Frequently Asked Questions

The A.B. degree may be conferred with the college-wide degree distinctions of cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude.

Cum laude

All students with cumulative grade point averages of 3.40 or higher (excluding CR/NC and transfer grades), are eligible to receive the degree cum laude. [Complete information on calculating your GPA]

Magna cum laude

To determine eligibility for magna cum laude, grade point averages are recalculated to include grades covered by CR, NC and Haverford Non-Numerical Grades. All students with recalculated grade point averages of 3.60 or higher are eligible to receive the degree magna cum laude.

Summa cum laude

To determine eligibility for summa cum laude, grade point averages are recalculated to include grades covered by CR, NC and Haverford Non-Numerical Grades. The 10 students with the highest recalculated grade point averages in the class receive the degree summa cum laude, provided their recalculated grade point averages equal or exceed 3.80.

Note: For the last five years the 10 students with the highest recalculated grade point averages in the class have had recalculated grade point averages equal to or exceeding 3.90.

Department Honors

In addition to College-wide honors, most departments may also award honors in the major. Each department sets its own criteria for these honors.

Bookshop Textbook List

The following textbooks have been assigned for Bryn Mawr Classes and are available in the Bryn Mawr College Bookshop located in the Lower Level of the Campus Center.

Textbook information is as up-to-date as possible based on information provided to the Bryn Mawr College Bookshop by college faculty and our suppliers. The book list is subject to change at any time at the discretion of the faculty. Prices are subject to change at the discretion of our vendors. Bookshop prices are updated as new data and shipments arrive. 

Please go to this link to view information regarding textbooks. 

The Registrar's Office can verify enrollment status and dates of attendance at Bryn Mawr College. Many insurance and scholarship institutions require specific forms which should be forwarded to our office for processing. A downloadable form is also available in PDF or Word format.

Third party requestors must contact the National Student Clearinghouse for enrollment verifications. They can provide instant enrollment verifications to employers or others needing background screenings. To request enrollment verification, please visit www.degreeverify.org. The Bryn Mawr code is 003237.

Loan Deferment

Occasionally students will also need their enrollment status verified for deferring loans. This usually requires a specific form from the loan servicing agency. These forms should be submitted to the Registrar's Office in Guild Hall for completing and sending to the loan agency.

Alumnae of Bryn Mawr College may request a degree verification by telephone or in writing. A downloadable Graduation Verification Form is available in PDF or Word format.

Bryn Mawr College has authorized the National Student Clearinghouse to provide Degree Verifications to employers or background screening firms. Employers must go through the Student Clearinghouse for information. To request degree verification, please visit www.degreeverify.org. The Clearinghouse mailing address is:

                  National Student Clearinghouse
                  13254 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 300
                  Herndon  VA  20171

What is an Apostille?

An apostille is essentially a certificate of authenticity. As of Oct. 15, 1981, the US became a member of the 1961 Hague Convention which abolished the requirement of legalization for foreign public documents. The Convention provides for the simplified certification of public (including notarized) documents to be used in countries that have joined the convention. Under the Hague Convention, signatory countries have agreed to recognize public documents issued by other signatory countries if those public documents are authenticated by the attachment of an internationally recognized form of authentication known as an apostille.

How do I get one?

To start the process, please carefully read the following information from the Pennsylvania Department of State: How Do I Obtain an Apostille or Certification?

Then send the Registrar's Office the following items:

1. Transcript request form or a Diploma reorder request
2. The PA state Request for Legalization of Documents form
3. A check made out to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
4. A large (approx. 9x12 inches), stamped/pre-paid mailing envelope addressed to the Pennsylvania Department of State
5. A second large, stamped/pre-paid mailing envelope addressed to yourself, so the state can send you the finished documents

Send the above items to:

                  Bryn Mawr College
                  Registrar's Office
                  101 N. Merion Ave.
                  Bryn Mawr, PA 19010

We will notarize your transcript/diploma for free and send the document along to the state with your other paperwork. Then the state will apostille it and mail the document to you. If you have additional questions, please contact Megan Kenny at mkenny@brynmawr.edu.

GPA Calculation Guidelines

• Grades behind CR/NC are not included.
• Grades from Haverford College, Swarthmore College, and the University of Pennsylvania are included provided the course was taken while the student was active at Bryn Mawr and taken during the Fall or Spring semesters. (Summer courses taken at these institutions or while a student is on leave from Bryn Mawr are not included)
• Grades transferred from other institutions (including Villanova) are not included, even if taken during the regular academic term (Fall/Spring).
• Summer school grades from Bryn Mawr courses are included, both courses on the Bryn Mawr campus and courses taken at Institut d'études françaises d'Avignon.
• Summer school grades from other institutions are not included.
• GPA is calculated to three decimal points.

Please note that for determining eligibility for the two highest graduation honors (magna cum laude and summa cum laude), grades behind CR/NC are included.

How to Calculate your GPA

Most Bryn Mawr courses are worth 1.0 units. There are a few courses (mostly intensive languages) worth 1.5 units and quarter classes are worth 0.5 units. The number of units for the course can be found on your transcript or by looking at your courses in BIONIC.

Bryn Mawr courses are graded on a 4.0 scale. If you have questions about the letter equivalent grade, please reference the grading scale.

GPA = total grade points / total attempted units

Example:

Sally Student got the following grades for the Fall semester:

• ANTH B101 (1.0 units) - 3.70 (3.70 total grade points)
• BIOL B110 (0.5 units) - 3.00 (1.50 total grade points)
• BIOL B111 (0.5 units) - 3.30 (1.65 total grade points)
• HIST H220 (1.0 units) - 4.00 (4.00 total grade points)
• FREN B001 (1.5 units) - 3.70 (5.55 total grade points)
• MATH B104 (1.0 units) - CR (no grade points because CR/NC)

* Total grade points is the grade multiplied by the number of units.

Her total number of units taken was 5.5, but she took MATH B104 CR/NC which does not count towards her GPA. Therefore, for calculating the GPA we divide by 4.5 (excluding the 1.0 unit counted as CR). GPA = 16.4 / 4.5 = 3.64 GPA

If you are graduating, Commencement takes place in May. Although some students might complete the Undergraduate Program in December, they are invited and encouraged to attend Commencement the May after completing their academic requirements.

Commencement Participation: The College holds a Commencement Ceremony every May to honor students who have finished their degrees and those who are on track to finish in August and December. To participate, students present a viable plan to the Registrar early in the spring semester demonstrating that they will complete all degree requirements by the upcoming May, August, or December. In addition, students who finish degrees in August and December who chose not to participate the previous May are invited to celebrate their completion at the following May Commencement instead.

For Commencement Information, visit Conference and Events Commencement Information website.