I was recently accepted to both Barnard and Mount Holyoke. I really want to attend Barnard but I don’t think I will be able to afford it with the financial aid package that they gave me. Mount Holyoke gave me the 21st century scholarship which will help me a lot. I want to study education policy/urban education. Which one is the best for this? Is Holyoke still okay even though it has a weaker, less urban location? Is Barnard better overall because it is more selective? I really want to be in a nice community. I really don’t know which one to pick. Right now I am leaning towards Mount Holyoke just because I can afford it but would I be disadvantaged if I go there?
Haha, you are certainly not going to be disavantaged in any way if you graduate from Mount Holyoke! It has a terrific reputation.
I would urge you to visit both schools, do an overnight visit and sit in on a class or two. These two schools have massively different environments and vibes. My D originally thought she wanted to go to Barnard, but after a visit there she knew it was not the place for her. MHC felt like “home” when she visited… I personally think that this decision should be much less about any perceived prestige (I think that a degree from either will be viewed much the same in the work or grad school world) and much more about where you feel you will thrive for the next 4 years…