BYA seminary | Imamother

amother

OP ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 1:13 pm

Hi, trying to get as much info as possible about BYA as my dd needs to decide where she wants to go.
Please share any info you have about BYA. Is this sem hashkafa based? how are the teachers (young, relatable, warm...)? warm atmosphere? would you say that a open minded yeshivish girl would fit well there?
Any extra info is appreciated!

amother

Steel ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 2:27 pm

What's her other option? Maybe we can help with info about that seminary?
I went to BYA but too many years ago to be of any help

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 2:30 pm

Her other options are Seminar and Keser Chaya. She decided that Seminar is not for her at the end. So it's between Keser chaya and BYA

amother

↑ Steel ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 2:40 pm

From what I know which is quite a lot since I've had 4 daughters going to sem in the last 7 years, BYA is a solid sem which is less yeshivish than Seminar (is that why she's not going to Seminar?) My niece went to BYA last year and she is awesome, solid healthy, friendly girl. I've met other girls like that. Kesser Chaya is more of a mix based on info from girls I know who went 2 years ago.
Please don't quote my post because I'm going to delete it after you read it.

amother

Cantaloupe

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 2:41 pm

amother Steel wrote:

From what I know which is quite a lot since I've had 4 daughters going to sem in the last 7 years, BYA is a solid sem which is less yeshivish than Seminar (is that why she's not going to Seminar?) My niece went to BYA last year and she is awesome, solid healthy, friendly girl. I've met other girls like that. Kesser Chaya is more of a mix and risk based on info from girls I know who went 2 years ago.
Please don't quote my post because I'm going to delete it after you read it.

Less yeshivish than seminar? I think the opposite. BYA has a solid BY crowd and seminar is more diverse.

amother

↑ Steel ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 2:46 pm

amother Cantaloupe wrote:

Less yeshivish than seminar? I think the opposite. BYA has a solid BY crowd and seminar is more diverse.

This has changed over the last few years Seminar has rebranded themselves

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 2:58 pm

amother Steel wrote:

From what I know which is quite a lot since I've had 4 daughters going to sem in the last 7 years, BYA is a solid sem which is less yeshivish than Seminar (is that why she's not going to Seminar?) My niece went to BYA last year and she is awesome, solid healthy, friendly girl. I've met other girls like that. Kesser Chaya is more of a mix and risk based on info from girls I know who went 2 years ago.
Please don't quote my post because I'm going to delete it after you read it.

Thank you for answering! my dd didn't want seminar as she got the feeling they want very yeshivish and have tons and tons of work (she spoke to girls that are there now)..
It's such a hard decision between the 2 others, so similar yet so different!

amother

Olive

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 3:01 pm

I don’t think they’re similar at all. Actually interesting combo, most people I know are deciding between BYA/ nachlas or BYA / bnos Sara

amother

↑ Steel ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 3:32 pm

amother OP wrote:

I hope my info helped, honestly it should be a pretty easy decision, BYA is a solid health wholesome seminary which has been around for a long time and has a great reputation.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 3:49 pm

amother Steel wrote:

I hope my info helped, honestly it should be a pretty easy decision, BYA is a solid health wholesome seminary which has been around for a long time and has a great reputation.

ok gosh you making me real nervous now. Sad

I know no one that went to BYA in the last 12 yrs but I know at least 20 wholesome, amazing girls who went to kc.

amother

Turquoise

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 3:53 pm

I went 6 yrs ago I loved it. Very warm, very Good hashkafos, girls are normal down to earth not filthy rich japy type. Very normal girls which is why I went. I really loved it. Also you just can't compare to a semi that's been around for 5 years to bya that really knows what they r doing.

amother

↑ Steel ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 4:00 pm

amother OP wrote:

ok gosh you making me real nervous now. Sad

I know no one that went to BYA in the last 12 yrs but I know at least 20 wholesome, amazing girls who went to kc.
I don't know if it makes a difference but we don't live in the US

Maybe someone else will give their opinion here? Did you speak to the girls who went to KC? Did you ask them if all the girls were like them? Could be it's just the girls I know and their experiences.

amother

Oleander

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 4:05 pm

Keser chaya really depends on the year. The year my daughter went the girls were very very eclectic. It was a hard year for her. She would have done better with more mainstream bais yaakov type. The girls we knew who went two years prior were that mainstream type. So it really depends on the year.

amother

Papayawhip

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 4:17 pm

There is overlap between Seminar and BYA, but seminar is significantly more academic and more yeshivish overall.

amother

Grape

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 4:24 pm

I was in Israel Chanukah time and some really nice girls on a bus started talking to me. They told me they were in BYA and were super happy. I thought they were nice girls; put together, Yeshivish but not over the top, mature, and friendly.

amother

Butterscotch ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 4:31 pm

My daughter going to BYA
She aslo applied to Nachlas and Seminar
when she heard that so many more really yeshivish type applied to Seminar and it got more academic, she was actually hoping she didn’t get accepted

She knows a whole bunch of really nice regular BY girls going , it’s going to be a really nice crowd next year.
I’m very excited for her BH!

amother

↑ OP ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 4:48 pm

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about BYA! I agree that it's an incredible seminary, and I believe my daughter will thrive there. but I (and she!) are very worried that she will have a very hard time adjusting and fitting in as she is going on her own

amother

↑ Butterscotch ↓

Sun, Mar 03 2024, 5:07 pm

My daughter is from Lakewood and knows whole bunch from here from bais kaila, aderes, Shira’s devora and even bais shaindel,
A bunch of camp maarava girls from all over (my daughter if now worried she won’t be making any new friends cause she know so many girls going)
It’s definitely a more in town but not jappy type
Kessler Chaya will have a more of a mix of girls and more out of town type.