All Girl's School?!?!?!

Evelysse Vargas

My name is Evelysse Vargas and I am currently a junior at the Chapin School on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Chapin is an all-girls school, as were 4 out of the 5 schools that I applied to. People normally have an immediate reaction when I tell them that I go to an all-girl school. Most boys say, “Oh, I want to go there”, while most girls cringe at the idea of being surrounded by only girls on a daily basis. Some protective fathers want their daughters to strictly apply to all-girl schools and some mothers are also protective of their daughters and thus, concur. I will tell you right now that the reasons listed above, should not factor in to your decision-making. I was a tomboy growing up and I never imagined that I could get along with solely girls, much less attend an all-girl school. Now I am a junior in high school, and I consider my 36 classmates sisters. Going to an all-girl school has provided me with the tools I need to be a successful woman in this world. No one is concerned with boys while answering a question in math class, or if the cute boy that you have a crush on might ridicule your response to that tough question. Although these may seem exaggerated to some, these hypotheses that I had were confirmed this fall when I attended the co-ed Chewonki Semester School. Of the girls there, I was one of the few who consistently shared how I was feeling and I was never afraid to disagree with the males in the room. Additionally, I, along with some of my friends who also attend all-girls schools in New York City, noticed the overly deferential nature of some of our girl friends who attend co-ed schools. This is not to say that males are evil or negative influences on females. However, it is much easier to be focused, and grow as a student when males are not present and are therefore, not an impediment. I could not imagine myself at any other school. Chapin has made me who I am today, and a co-ed Chapin would not have yielded the same results. So don’t cross that all-girl school off your list yet! Take a second look and if you have any questions feel free to email me at 13EVV@chapin.edu.