Remember the boys in ANIMAL HOUSE, taking a trip to the all-girls’ school to find dates for the weekend?
Single-sex universities used to be the norm in this country. In fact, only in recent decades have coeducational institutions become standard. This trend began in the 1960s. Today, the pendulum has swung so far in the co-ed direction that young men and women may even be assigned to the same dormitory rooms at many universities, if they wish.
High school seniors must consider a variety of factors, as they select the college or university they will attend.
Single-sex institutions are somewhat rare, but they can be found. These are not bastions of either homosexuality or ascetism. Instead, they are designed to help students focus on the task at hand: their education. The main premise is this: by eliminating the potential distraction of the opposite sex, they hope to help underclassmen concentrate more fully on their studies.
Do single-sex universities appeal to overprotective parents? Perhaps, but this is a misconception.
Stroll through a single-sex campus on any given day, and you will find plenty of heterosexual groupings. Visitors are frequent, even daily.
In addition, most colleges and universities offer exchange programs, by which students may take classes at other schools through reciprocal arrangements. They also promote inter-collegiate athletics, extracurricular activities, and social events.
As a result, even students at same-sex schools will experience a fair amount of coeducational life.
Are single-sex schools safer? Not really. In fact, the opposite may be true. Would-be predators may opt to frequent same-sex spots, simply because attendees feel overconfident and fail to take adequate personal precautions.