Why doesn't Mount Holyoke get more love here?

[Anonymous]

It's the homophobia and transphobia.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gorgeous campus, diverse, kind students and seems like a great school. D26 liked it a lot, but the financial aid offer was not great- came in over twice as expensive as Smith for us, which we were surprised by.

Gorgeous campus 50 years ago. Feels like my childhood summer camp.

Dead local area.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Western Mass can be a bit depressing

Compared to what - inner cities? Deep South MAGA states?

Compared to Wellesley, for example

[Anonymous]

We looked at it pretty closely, it was on my kid's list. My kid liked it, but ultimately ended up at Smith, which she liked more. Her take: MHC ends up getting a lot of students who did not get into Smith or one of the other higher ranked women's colleges or LACs. She said her impression is that it's a less intense version of Smith, so it may attract some students who are looking for that vibe specifically and are not as into as academic of a school as Smith. That said, MHC is still a strong school with serious students. The area in general with the 5 now 4 colleges is great, but the immediate area around MHC is pretty meh. There is a small shopping area right across the street and that's it.

[Anonymous]

Niece toured both: Said Smith felt really strident and intense on her tour; MHC felt warmer and more welcoming. Liked both classes she sat in on at both schools, however. Ended up at Bates College in the end -- co-ed was deciding factor.
Would have chosen MHC over Smith had she opted for single-sex.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Niece toured both: Said Smith felt really strident and intense on her tour; MHC felt warmer and more welcoming. Liked both classes she sat in on at both schools, however. Ended up at Bates College in the end -- co-ed was deciding factor.
Would have chosen MHC over Smith had she opted for single-sex.

How does she feel now that Bates is collapsing and struggling to make ends meet? Still a Good decision?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid visited, was admitted, and liked it enough to visit again as an admitted student. Really attracted to some things—it is gorgeous, warm vibes, good faculty to student ratio, lots of resources. But ultimately decided it was too small/isolated for her.

I have a daughter with a similar story.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Niece toured both: Said Smith felt really strident and intense on her tour; MHC felt warmer and more welcoming. Liked both classes she sat in on at both schools, however. Ended up at Bates College in the end -- co-ed was deciding factor.
Would have chosen MHC over Smith had she opted for single-sex.

This is interesting from a Smith mom. Kid at Smith says Smith is certainly not overly intense. I guess it depends what you are comparing it to though, kid was comparing it to higher ranked schools, and was looking for the right mix of strong academics and supportive community. Smith had the right mix. If you are willing to go down on academics, MHC may be a good fit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Niece toured both: Said Smith felt really strident and intense on her tour; MHC felt warmer and more welcoming. Liked both classes she sat in on at both schools, however. Ended up at Bates College in the end -- co-ed was deciding factor.
Would have chosen MHC over Smith had she opted for single-sex.

How does she feel now that Bates is collapsing and struggling to make ends meet? Still a Good decision?

Bates is collapsing? source?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We looked at it pretty closely, it was on my kid's list. My kid liked it, but ultimately ended up at Smith, which she liked more. Her take: MHC ends up getting a lot of students who did not get into Smith or one of the other higher ranked women's colleges or LACs. She said her impression is that it's a less intense version of Smith, so it may attract some students who are looking for that vibe specifically and are not as into as academic of a school as Smith. That said, MHC is still a strong school with serious students. The area in general with the 5 now 4 colleges is great, but the immediate area around MHC is pretty meh. There is a small shopping area right across the street and that's it.

Students at Smith and Wellesley have been saying this about MHC for decades. It's the standard line about MHC women -- oh, they couldn't get into another Seven Sister so they had to go to MHC. This is, of course, somewhat self-serving coming from a student at another SS school.

It might be true in some specific cases -- I do think many girls apply to both MHC and Smith and take whichever school accepts them and gives them more aid. But my impression is that MHC attracts a specific sort of girl. I think of the type as "noncompetitive nerd" -- the like school and want to study and go to class and be serious students, but they aren't grade grubbers and don't want to duke it out with peers for internships, professor access, or prestigious awards or jobs. MHC girls are looking for a sanctuary during college, and are more likely to wind up in a low key research position or getting a masters in creative writing after college, than attending law school or going into consulting. I do not see much overlap with Wellesley, Williams, or Amherst (whereas I think many Smith students applied to those schools), but rather with schools like Bard, Colby, and University of Vermont.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the homophobia and transphobia.

Always the victim. Maybe it's just because some girls/young women aren't interested. Not everything in 95% of people's lives revolves around sexuality and identity.

[Anonymous]

We visited and all the kids were walking around totally alone and looked very odd, lots of costume type clothing, like ears and tails. Very very odd.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Niece toured both: Said Smith felt really strident and intense on her tour; MHC felt warmer and more welcoming. Liked both classes she sat in on at both schools, however. Ended up at Bates College in the end -- co-ed was deciding factor.
Would have chosen MHC over Smith had she opted for single-sex.

This is interesting from a Smith mom. Kid at Smith says Smith is certainly not overly intense. I guess it depends what you are comparing it to though, kid was comparing it to higher ranked schools, and was looking for the right mix of strong academics and supportive community. Smith had the right mix. If you are willing to go down on academics, MHC may be a good fit.

DP: Academics are equally strong at both judging from the three MHC grads I know, one of whom went to Yale Law and two who went to top med schools (Harvard and Columbia). But Smith does need to prove itself a lot--"if you are willing to go down on academics." MHC doesn't seem to need to announce itself like that. Guessing that's the strident vibe others pick up on at Smith. I bet both schools are equally rigorous, and the right fit for the right kid.

[Anonymous]

Bates is collapsing?!?
Fwiw, MHC outranks Smith in terms of professor quality here:

https://www.princetonreview.com/college-rankings/?rankings=professors-get-high-marks

[Anonymous]

My kid is making her final decision this week and Mount Holyoke is one of the top contenders. She also got into Smith (has decided against it, since they didn't offer her merit aid and she also didn't like the vibes there as much) and Bryn Mawr (still in contention) along with some other great small liberal arts colleges. MHC felt like a warm and welcoming community on a beautiful campus, with access to larger nearby towns. Strong academics, fun traditions, and the equestrian center is a plus for my daughter.