BJJ: (very big – 160,170 girls)Extremely academic. Very intellectual but their focus in not specifically on self taught learning. They like lectures but the lectures are supposed to be amazing. Quite a bit memorizing but supposed to be beautiful lessons. The common denominator is that the girls are all smart. There are girls from all backgrounds. They are all studious and conscientious and take their work seriously. But you will have girls who decided between BJJ and Michlalah but also girls who come from extremely frum and yeshivish houses. They have everything there. If your smart and enjoy brilliant lectures you can probably fit in there. Work is extremely hard though. A lot of hachana and busy work.
Masores Rochel: (Big 100- 150) So I don’t know tons about this seminary but from what I’ve heard and the girls I’ve met this is my impression. It is very hard. Textual learning and a lot of work. Rebbetzin Tarshish is supposed to be unbelievable. It is a very in town seminary with an in town feel but it’s also quite yeshivish. They are pretty into their clothes and some would call it quite jappy. There is supposedly a lot of girls who had really good jobs in school and are quite popular. It’s supposedly a pretty high pressure place when it comes to peer pressure. If you are the type of girl that is not scared off by that dynamic and is the popular, smart in towner who comes from a pretty yeshivish background then I would say go for it.
Hadar: (Medium sized – 80, 90 girls)Very Yeshivish and friendly. Interesting classes like most seminaries but nothing that stands out about it. Could be some nerds there but also some normal girls who want an ultra friendly place. Need to be ready for a sheltered environment and at times girls come home signifigantly more yeshivish then they left.
Tiferes: (Very Small – 40 girls) Probably the most yeshivish seminary out there but also a very chilled seminary when it comes to rules. I’ve heard from Tiferes girls that they are trying to make it harder as of last year so I’m not sure how the easy reputation is holding up. It’s good for the very sheltered, yeshivish girl who doesn’t want a million rules or an extremely intellectual place.
Michlalah: (Very Big – 160, 170 girls)Not considered Bais Yaakov but it attracts serious types because of the extreme academic nature of the work. Extremely intellectual and probably considered one of the most intense seminaries when it comes to learning. I’m not sure about the workload but I doubt it’s light. Get ready for an open environment with influences flying but girls who are open to growth. It’s not considered a particularly in town seminary but there are a lot of NJ/Five Towns so not snobs but not especially friendly.
Binas: (Smallish – 60, 70 girls) It’s a new seminary so this is all speculative. The girls who I know who went there give me the impression that they are really nice girls but not especially open. I would call it the atypical, yeshivish girl who is insistent on having a mind of their own. The girls there also have personality, they are pretty loud – definitely not boring kids. But they are not the type to sit around and talk about culture. They are trying to be academic but I’m not sure what the work is like.
Meor: (Big – 100-110 girls) Meor went through an extreme filtering process in the last three years. They used to have a great reputation, taking the thinking, growing girls who were not yeshivish and wanted a lot of Hashkafic learning but since they originally did not have tests or a dress code it became the cop out chilling seminary. They started getting a lot of girl that they did not like and were not solid BY girls. About two years ago they did a big overhaul, made a dress code and started being a lot more selective and making sure they are not taking in girls with extreme problems when it comes to Hashkafah. The classes are supposed to be unbelievable over there – probably one of the best seminaries and they have a very big focus on Hashkafah and reports. Not a million tests or memorizing. The girls now are very sweet girls who come from open background but are mostly solid. There are a lot of new yorkers but also a lot of out of towners. The New Yorkers tend to be a little less welcoming if you are not their type but you can definitely find a lot of great, nice girls there. They are not necessarily all girls who did great in high school but the principal is very into the girls having a mind of their own and finding their own Hashkafos with the correct guidance.
Keser Chaya: (Medium – 60, 70 girls) I don’t know much about the seminary but I know it is not academic and the girls are very in towny. But the girls there tend to be quite friendly. Not the girls who had the best jobs in high schools but just girls from regular BY/Yeshiva backgrounds who are open minded and don’t want an intense situation.
Bnos Sarah: (Largish 90-100 girls) Bnos Sarah’s reputation has blasted over the last few years and it has become one of the hardest seminaries to get into. It has an extremely sweet and friendly reputation with girls who care about each other and have little peer pressure. It is very academic with a lot of work and classes in Hebrew but I think the learning is more like BJJ with a bit more memorizing and inspiring, beautiful classes then ultra intellectual and self taught learning. It is a very out of town environment with little to no peer pressure and girls who are very open minded but not ultra modern. The girls are in a few words: open, extremely sweet, spiritual and smart. It has a lot of work but it’s supposed to be interesting stuff
Bnos Chava: (Large – 100 girls) It is a very in town seminary with girls who are pretty into their clothes. I love the principal – from what I saw at my interview he’s an amazing person. They have some really sweet girls there but they are all basically very with it. It is a seminary for smart girls – you can’t get in without good marks. So it has a good solid, BY reputation with the reputation of not being ultra yeshivish or ultra sweet. Very good, smart girls who like to have a good time and look good.
Nachlas: (Large – 100 girls) Nachlas’s biggest reputation is that they have American mattresses. They have stunning dorms!! But there are really good, not especially spoiled girls there. It is pretty yeshivish but they definitely still know things. Girls who are very sweet and don’t put on airs but aren’t especially the most atypical. They aren’t known for being extremely thinking and ultra mature girls who want the most intellectual classes but the work and classes are seminary level and the girls want to learn and want to grow. Just a place to find very nice, real friends who you can chill and have a good time with.
Ateres: (Medium – 70,80) The sweetest, sweetest girls!!! Not yeshivish but very spiritual. They love to learn and really want to grow butr just came from more open environments! Not the rebellious types: they are very sincere – but there are also gonna be those girls who are very open about what they know. The classes are tracked and the principals are dolls. They are really there for you and want you to be happy. Whoever you are you don’t feel like your part of a crowd but that the principals know who you are. The classes are very hashkafah oriented and the higher tracks are more textual then the lower ones.
Seminar: (Large – 100)Don’t know much about Seminar but it’s very partyish and you’ll find all types there. Nice girls, solid BY and also some rebels like you find in every seminary. You find everything there. Nothing screams out about the work.
Pninim: (No clue) Not BY. A lot of girls from Modern or troubled background. Girls who go there go to grow – it is very hashkafic oriented and growth oriented. I think the girls are pretty nice there just very modern.
BYA: (Medium – 80,90s) A very interesting place. It is extremely out of towny but Yeshivish. Typical, nice girls but generally yeshivish. Normal amount of work and really good girls. Girls who know how to have a very good time – definitely will find the exceptions who are not ultra yeshivish and dress well but most don’t come from such open and exposed houses.
