Anjali Surti '28

Before I visited Bryn Mawr, I didn’t know that much about the school itself. 

I had a family connection, since my grandmother attended (Class of ‘73), but I knew that it was a smaller women’s college and a liberal arts school. Upon arriving on campus, I became enamored with the beauty, classic architecture, and deep-rooted traditions. Not only did I find connection with those aspects, but thought of myself as living in the footsteps of relatives attending Bryn Mawr before me. As I took my first tour through the April cherry blossoms, my mom, my sister, and I all felt that this was a place I would be able to thrive and grow in. My sister told my mom that she saw me there, and I realized that I saw myself here as well. All other tours and experiences at other colleges paled in comparison. 

I didn’t consider many schools initially. Most of the places I toured were close to home, places that my friends were considering, and akin to choices my other classmates were making. But when I considered my time at Bryn Mawr, I was blown away in ways that other schools hadn’t managed to impress me with. I took other tours of schools, but every time I would compare each school to Bryn Mawr and think to myself, “This is good, but not as good as Bryn Mawr.” That thought helped me solidify my decision to apply to this school, and to prioritize my acceptance by applying Early Decision. 

"I grew up in a family that valued tradition and ritual, things that I feel the Bryn Mawr community holds very deeply."

Now that I’ve had two years at Bryn Mawr and watched my sister go through the college application and decision process, applying Early Decision seems like a no-brainer. 

Getting to have my decision in my pocket while my classmates struggled with more and more essays and supplementals, I felt very free and able to relax. If I hadn’t applied early, there surely would have been an increased level of anxiety in the months before graduating high school. 

Many of my friends who applied in rolling admission and early decision capacities were all able to take a deep breath and enjoy their last months in high school knowing that they had already taken care of one scary part of leaving home. Some of the things that really pulled me into the Bryn Mawr community were the traditions. I grew up in a family that valued tradition and ritual, things that I feel the Bryn Mawr community holds very deeply. Those aspects of the Bryn Mawr experience have continued to exceed my expectations, transcend what I would have imagined for such a small school, and have made me feel like I belong to a group of students who care deeply about forming relationships for generations to come. 

Getting to know that I will have my peers live through Step Sing at every reunion, May Days, Parade Nights… These are not just my fellow classmates but my siblings and companions for life. To prospective students, I would say, consider this question: If you got into Bryn Mawr, would you go? My mother asked me the same thing when I was deciding to apply Early Decision, and my immediate answer was, “Yes!” I think that knowing you would say yes despite other acceptances is important and powerful. 

Why waste time on auxiliary essays and months of extra stress when you can know sooner that your dream can come true?

Knowing that I loved Bryn Mawr the best of all fueled my decision to give myself the best shot and prove my interest in the Early Decision application.