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Has anyone had any experience with this school? I didn't get a chance to visit properly even though I got to visit smith. any positive/negative comments?

By Spiffybrownboy (Spiffybrownboy) on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 11:27 am: Edit

My friend visited. Heard it was gorgeous and people were very friendly. That's about all, sorry!

By Thedad (Thedad) on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 11:50 am: Edit

It *is* gorgeous and it does have a reputation for being friendly.

Otoh, it's relatively remote (though not as bad as Williams or Middlebury) and there are quite a few remarks along the lines of "cloistered."

We visited for all of about 15 minutes...D said she'd die of boredom within three days.

By Winterfresh (Winterfresh) on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 04:37 pm: Edit

I think it's a womens college. They sent me some info but I have no interest in attending an all female school. It seems nice though.

By Uschicka (Uschicka) on Tuesday, September 02, 2003 - 07:40 pm: Edit

My cousin went there and I think she really liked it. They have a very open mind towards women and therefor attract a lot of lesbians, feminists, etc.

By Sadeyedlady (Sadeyedlady) on Thursday, September 04, 2003 - 02:53 pm: Edit

anyone else?

By Sac (Sac) on Thursday, September 04, 2003 - 03:08 pm: Edit

My niece has just started her freshman year at Mt. Holyoke. She did not choose it because it's a women's college, but because it's a very good school with strong pre-veterinary and equestrian programs. The campus is supposed to be beautiful. It is small and cloistered feeling, but that's alleviated somewhat by its membership in a consortium that allows students to take courses at other schools. (Amherst, UMass Amherst, Hampshire? Smith? -- better check on that further). It's not far from New York and Boston, where students sometimes go for weekends. They take a lot of international students. It was much more selective this year than in recent years past. That's about the extent of what I know.

By Slayer (Slayer) on Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 09:20 pm: Edit

OK, I know this is probably getting annoying me posting stats and asking for schools. But this is the last one I promise.

What do you think about me getting into Mt. Holyoke? (I'm afraid I might not be accepted at Wellesley and have recently become interested in the idea of an all girls school.) I used to receive a lot of mail from Mt. Holyoke and I'm going to apply tonight online...

Here's my stats... also, do you think there's any possiblity I could receive any merit based aid?

I have a 4.0 (unweighted) GPA and a 4.677 weighted GPA. My school doesn't offer many AP's, but I've had AP Statistics my Jr Year (i got a 5 on the exam), and this year I'm in AP English, AP Calculus, and AP Government. I've taken all the classes my school has to offer as far as Honors and upper-level courses.

On my SAT I I got a 1350 (700 M, 650 Verbal). My SAT IIs I have 730 writing, 700 math, and a 620 literature.

As far as EC's, I've lettered in 3 varsity sports. I did Swimming (and regionals and stuff) 10th and 11th grade, XC 10th, and track 9th.

I'm President of the National Honor Society, Vice President of French Club, and have been Class Secretary 9th, 10th, 11th grade, and now (12th) I am student body secretary. I am also Director/Producer of my school's Broadcast Journalism/Film program. I've volunteered with KIDS VOTING for 4 years and this year I was my school's Precinct Captain.

I've volunteered at my church in Nursery for four years, and i've also volunteered a little with Habitat for Humanity. This past summer I spent 3.5 weeks in canada as a volunteer for a Christian camp (owned by Younglife) I've also volunteered in georgia with the organization, totalling over 300 hours.

I've earned the Excellency in French Award as well as three years as an NCHSAA scholar athlete (just a little award you get for having a certain GPA and being on a varsity team)

I work at the local YMCA and have since last May (about 8 months). This summer I also worked 30+ hours a week at a local pool lifeguarding. I've also had a job as an ice cream girl (just summer job).


thanks

By Slayer (Slayer) on Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 10:44 pm: Edit

*anyone*
please?
thanks

By Slayer (Slayer) on Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 11:07 pm: Edit

*Well*
I applied anyway
Now I have to get all those silly recommendations and reports in to them too!
when i have kids i won't let them procrastinate the whole application process!! haha, yes i know its my own fault

By Sooky6 (Sooky6) on Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 11:15 pm: Edit

I'd be surprised if you were not admitted to Mt Holyoke with those stats. What about Bryn Mawr?

By Thedad (Thedad) on Sunday, January 11, 2004 - 11:21 pm: Edit

This is a horrible thing to say on CC imho but I think you're in at Mount Holyoke. But why not apply to Smith? Again imho, Smith is several notches ahead of MHC (I think it blows MHC out of the water) and while you're no guarantee there, I think you have a good shot. Smith's deadline isn't until February 1.

This weekend we went to preview parties for Wellesley, Smith, and Skidmore (D's safety). The enthusiasm that the current Smith students...18 showed up for this event...can't be faked and the current students are the best advertising for a school that I've ever seen.

By Iluvtoshop (Iluvtoshop) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 08:40 am: Edit

The dad..In your opinion do you think there are many girls at MHC who aren't straight. I have heard that most of the population there are bi/les. I applied to Brandeis early round 2. I did apply to Bryn Mawr RD, but now i'm hearing that bryn mawr isn't strong in the performing arts for dance, or in medicine. I don't know really now if i should continue my application process with Bryn MAwr. What do you know about smith?..ANything about dance there or pre-med..Any advice would be deeply appreciated.

By Gracious95 (Gracious95) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 12:35 pm: Edit

>>The dad..In your opinion do you think there are many girls at MHC who aren't straight. I have heard that most of the population there are bi/les.

No offense, but is that a problem? If so, how is that negatively affecting you?

By Thedad (Thedad) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 01:13 pm: Edit

Smith has terrific Dance, all the way around, including six levels of Ballet, just as Mount Holyoke. Very strong in Modern, too. One of the reasons that Bryn Mawr wasn't on my D's list is because there wasn't a strong enough Dance presence there...I forget the exact particulars. (Hard enough to remember all the info about the schools that were on the list let alone the schools that weren't considered.)
I don't know about pre-Med per se but a) a lot of Med schools want to see you major in something you really like...History or English is fine...and b) Smith has some pretty strong science programs, particularly bio and chem. They have a small engineering school with a good bio-mechanical program, I hear.

The gay/bi population at both Smith and MHC is probably around 30-35 percent. If you're not tolerant, these aren't the schools for you. Otoh, they will not be trying to "convert" you. At least one girl matter-of-factly said she thought there was much much less unwanted sexual attention than there would be at a conventional co-ed school...I forget who said that and where but it sticks in my mind.

By Laceyski08 (Laceyski08) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 03:20 pm: Edit

Slayer, I think you've got a pretty darn good shot at Mount Holyoke! If you really like the idea of a women's college, you should think about applying to the other sister colleges [you'd probably even like the one that are co-ed now], I think you have more than a good chance at any of them. I don't know much about Bryn Mawr's dance program, but I know their Fine Arts department as a whole takes a lot of criticism. (But have you checked what's available at Haverford, Swat, and Penn?) If you are interested in medicine, Bryn Mawr is very strong in science. From the information you provided it seems like Bryn Mawr is also a good match for you, along with MHC and SC.
Good luck and best wishes!
Laura
BMC 08

By Perry (Perry) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 06:09 pm: Edit

By the way, Mount Holyoke has an excellent group of professors, very strong english program, good history courses, strong in international studies, great facilities, and one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. Some may find it too isolated, but it is part of the five college consortium with free transporation to the other colleges and towns.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 06:47 pm: Edit

The isolation was the deal breaker for my D when we visited the area; the less competitive academics had already put a hit on it but it was still a possiblity. D will probably take some classes there. But PR's THE BEST 351... says that MHC students refer to South Hadley (the town where MHC is located) as "How Sadly."

By Slayer (Slayer) on Monday, January 12, 2004 - 10:58 pm: Edit

Thedad, I took your advice and looked into Smith. From what I've seen so far I love it! I'm not sure whether or not I'm going to apply though. I feel like come April 1st I'm going to get a bunch of rejection letters and don't know if I should spend another $50 to get one more in the mail... My chances are iffy to nonexistant at Vanderbilt, UCLA, and Wellesley (which might be my new #1). I called and talked to the admissions office at Wellesley today. I told them that I had just rushed my scores and my application would be on its way. They were SO nice about everything! They said they understood my scores might not be there by the deadline but they were glad I was considering Wellesley. thanks everybody for your opinions for me on wellesley and MHC

By Thedad (Thedad) on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 03:04 am: Edit

$50 vs. what is one of the biggest decisions of your life and how happy you will be for four years is small change...and I don't care how broke you might be. Fwiw, Smith is harder than Mount Holyoke but much easier than Wellesley to get into.

By Upandover (Upandover) on Tuesday, January 13, 2004 - 04:44 am: Edit

Hold on! Smith's deadline is on Feb 1? What? I thought it was on Jan 15.... that would be one of the reasons why I didn't apply Smith.

By Gazal205 (Gazal205) on Wednesday, February 04, 2004 - 01:11 am: Edit

I'm an international student doing my 'a levels'. I applied to MHC ED 2, and they decided to defer my app to regular admission plan.

If anyone out there got in, please post msgs.
Some information abt your stats etc... might help.

By Wygbe (Wygbe) on Saturday, February 07, 2004 - 04:46 pm: Edit

mount holyoke is a great school with a distinguished history - eg, emily dickenson went there, as did margaret apgar (of the apgar scores for premature infants), elaine chao (the first female cabinet member), two of the last 30 pulitzer prize winners in drama (wendy wasserstein and suzan-lori parks), and the current president of bryn mawr - so it certainly does not need me to defend it. however when i read claims that smith is "better" and "harder to get into," that mount holyoke is "remote" and "cloistered" and that students at mhc are likely to "die of boredom," i feel the need to comment. i have twin daughters, both with excellent and nearly identical high school records. one is at smith and one is at mount holyoke. they are both happy with their choices. while smith seems to have more name recognition among non-academics, from what i have seen the two schools are very comparable. the admission statistics are basically the same (high school gpa's and class rankings, sat scores, percentages admitted, etc.), and a study i encountered online showed mhc with higher faculty salaries than smith. another recent study - about five years ago i think - delared mount holyoke the number one "educational value" (based on academic quality vs. "net cost" after financial aid) among lac's. that year the same survey had stanford the number one "value" among universities. the princeton review gave both schools high "academic ratings" -- 94 for smith, 93 for mount holyoke. by way of comparison, the princeton review gave stanford a 92 and harvard a 94. the princeton review's "academic rating" purports to measure the "overall quality of the undergraduate academic experience." both girls are busy, both academically and socially, and both are receiving quality input from, and access to, their professors. mhc is hardly "remote" - smith and northampton are about 8 miles away and amherst is close by. there are free bus connections between south hadley, northampton and amherst (where amherst college, hampshire college and umass are located). the girls go to boston ($15.00 bus ride) and hartford for concerts outside the area. there is a lively "indie" music scene in the five-college area as well - eg, elliott smith was a hampshire graduate. my mhc daughter does research at the umass library and is taking a class at hampshire. her classes are small and she is surprised to find that her professors all know her by name, seemingly from day one. her classes are challenging and lively, punctuated by much student discussion and debate. her writing is rigorously scrutinized and she receives extensive input from her professors. my smith daughter transferred from a uc campus where she felt unchallenged -- she had large classes with sections taught by ta's, and her grades were off the chart (all a's and a+'s). her sister encouraged her to transfer. the girls did not like being 3000 miles apart, and my mhc daughter also thought her sister would love the area and the academic intensity. my smith daughter applied to both schools, but at the last minute chose smith, wanting to avoid the sense of competition/comparison which might result from being in the same school as her sister. she also wanted to be in northampton. this has worked out well, since my mhc daughter spends lots of time in "noho." despite being in women's colleges, the girls have had no problems meeting boys. mhc has provided a slightly superior financial aid package, but not enough to impact my smith daughter's college selection. my smith daughter enjoys being in northampton, while my mhc daughter loves visiting northampton and boston, but also enjoys the pastoral atmosphere of mhc when she needs to focus on her academic work. i would highly recommend both schools.

By Dooger (Dooger) on Saturday, February 07, 2004 - 05:19 pm: Edit

Thanks Wygbe! I really enjoyed your post... My daughter will be at Smith this fall, she liked both schools when we visited but preferred the more flexible curriculum at Smith (especially didn't like the PE requirment at MHC...).

By Wygbe (Wygbe) on Saturday, February 07, 2004 - 05:36 pm: Edit

hi dooger - my mhc daughter doesnt like the PE requirement either, especially given the current weather! by the way, i just spoke to my smith daughter on the phone. she is still glad she chose smith. she and her sister are seeing evan dando (an "indie" musician) in northampton tonight. she loves her sister, but she also likes having her own space.

By Mini (Mini) on Saturday, February 07, 2004 - 06:09 pm: Edit

I think it should also be noted that Smith is going through a very serious financial crunch. According to their campus newspaper the Sophian (you can look up all the articles on line), they have lost almost $200 million in endownment in the last several years, and are projecting deficits of up to $12 million a year in the next three years in their operating budgets.

This is already having a serious impact at Smith, especially in some of the smaller departments. The President has announced that all faculty appointments are currently being "banked", meaning that when a prof. retires, the position is being left unfilled for the time being.

This, as it turns out, is devastating for my daughter (who has applied) and has moved it to the bottom of her list. She is a composer. Their major composition prof (a significant figure in the choral music world) retired two years ago, and was not replaced. Their other composer is retiring this year. This year, composition courses at Smith are being taught by junior faculty from Amherst and UMass, a situation which will continue for the foreseeable future. Other departments, especially the smaller ones, are being seriously hit. The days of house dining at Smith are about to end as well. There are also likely to be cutbacks in support of foreign study.

At the same time, Mount Holyoke has just finished raising $250 million.

By Perry (Perry) on Saturday, February 07, 2004 - 06:43 pm: Edit

After visiting Mount Holyoke, as well as Amherst, and other collges over the summer, we've looked at the college more extensively. Our conclusion is that it's very underrated. It has top-notch professors and programs in selected fields, well maintained facilities, beautiful campus, and solid financials. It appears to be a college very much on the upswing.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Saturday, February 07, 2004 - 07:13 pm: Edit

"The days of house dining at Smith are about to end as well" is something of overstatement. Some dining facilities are being consolidated, but into existing "house" dining facilities. This may impact the sense of "houseness" that some of the smaller houses that are losing their facilities but it's too early to say.

Wygbe, I'm glad both your daughters are happy at their respective schools. But MHC is in the middle of nothing and Smith is a five-minute walk into NoHo; I'd say it was a 15-20 minute drive from Smith to MHC which, when you're a student, isn't chopped liver.

By Wygbe (Wygbe) on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 01:22 am: Edit

well, my mhc daughter seems to have no problem with transportation, since there are free buses that go from campus to campus within the five colleges. also, students arrange for shared rides via the daily jolt website for the five colleges. true, mount holyoke is in a small town, which is a quiet but very scenic setting. the school is not "in the middle of nothing." across the street from the main entrance to the campus is "the village commons," a venerable local shopping center with multiple student-oriented shops and hangouts, including the "thirsty mind" coffeehouse/bookshop [students call it the "dirty mind"] and a three-screen theatre. the "village commons" also has the "odyssey," a top-quality bookstore which is the largest independent bookstore in the pioneer valley. the holyoke mall is a large, modern shopping mall (to which there is direct bus access from the campus), situated between the college and springfield.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Sunday, February 08, 2004 - 01:45 am: Edit

"Middle of nothing" varies with perspective, I guess.

What's "quiet and scenic" for some is "bucolic" for others. If my D goes to Smith, she'll probably take some classes at MHC if the time penalty via shuttle isn't too severe...MHC is the most distant of the other four colleges in the consortium.

One of the questions she had when visiting colleges was whether or not Northampton was big enough for her; it was, South Hadley wasn't.

By Lizpendens (Lizpendens) on Monday, February 09, 2004 - 06:45 am: Edit

I graduated from Mount Holyoke in the late 80's and was back on campus last November for alumnae activities. I do alumnae volunteer work, including admissions, so obviously my input will be biased, and probably a little dated.

As far as the "remote" issue goes, I was there before the Village Commons was finished, so I don't expect the current students are as lacking for local places to go as I was. Still, there is the free 5-college bus, which I took frequently for classes at the other schools, and for shopping, eating out, and movie-going in Amherst and Northampton. A car improves things immeasurably.

"Cloistered" is only if the student wants it to be. Like any women's college, a social life takes more initiative. Road-tripping, going to the other schools for parties, and cross-registration are good ways to do this. There are plenty of men on campus any given weekend as well, and I recall a particularly raucus party when the Yale men's rugby team stayed the weekend in my dorm. It was definately not a nunnery. ; )

PE requirement. I of all people dreaded this, because I was always the one chosen last for the team; I am "athletically challenged," and I was the kid who would bring in a note from home to excuse me from PE class because I hated it so much. I satisfied MHC's requirement with squash, which I thoroughly enjoyed even though I was perfectly awful at the sport. If I could find a PE class to enjoy, anyone can.

We also have a professional quality golf course, the Orchards, which will be the site of the LPGA Championship tournament this year. The golf pro in my day was pretty cute, too. There are also a variety of horseback riding classes, aerobics, tennis, self-defense, and other sports to choose from. We aren't known as Mount Holyoke Country Club for nothing!

Academically, it is extremely rigorous. Don't let the rankings and the non-competitive nature of the students fool you; there is a heavy workload and stimulating discussion in class. I spent a summer at Harvard, and I found no difference between the quality of my MHC classes and Harvard's. Similarly, my aunt was in the art history graduate program at Columbia, and my upper-level art history classes were structured exactly the same, as far as workload and course requirements. Though MHC students aren't competitive with each other, it's only because we are driving ourselves so hard.

Wygbe, I'm glad to hear that both of your daughters are enjoying their college experience. I've had no regrets my decision to attend Mount Holyoke rather than Smith, but I believe that it is a matter for each young woman to find a good fit--both academically and quality of life-- for their particular needs.

By Itziar (Itziar) on Tuesday, February 17, 2004 - 04:59 pm: Edit

Did anyone receive a course catalogue in the mail? If so, should this be treated as a good sign? Thanks in advance for any input!

By Megsdad (Megsdad) on Thursday, February 19, 2004 - 04:33 pm: Edit

My d received a book with class schedules for 2004 today. Did anyone else get one? She is in the RD pool. Thought we would ask.

By Slayer (Slayer) on Monday, February 23, 2004 - 09:19 pm: Edit

Megsdad, yes I got that today... (except today for me is the 23rd of february) i wonder if they send to everyone?

By Wygbe (Wygbe) on Tuesday, February 24, 2004 - 01:26 pm: Edit

for those seeking info about mount holyoke, i came across a current rating for "best value" among all private colleges and universities by "kiplinger's personal financial services" magazine, which can be found at http://www.kiplinger.com/tools/privatecolleges/.

the magazine describes its rating method as follows:

"Colleges have always tried to help needy students. But more are offering 'need blind' aid: merit-based tuition discounts that take the form of grants and scholarships, are based on a student's academic record or character, and are funded by endowments.

In November, we looked at the best deals for in- and out-of-state students at the nation's public colleges and universities. Now, we've put more than 1,300 private schools under our microscope to determine which combine academic excellence with generous aid packages and lower total costs."

for what it is worth, this particular survey has mount holyoke 57th out of over 1300 private colleges and universities. by way of comparison, according to the kiplinger survey, mhc is in the same ballpark as, or superior to, such schools as cornell(41), wesleyan(42), barnard(49), brandeis(50), bryn mawr(54), tufts(55), smith(62), usc(70), vanderbilt(74), boston college(87), reed(88), nyu(91), st. john's college(95), sarah lawrence(99)and (apparently) the univ. of chicago (which does not appear in the top 100).

By Smith05 (Smith05) on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 11:17 am: Edit

This is in response to mini's post

I normally wouldn't care about replying to random posts on internet, but this time, I felt compelled to do so. Yes, our endowment's been slipping, but it really isn't so bad compared to the other 5 colleges. The college is expanding- we got a new art building (Hillyer/Smith College Museum of Art) and a new Campus Center in the past year and a half. The college is also growing- we will be graduating our first class of engineering majors this year. Smith is the first, and only, all female college that offers a degree in engineering. We are going to have a new complex to house the Computer Science and Engineering departments, and we're getting new wet labs and nifty equipment as well (woo undergraduate research!)

Also, the music program tends to be very collaborative- there aren't many who take junior level music seminars, so they usually club music majors in the fivel colleges together. My (smithie) friend took a class taught by a Smith professor at Mount Holyoke, which was a requirement for her major. We've had Hampshire professors teach Computer Science courses, and last semester, my seminar professor taught a master's course at UMass. While this sort of thing isn't as common in the sciences, it is, especially with Languages, Dance and Music. I don't see it as a bad thing.

Also, as far as I remember, they're still hiring professors. The physics department just hired a new professor last fall. I am spending this semester at the University of Edinburgh and haven't had any problems. Sure, there was talk of cutting funds for international students, but there were enough protests and panel discussions (as is always the case at Smith) and that's not going to happen. As for housing, the kitchens in three houses will be closing this summer. We will still be eating in houses with our housemates, we will still have family style, candle light dinners on thursday nights and tea on friday afternoons. While the Board of Trustees could talk about consolidating dining, it shall not happen very soon because most alums don't like the idea anyway. Also, it would be interesting to note that the smallest house at Smith house still has its kitchen, still doesn't have a TV in the living room (but that's because that's what the house voted on) and the houses that will have their kitchens closed this summer are all medium-sized houses.

A lot of smithies do not take the Sophian too seriously- and most just read the police blotter. It's just like most other school newspapers- and a lot of times, they do blow things out of proportion.

Smith and Mount Holyoke are both great schools and you couldn't go wrong either way. Plus there's the five college consortium, so there's tons of things to do. Check out the jolt for both schools to get a sense of the people you'll be going to school with- ask questions, read the posts, click around, but bear in mind that it is an internet forum full of bored trolls as well. Smith's jolt is at http://smith.dailyjolt.com and Mount Holyoke's is at http://mhc.dailyjolt.com

If you have any questions, post back. And use the jolt to get a variety of answers from all sorts of perspectives.

By Mini (Mini) on Thursday, March 04, 2004 - 01:03 pm: Edit

They are both GREAT schools. The information about cutting faculty from 295 to 263 came from Smith, not from me. The freeze on faculty hiring starts this fall (actually, it is called "banking" by President Crist). The numbers are not insignificant if one is in a small department.

The collaborative music offerings are nice, but since there will be no composition prof. at Smith College at all, it wouldn't help my daughter very much -- she would have no faculty advisor, and there are no plans to hire one.

The new buildings are wonderful, but they don't come from endowment funds (the earnings on which are the direct support of instructional program.) As I said before, folks should simply do their homework.

By Incubus1 (Incubus1) on Saturday, March 06, 2004 - 02:18 am: Edit

I went there for their multicultural weekend and it was awesome. It is gorgeous, but also very quiet...then again, this was during November. They are also quite attentive to their students.

By Itziar (Itziar) on Friday, March 19, 2004 - 04:45 pm: Edit

This is pretty random, but I have to say it: the people working in Mount Holyoke admissions are the best ever!! Whenever I've called they have always been so nice and extremely helpful.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Friday, March 19, 2004 - 06:24 pm: Edit

It may be random but it's useful. Columbia made D feel like a cog in a machine. Barnard has been rude on several occasions. Smith and Wellesley have gone out of their way to be pleasant and helpful...Stanford, too.

By Lizpendens (Lizpendens) on Sunday, March 21, 2004 - 04:57 am: Edit

Incubus:
I was on campus during November for an alumnae meeting, and I also found the campus strangely quiet. Not the way I remembered it. I suppose a lot of the students were away for the weekend. I dunno. *shrug*

Itziar:
It's not random at all! Mount Holyoke staff in general are completely nice and helpful. I have some contact with the admissions office as an alumnae admissions volunteer (the person who interviews applicants unable to visit the campus, and who attends college fairs), and they are always a pleasure to talk to.

I once asked a woman in another office to pop her head in on another staff member to relay a message that I was having trouble transmitting. She did. I found out much later that the second office was not down the hall as I thought, but across campus. That's typical of Mount Holyoke staff.

By Itziar (Itziar) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 02:53 pm: Edit

I received my acceptance package today! And they're giving me a $15k leadership award each year!

By Happykid (Happykid) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 06:06 pm: Edit

Congratulation, Itziar. Mount Holyoke is an awesome school. You must feel great!

By Itziar (Itziar) on Thursday, March 25, 2004 - 06:47 pm: Edit

Thanks, Happykid! I do feel great--there's nothing like a thick envelope to brighten a mediocre day. =)

By Enjoyingthis (Enjoyingthis) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 12:40 am: Edit

Congratulations, Itziar! What great news. My kiddo has an application in at Mount Holyoke too with her snail mail going to her boarding school and it's vacation so we can't see it until she goes back! Argh. Would you mind sharing your stats? Thanks.

By Dmbfan (Dmbfan) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 04:01 pm: Edit

Congratulations, Itziar! I was just accepted too, and it was an uplifting end to an otherwise sub-par week

By Sybbie719 (Sybbie719) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 04:31 pm: Edit

D got into Mount Holyoke. She also got the $15,000/ yr leadership award

By Wallflower (Wallflower) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 05:43 pm: Edit

Where do you live? In NYC, I haven't received my decision yet.

By Dmbfan (Dmbfan) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 05:50 pm: Edit

Florida here. Don't worry, mail can be so unpredictable!

By Wallflower (Wallflower) on Friday, March 26, 2004 - 07:51 pm: Edit

IN!

By Luvvlise (Luvvlise) on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 03:34 am: Edit

In as well! Wow... 3 seven sisters to choose from (BMC, Smith, and now Holyoke) ... gonna be a tough month of decision-making.

By Kathycook2 (Kathycook2) on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 01:30 pm: Edit

Our daughter is a second year at MHC. Yes, she hates the PE requirement and the lack of constant male pals, and taking the bus everywhere....but she could not ask for more individual attention and mentoring from instructors. She is also taking courses at Hampshire and finds the atmosphere the same there. Professors have emailed or called my daughter to tell her how well she did on papers or assignments. One professor actually called up after class and told to be demonstrate more confidence when making remarks in class because her remarks are always right on target. 20 is a big class, most run about 10-15. IT is a very nuturing environment and professors are very willing to modify assignments to fit the student's individual interests. My daughter want to pursue journalism, but MHC does not have that major--all profesors, including those in the English dept. work with her to refine the assignments. Professors are accessible. My daughter had merit aid offerrs from numerous colleges and she choose this one. She is pursuing internships for the summer and the alums are very willing to help that process. The ethnic, religious, cultural, and gender characteristics of MHC students make it a very diverse environment--one that mirrors the working world. SHe is 500 miles away from home but we all cope --she has to do her own laundry more often!

By Rakem (Rakem) on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 02:57 pm: Edit

I received my acceptance to MH yesterday and it's one of two schools I'm actually going to consider attending--so any information about the school would be very much appreciated.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 03:45 pm: Edit

Luvvlise, my D has a different Seven Sister combo to mull over: Wellesley, Smith, Barnard. Interesting times.

By Sybbie719 (Sybbie719) on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 04:38 pm: Edit

Hi Luvvlise and Thedad,

my D is mulling over, Barnard, Bryn Mawr, Mt Holyoke

The upside is that it is wonderful to know that women know that they have choices when it comes to getting a great education

By Thedad (Thedad) on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 07:49 pm: Edit

Sybbie, it's funny, but D didn't start out looking for a women's college. They just sort of started to stand out when she looked for colleges that met her criteria. Visiting Smith last year was a real head-turner for all of us, showcasing the merits of an LAC vs. a University. Good LAC with access to high-level ballet = three womens colleges, I guess. I think she thought BMC was too small for her tastes and also really wanted New England more than Philly.

By Mini (Mini) on Sunday, March 28, 2004 - 10:03 pm: Edit

Mine is Smith, MHC, and (she hopes) Scripps. May all come down to the financial package. All things being equal, I think (today) she'd choose Scripps, but they never are equal, are they?

We'll all know in three weeks! It is nice to have choices, and ds that are ready to go out into the world! And for those of you for whom MHC is THE CHOICE, Congratulations -- it is a wonderful place!

(Sigh. I miss her already.)

By Upandover (Upandover) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 03:30 am: Edit

I got it!! YAY!! DHL arrived today. Funny it took almost a week to arrive here.

By Luvvlise (Luvvlise) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 03:34 pm: Edit

TheDad, is your D leaning towards Smith? I had been pretty set on Bryn Mawr all year, but now I'm shocked to find that it's hard to say no to Smith and Mt. Holyoke -- both being gorgeous campuses with great dorms, Mt. Holyoke having an amazing library, 5 college consortium...

I'm hoping to visit (I've never been in the New England area) but funds are very low. I've combed through guidebooks, CC, and all their websites completely, and the pros and cons lists make me even more confused. Anyone with more opinions/experiences of these schools?

By Thedad (Thedad) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 03:41 pm: Edit

I've been hesitant to ask her but as of now, of her four acceptances, she's leaning towards Smith. But that's without knowing how her two Reaches come out.

She's wrestling with the fact that Wellesley has a better academic reputation and her favorite aunt is in favor of Wellesley on that ground; she also loved ballet at Barnard and that's causing some pangs.

They way she put it about Smith was something like "They have good academics but they're more balanced with other things like ballet, the orchestra, and stuff like that." For *her*, I think it's a good fit and she would have my blessing. (Actually, I'd give her my blessing on all of them, some would just be more enthusiastic than others.)

As previously argued, my D found MHC more remote. A five-minute walk from campus into downtown Northampton, *the* happening place of Pioneer Valley, was a plus for her.

By Thedad (Thedad) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 03:42 pm: Edit

Congratulations, UpAndOver.

By Rubixcube (Rubixcube) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 04:37 pm: Edit

I just got back from visiting Bryn Mawr, Swarthmore, Amherst, Smith and mt. Holyoke. (i am a junior)

Smith and Holyoke were beautiful, and everyone was friendly, i really liked them. however I want to know what are the major differences between them? thanks

By Perry (Perry) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 05:39 pm: Edit

If you are concerned about selectivity, both schools are comparable (SAT scores, class rank, etc.). Retention and graduation rates are similar, Mt. Holyoke having a slight edge. Graduates of both schools go on to advanced study at the best graduate programs in the country in large numbers. In short, both are comparable in offering excellent educations, on the level of any LAC in the country. Smith's student body is reputed to be more politically strident, however.

Mt. Holyoke is known to have a particularly strong English department that includes many excellent faculty. Its history department has the national book award and pulizer prize winner Joseph Ellis. It's science and international relations programs are reputed to be excellent, as is its Romance languages department. Mt. Holyoke also has one of the largest international student bodies of any LAC in the country. The school is known to be academically rigorous in writing and speaking, which is woven throughout their curriculum. The administration appears to be revising the curriculum with the aim of instilling a more global education. The school also recently concluded a succssful capital campaign. Although Mt. Holyoke has loose distribution requirements -- easily fulfilled - Smith's curriculum is completely open.

It's largely a matter of preference concerning which school to attend. Location may make a difference to some; to others it may not. Smith is in Northhampton; Mt. Holyoke sits on a more beautiful and far more expansive, albeit more isolated, campus. They're about 15 or 20 minutes apart.

By Zuesviolin (Zuesviolin) on Monday, March 29, 2004 - 06:01 pm: Edit

Accepted! VERY happy.I got waitlisted at Scripps (double legacy), however, my other top choice. But very excited about MHC!

By Lizpendens (Lizpendens) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 01:03 am: Edit

I just wanted to send out my congratulations to the young women of this message board--and their parents-- who have been admitted to Mount Holyoke. There is nothing quite like receiving that "thick" envelope from a school that you want to attend.

Some of you know you will be joining our "club" of students and alumnae of MHC, while others will have tough decisions to make. Reading over your college choices, it sounds like you will all be attending wonderful schools and receiving excellent educations wherever you choose to matriculate. I can't help but be biased, though, and hope you will all choose Mount Holyoke and become part of our legacy of educating tomorrow's leaders and educators.

Best of luck to all of you!

By Slayer (Slayer) on Tuesday, March 30, 2004 - 09:50 pm: Edit

does anybody know how many Leadership scholarships (the $10000 a year) they give out?

By Shortasiangal (Shortasiangal) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 10:14 pm: Edit

Leadership scholarships? I'm not sure but I received one as well. 20K/year! Which is pretty awesome.

By Slayer (Slayer) on Friday, April 02, 2004 - 08:05 pm: Edit

congrats short! sorry, is 20k = $20000 ?

By Itziar (Itziar) on Saturday, April 03, 2004 - 10:17 pm: Edit

Yep, that's right, Slayer! It's so generous of them. I'm not sure how many they give out, though.

By Hypspomonagi (Hypspomonagi) on Tuesday, June 22, 2004 - 08:28 am: Edit

gAmericafs ebestf national liberal arts colleges – as defined by U.S. News – are truly the gated communities of American higher education,h the Iowa-based newsletter says. gFortunately, as in most analyses of this type, there are inspiring exceptions to these gloomy findingsh -- Occidental, Smith, and Mt. Holyoke.

The release of the study comes at a time of growing concern about the escalating cost of college tuition and its impact on low- and middle-income students – the subject of a front-page New York Times story on April 22. Remarkably, Occidental has continued to enroll large numbers of Pell Grant recipients as applications have soared and the quality of its applicants steadily increased. gOccidental has a long tradition of seeking out the best students, regardless of income or background,h said Vince Cuseo, director of admission. gWe believe our alumni are the best proof of the success of this approach.h

Using data from the U.S. Department of Education from 1992-93 to 2001-2002, the study found that most top-ranked liberal arts colleges enrolled relatively few recipients of Pell Grants -- need-based awards aimed at low-income students. While 29.8 percent of all undergraduates nationally received Pell grants in 2001, only Occidental, Smith, and Mt. Holyoke came close to that number, with 26.7 percent, 26 percent, and 24.1 percent, respectively. In contrast, Pell Grant recipients made up just 14.5 percent of enrollment at Claremont McKenna; 13 percent at Swarthmore; 12 percent at Pomona; and 6.5 percent at Colby.

The same trend was evident over the entire 10-year period covered in the study. While the number of undergraduates receiving Pell Grants nationwide increased 2.3 percent, the share enrolled in top-ranked liberal arts colleges declined by an average of almost 1 percent. Occidentalfs enrollment, however, actually exceeded the national figure with a 3.7 percent increase. (Only seven other colleges equaled or exceeded the national rate of increase.)

Occidental also came out on top in the studyfs Low Income Equity Index – a ratio of a collegefs percentage of Pell Grant students to that of all Pell Grant recipients in its home state. Occidentalfs equity index score was 121, indicating that the Collegefs share significantly exceeds that of California as a whole. As a group, top-ranked liberal arts colleges had an overall score of 43.5. Only two other colleges, Smith and Mt. Holyoke, scored above 100.

By Wygbe (Wygbe) on Friday, August 20, 2004 - 05:07 am: Edit

congrats to mount holyoke and smith on their academic ratings in the 2005 princeton review = 98 with 99 max, ahead of harvard, yale, stanford, and many others.