THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, May 10, 1996 TAG: 9605100058
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E9 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MICHELLE WONG, HIGH SCHOOL CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
ASK A HIGH school girl about college preferences and many would never mention an all-women's school because, well, there are no guys.
But if you are trying to decide between an all-female school and one that is co-ed, people who've been there say that one of the biggest benefits is not having guys around. They say it's not really that important to have a date every night, especially considering all the benefits a women's college offers.
Here's what some experts say:
There are more opportunities available for women to gain leadership experience at women's colleges, according to Maggie McGrady, student government president of Randolph-Macon Woman's College. ``Women are everything here - the athletes, the paper editors and the leaders. It shows us that all is possible and all is available.''
Women gain the confidence to pursue these opportunities. No one worries about what he will think.
Study after study shows that coed schools favor males in the classroom. According to research by Catherine G. Krupnick, researcher at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, teachers take male students and their contributions more seriously than those of females. In a classroom full of women, the male-female competition is erased.
Graduates of all-women's college are high achievers. According to the Women's College Coalition, women's college undergrads are twice as likely to go on to receive doctorates than grads of coed colleges. Moreover, a recent magazine article reported that ``one-third of women among the 4,000 highest-paid officers and directors of 1990 Fortune 1,000 companies were women's college alumnae.
The prevailing attitude of women's college students: We're all in this together, so why cut each other's throats? Linda L. Steele, director of college relations at Hollins College, stresses that ``students form a camaraderie. Everyone wants everyone else to do their best so the competition is with them-selves.''
People wonder what's wrong if you are wearing full makeup. It's the truth. Students say that at all women's colleges you don't need to worry about impressing guys.
Fewer male distractions means focusing on education, which is why people pay tuition, right?
Keep in mind, too, that women's colleges are not boy Siberias. According to the Women's College Coalition, nine out of 10 women's colleges have cross registration with nearby coed colleges and universities. And McGrady pointed out that there are always parties on weekends at nearby coed schools for those who are interested.
At an all-women's college girls can choose when they want be with the guys. The rest of the time, students said, they can concentrate on what they decided to attend college for in the first place - a great education and opportunities for an promising future. MEMO: Michelle Wong is a junior at Norfolk Academy.
by CNB