a Women's College

There is a piece today on the New York Times blog The Choice written by a high school senior who is happily seeking out women's colleges (she briefly mentions Wellesley):

http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/11/06/champion/

I'm interested to hear from other 2006ers- did you go to Wellesley because it was a women's college or despite the fact that it was a women's college? (Or maybe you didn't care either way and your main thought was "All you can eat ice cream and a lake? Count me in!") Leave your thoughts in the comments!

(Thank you to Katie Landise '06 for bringing the NYT piece to our attention!)

Forbes: Why Women's Colleges are Still Relevant

Read the article from Forbes, 

"Why Women's Colleges are Still Relevant":

"They're not academic convents. Instead, they offer an open, empowering atmosphere, leadership training and, yes, co-ed classes..."

And alum Morgan Smith on the right and wrong way to defend women's colleges.