When the time came to choose a college, somestudents who attended all-women's high schools saythey considered enrolling in a single-sex schoolagain. Brandt, for instance, applied to Wellesley,but eventually decided against continuing hersingle-sex education.
"I highly recommend it for high-school years,but after that, I think you're limiting yourself,"she says.
For some of the St. Mary's graduates currentlyattending Harvard, the decision to go co-ed waseven easier. Ralston, who had attended St. Mary'sfor nine years, says she didn't even consider awomen's college.
"I think it's unnatural," she says. "I enjoybeing around guys."
All graduates of women's schools do not,however, share Ralston's view. Chesney visitedMount Holyoke College, but ultimately decidedagainst attending, opting to ease into the largerco-ed world.
"College is preparing for life; life is goingto be co-ed," Chesney says. "It's easier to makethe transition while I'm in college."
But Andrews says that although most of thestudents she assists at Winsor begin the collegeapplication process in their junior yearcompletely opposed to women's colleges, the tidesoon turns. In the end, she notes that somegradually change their minds and warm to the ideaof a solid, same-sex education.
"Even when they're just visiting [co-educationcolleges], they'll tell me they were surprised howfew people, and specifically how few women, werespeaking up in sections," she says.
A Whole New World
Adjusting to life at Harvard can be difficultfor anyone, but students who went to all-women'shigh schools say their adjustment was not just toa new school, but to a new sex.
"It's been an adjustment that other peoplehaven't had to deal with," says Chesney.
After the length of time she spent in asingle-sex school, Chesney is still learning howto manage her daily interactions with men. What'smost important, it seems, is maintaining a senseof perspective.
"Every time I go to Annenberg, it seems soremarkable to me how there are so many guys," shereflects. "I know that's weird, because whywouldn't there be guys?"
While many graduates of single-sex educationnow attending the College are enthusiastic abouttheir former experience, they acknowledge thatthere are down sides to have grown up in anall-female atmosphere.
"There were things that were missing," saysBrandt of her Massachusetts school. "Guys andgirls have different perspective on life;different ways of viewing the world. Single-sexschools are very good at education, but you misslearning about social interaction."
Chesney, who began St. Mary's Episcopal Schoolin the third grade, says this lack of malecounterparts was pronounced.
"I personally don't have a sense of guys. Irarely was exposed to people my age who weremale," she admits.
The social impact of same-sex education,according to women who attended the College afterspending several years in a women's school, can bedifficult, but not impossible, toovercome--especially given the added sense ofself-worth that many say an all-female classroomfosters.
Confidence is a boon to women arriving atHarvard from all-female schools, and it seems manyretain it long after they've adjusted to life inthe Yard. Despite claims by proponents ofsingle-sex education that its academic effects arenecessary to women's development, students heresay that their learning has not changeddrastically since they've entered co-edclassrooms.
"I did notice it at first, especially in ascience class, where I was one of only a handfulof girls," Hamm says. "[But] I've been veryimpressed with the way girls really speak up hereas much