On Women's Colleges and Universities in the U.S.

There are a number of educational institutions in the U.S. that meet a variety of specialized needs and purposes. A somewhat surprising fact for many international students interested in studying in the states is that the U.S. has institutions of higher education for women only.

In fact, in a recent post for the New York Time's blog “The Choice,” one young woman commented that according to her research it seemed that very few international female students know about women-only institutions. In her opinion, this lack of information contributes to the fact that few international women apply to these institutions. (“A Young Champion of Women’s Colleges” at Click Here).

Despite this lack of awareness, women’s colleges and universities are an integral part of higher education in the U.S. Women’s colleges and universities add to the many options for female students interested in studying in the U.S. Further, a number of American women-only institutions provide generous financial aid packages for international students with strong academic backgrounds, top test scores, and interesting backgrounds and pursuits.

International women interested in women’s universities have the opportunity to join famous graduates of these colleges. Such personalities include one former and one current U.S. Secretary of State. Former Secretary of State Madeline Albright and current Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton attended the same women’s university—Wellesley, in Massachusetts. Diane Sawyer, a long-time news broadcaster with the show, “Good Morning America,” is also a Wellesley graduate. Other well known businesswomen and women mentors have also attended all-women institutions.

Currently, a Yemeni student, Lubna Saquran, attends Mount Holyoke College in Hadley, Massachusetts (http://www.mtholyoke.edu/ ). Lubna, a first-year bachelor degree student, is an alumna of the U.S. Department of State English Access Microscholarship Program, and she learned about Mount Holyoke College through EducationUSA center at AMIDEAST Sanaa. Lubna writes: “I have noticed the incredible lack of Yemeni women in U.S. women colleges. The thing is that I think a lot of female students in Yemen do not know how highly U.S. women’s colleges want them in order to increase their students' community diversity.”

Another hurdle in pursuing bachelor degree studies in the U.S., according to Lubna, is that Yemeni women and their families “think it's almost impossible to get into a U.S. college. . . I would suggest if some sort of awareness campaign for talented young women starts in Yemen about how to get into an American school and how to use the advantage of being a Yemeni young woman . . .” In Lubna’s opinion, “if parents know that it is okay for their daughters to go, by exposing stories of girls [like me] who went to the U.S. . . . were not hurt in a way or another, it will help increase the number of girls applying for American colleges.”

Well said Lubna! As a first step, visit the EducationUSA center at AMIDEAST in Sana’a to learn about available women colleges and universities. More information on these institutions is also available at the women’s college coalition: http://www.womenscolleges.org/. This useful site maintains a list of women’s colleges in both the U.S. and Canada.