Darchei binah- said by someone i know:
“I dont think you should base your decision on me, especially because i went there and i didnt think it was the right seminary for me so i might have a negetive perspective but i do know about it and i’ll tell you what i experienced and what i remember:
1. to find out where everything they learned came from so that they know for life. teachers they can get close to, somewhere to grow.
2. important, you have to read a meforash and explain it and get Rabbi Kurland to like you ;)figure out his sense of humor
3. there were all different classes. some with charusos, some lectures and some writing notes, and most were intense.
4&5.from what i remember some classes you have to take like a type of navi class,tzenius, shabbat, gur aryeh, chumash, and others are optional like mesilat yesharim, or kashrut -there are at least 20 different ones to choose from
6. there is at least 1 test a week, quizzes, reports, a lot of homework and studying.
7.getting as much work done was important and work was a biggg factor of importance.
8. what made it hard for me was there were a lot of classes that involved a lot of mefarshim and the text, delving into the subject ex. hatzneah leches (tzenius) and tons of studying.
9. very open-the students would talk to the teachers privately about anything(boyfriends or different halachos) every week there was ‘ask the Rabbi’ where we would accompany the Rabbi at his house and we were able to ask any questions we wanted. the teachers are very experienced and most of them speak around the world and have met a lot of people and are able to talk to the students. such as;Rabbi Orlavsky, Rabbi Nissel, Mrs. Smiles, Rabbi Teller etc.
10. both- growing spiritually through the texts and sources
11. i think 95% of the school are people that grew up towards the right. (very few people that did not grow up religious at all)
12. there are classes on middos and they do focus a lot on dress, but there’s no uniform and most of the classes help the girls love halachot and Judaism and respect and love Torah
13. there were about 80 girls from shana aleph and about 30 shana bet girls, when i attended and there were many different groups and in my opinion, every single girl felt comfortable somewhere, no one seemed left out.
14. yes, theres a big trip to Poland for about a week (i think) in March. -it was an amazing experience and the schedule was well organized and meaningful.
15. rules like: no yaffa street, ben yehudah street or in town past 6 pm. curfew at 12 am, no laptops, yes cell phones and texting(not in class 😉 dress code:skirts, tights, long sleeve shirts, high collar, no slits, – you are able to wear jean and any colors you want.
16. see above 😉
17. 3 buildings. they all have kitchens, the girls are responsible for keeping it clean, very strict with toranut-each girl is responsible for cleaning a specific part in the dorm every week (don’t worry no toilets involved ;)some are spacious others are smaller like the basement. Request 1 roomate ONLY- rather than 2- cuz you’ll be cramped in a bunk bed.
18. you can go out every shabbos and yom tov, except for maybe twice a year, you have to let them know where you are staying-(very strict)
19. 1 meal a day-lunch- consists of salad,vegetables,a carb, a protein, soup, and dessert. you have to go shopping and cook the rest. (there’s a makolet down the block that delivers)