Attending an all-girl school is associated with empowerment and opportunity, yet it also generates a highly pressurized academic environment where success feels less like a goal and more like an expectation. 

Learning in a community that is built around the idea of strong academic achievement and leadership for young women is one of the most motivating things! You’re constantly surrounded by peers who are just as driven and ambitious as you are – wanting to make a change in the world and forge their own path; however, it also creates a culture where high performance feels like the norm rather than a sign of excellence. At times, it feels like you’re drowning. Everyone is so uniform in success that it seems like all you’re doing is trying to keep up while everyone else around you is doing so well. Well, I can promise you, we are all constantly trying to keep up.

Additionally, within a single sex education, there is an absence of traditional gender stereotypes in the classroom. Without boys dominating participation (which sometimes can take place in coed settings), girls are encouraged to speak up, take on leadership roles, and excel in different subjects. It’s a huge benefit but also raises internal pressure because again, success feels more expected and visible. You’re not just allowed to succeed, you are supposed to. While we are uplifted, and rightfully so, it can sometimes feel as though if we do not take advantage of every opportunity or use that step up, we are failing to live up to the empowering standards we are held to. Being uplifted is challenging because you are held to such a high standard, expected to follow in the footsteps of the powerful women who came before you, and it’s easy to feel as if you are falling short. This is why it’s important to keep in mind that opportunity does not equal obligation. Being given the chance to succeed should feel empowering, not like a constant pressure to prove your worth.

In the end, while all-girls schools create empowering environments for young women, they can also be pressures that are often overlooked.