Messaging Platform, Key Messages & Modular Tagline
Our positioning platform is the internal, strategic foundation of all our communications. Focused on academic quality, campus culture, and values, this internal language is the starting point for our external reputation.
In this section...
About the Messaging Platform
Our positioning promise is the emotional connection that should be felt, seen, or heard in every experience with our College. Our pillars are essential themes that occur repeatedly, sometimes in the foreground, sometimes in the background, and oftentimes co-occurring with the other pillars. They are the why behind what we do.
The four personality adjectives reflect each of our pillars, and the values reflect the core principles and beliefs that drive our actions.
Additionally, the concept of "illumination" can be used in conjunction with all our core messages. As lantern-bearers, illumination lies at the core of the Bryn Mawr experience. For a Bryn Mawr student, illumination shows self-agency and individual impact and also results from interaction with others in our community. Using "illumination" and intrinsic synonyms (spark, light, etc.) can be used directly to both internal and external audiences.
Key Messages
Our key messages form the creative backbone of our verbal language. They offer flexible yet structured approaches to language that allow us to be consistent, clear, and creative with our writing, no matter what we’re writing about. Consider using these message themes when looking for ways to break down the Bryn Mawr College experience, especially for external audiences. Reach out to the Communications office for further assistance.
Pushing our boundaries and seeking what’s next lets us accomplish our goals and light the path for others in our pursuit of equity and progress. Whether it’s succeeding professionally, advancing into spheres of influence, or finding personal fulfillment, Mawrters are equipped with the education and self-reliance to build ethical lives of meaning. A top producing Fulbright institution, Bryn Mawr also counts Nobel laureates, Goldwater scholars, leaders in government, heads of industry, and more amongst our global alumnae/i network. By cultivating a distinctly motivated mindset in our students during their time here, Bryn Mawr is proud to play a pivotal role in our graduates’ stories.
Key Phrases
- Lantern-bearers impact the world by sharing knowledge and lighting paths
- Sparking potential into accomplishment
- Confidence that carries forward
The breadth of unique opportunities available to Bryn Mawr students helps shape them into civic-minded, ethical leaders. The Quaker Consortium offers expanded academic and social options; the 360 and Praxis programs match scholarship with lived experiences for deeper understanding. The Career and Civic Engagement Center supports Mawrters in finding jobs and thinking holistically about how their careers and social responsibility work together to open paths for others. Our thriving campus offers 130+ student-led clubs that span from affinity groups to special interests, provides leadership development programs like Emerging Owls, and is just miles from America’s sixth-largest city. Altogether, a Bryn Mawr education extends beyond the classroom and into every part of a Mawrter’s life, challenging them to kindle intellect and wisdom by engaging with the world and rising to higher standards.
Key Phrases
- Interdisciplinary learning that fosters wisdom
- Dynamic campus life for well-rounded growth
- Academic offerings that encourage exploration
- Afire with inspiration
United in the joy we take as lifelong learners, Bryn Mawr’s inclusive community is one that values diversity and mutual growth. Beloved traditions unite our evolving student body, while our campus, recognized as one of the most beautiful in the country, encourages reflection and interpersonal connection, providing a secure space where Mawrters can grow personally through their supportive community. By holding each other to higher standards, like with our student-governed honor code and DEIA initiatives, Mawrters spark one another to embrace their potential, fostering our internal drive to better ourselves and uplift the community.
Key Phrases
- Traditions that welcome and bond
- Closely connected diverse community
- Encouraging individual and collective illumination
Pursuing scholarship and advancing what’s known are joyful yet demanding pursuits. Bryn Mawr recognizes this and responds with support resources like mental health and career counseling, meeting 100% of demonstrated financial need, peer mentors, and the Writing and Q Centers to keep our students engaged and thriving in meeting their potential.
Key Phrases
- Keeping your inner fire alive
- Purposeful support for intentional growth
- Meeting needs so you can thrive
The pursuit of truth and wisdom is at the heart of a Bryn Mawr education. All Mawrters are united in their love of learning, and Bryn Mawr’s academic approach gives them freedom to follow their curiosity while maintaining standards of excellence. Our search for new ways to learn leads us to develop independent and faculty-sponsored research skills; nearly 100% completion rate of an undergraduate senior experience; unique multidisciplinary and experiential courses like the 360° course cluster, Tri-Co Philly, and combined degrees; sharpening writing and thinking through the liberal arts, enhancing intellectual independence and creativity in our problem solving; facilitating global exploration through study abroad, which 30% of seniors take part in; graduate-level academic opportunities for undergraduate students; and more. Bryn Mawr faculty’s deep belief in the exceptional abilities of their students fosters their confidence, raises their personal standards, and sets them on the path of lifelong learning.
Key Phrases
- Finding joy in scholarship
- Faculty cultivate curiosity and encourage independence in supportive classroom environments
- Earning wisdom through knowledge gained
- Knowledge set alight
As a women’s college, Bryn Mawr’s community has and continues to be at the forefront of fighting for gender equity in all facets of the human experience — professionally, legislatively, socially, and more. Our focus on women’s education benefits all by offering bold and alternative viewpoints: that academic excellence should be collaborative and not competitive, individuals grow most when sustained by community, and kindling someone else’s spark does not diminish your own. Driven by this conviction of excellence in solidarity, we cultivate an environment where students can embrace their confidence, develop self-reliance, and become conscientious leaders with integrity. With faculty that deeply believe in the students’ abilities and challenge them accordingly, Mawrters can freely share and examine their ideas, sparking conversation that leads to growth. Bryn Mawr’s influence is felt everywhere Mawrters go, from the board room to the U.S. Senate. Through their accomplishments and engagement with the world, Mawrters go on to inspire others to join them in breaking barriers and expanding gender equity — leading by example.
Key Phrases
- We offer up a different worldview
- Women’s education advances gender equity
- Individual excellence is a collaborative effort
- Our inner lights illuminate
Modular Tagline
A Mawrter's wisdom sets minds alight.
Wisdom acts as a core driving force in our concept. By focusing on the wisdom that comes with knowledge, this idea can be used in dynamic new ways. Wisdom is a powerful attribute of Athena and a value Bryn Mawr itself holds dear.
Primary Use
The primary use of the wisdom motif foregrounds wisdom in the first position, pairing it with a distinctive modifier that echoes our positioning language. Units may adopt a singular use of this tagline as needed for their communications like brochures, social media, and websites, or adapt different versions for different purposes over a series.
- Wisdom ______
- Wisdom Alight
- Wisdom Afire
- Wisdom Inspired
- Wisdom Lights The Way
Secondary Use
Our secondary use positions ‘wisdom’ second, using a verb in the first position to add a sense of urgency, empowerment, and action.
- ______ Wisdom
- Spark Wisdom
- Unleash Wisdom
- Elevate Wisdom
- Inspire Wisdom
- Empower Wisdom
Use this secondary approach as a short, snappy headline.
Contact Us
Communications Office
Bryn Mawr College
101 N. Merion Ave.
Bryn Mawr, PA 19010-2899
Phone: 610-526-6520
Fax: 610-526-6525
communications@brynmawr.edu
Admissions: admissions@brynmawr.edu
Package Delivery
Dolwen House
221 N. Roberts Road
Bryn Mawr, PA