<p>Hi, so I only have a few more days to decide. I'm extremely confused, so I'll post some info about me. Can anybody help with the whole "match" thing?
I am a liberal, introverted, asian( if that matters), not really sure what I want to do academically, into the whole "tight knit community" idea, love to read, want to do something useful in life, something that makes me happy, it's not just about money (although that matters too). And I enjoy volunteering.
Money isn't issue in this, it's purely where will I "belong."</p>
<p>Also, I’m not very religious.</p>
<p>Have you visited? What was your reaction? If not, did you visit other LACs? What was your reaction (so that we can analogize) to them…</p>
<p>Mt. Holyoke is larger but Bryn Mawr has Haverford to double its size for all intents and purposes.</p>
<p>Both have a consortium.</p>
<p>Both are excellent schools with beautiful campuses. I suggest you read descriptions of courses in a favorite department and see which whets your appetite more.</p>
<p>I visited Mt Holyoke only. I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it either. It was okay.</p>
<p>Well, I am going to Bryn Mawr in the fall so I can give a little information about it. The school is very liberal from what I’ve seen and heard, but there are still a few conservatives who attend the college. I think the traditions makes the school very tight-knit. When I visited the campus for accepted students weekend, some current students that I talked to claimed that the traditions really welcomed the freshwomen as a whole and made them feel part of a community. Traditions are fun, but they said you don’t have to participate in some if you don’t want to (and by “some” I think they meant Hell Week…I don’t know how you’ll feel about participating in that tradition since you consider yourself introverted). Many of the people I met who are going to Bryn Mawr like to read. </p>
<p>Recently, Bryn Mawr was on the “President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Role” with distinction:
[Bryn</a> Mawr Named to President?s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction | Bryn Mawr Now](<a href=“http://news.brynmawr.edu/?p=1939]Bryn”>http://news.brynmawr.edu/?p=1939)</p>
<p>Hope this helped, and good luck with your decision!</p>
<p>I would choose Bryn Mawr. It’s uber academic and tight-knit community. It has great resoures b/c of its connection with Haverford. It’s located just outside of Philly (a wonderful city).</p>
<p>So MHC isn’t uber academic?</p>
<p>MHC is excellent on academics, but IMO Bryn Mawr is the most purely intellectual of the remaining women’s colleges, and its close relationship with Haverford—almost seamless integration—coupled with additional curricular possibilities at Penn and Swarthmore in the larger Quaker Consortium are hard to beat. People in the Five Colleges Consortium (MHC, Smith, Amherst, UMass, Hampshire) know it exists, but few seem to avail themselves of it, and the travel times are longish and the course offerings not well coordinated. But standing on its own, MHC is an excellent LAC.</p>
<p>“Something that makes you happy” and “volunteering”, I vote Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>You have two outstanding choices! My daughter had the same choice several years ago! She visited both campuses. In the classrooms, she found the academic environment she was looking for: challenging, intellectual classes…bright and engaged students. Where she found the difference was in the “feel” of the campus. Given her personal academic intensity, she was attracted to the bucolic Mount Holyoke campus and the ability of MHC student’s to “have an intensly intellectual discussion” one minute and “a lively discussion about shoes” the next! She chose Mount Holyoke and never looked back!</p>
<p>Neither school is a “party school”, though, if you look for it, I’m sure you can find a party group at any school.</p>
<p>As for the five college consortium…it really works! My daughter has taken courses at U Mass (and it had an Argentina experience over spring break) and Amherst. She is registered for a course at Amherst for the upcoming semester. Many of her friends have taken advantage of the consortium, both for classes and activities…very successfully. </p>
<p>At Bryn Mawr, she got the impression that the Haverford consortium was seamless, but that it is not as easy to register for courses at UPenn and Swat.</p>
<p>Traditions are deep at both schools and both school have a history of giving back to the community. My daughter loves the traditions at Mount Holyoke. I think Mountain Day is her favorite! I remember that during orientation, there was a day of volunteering and that there are opportunities to maintain a community connection.</p>
<p>In short, you have two wonderful schools to choose from. Best of luck!</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr gives you access to Haverford and Philly. I am not sure if you can take classes at Penn, but Haverford students can. I would go to Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>You really do have two wonderful choices here. I can only offer my perspective as an MHC alum. The Five Colleges are a tremendous resource. I had a fabulous academic experience at MHC. Very close relationships with faculty and other students. I must admit that I also spent two years at Amherst College and that I thought that my academic opportunities were much better at MHC. I took classes at all Five Colleges. MHC was a wonderful nurturing and stimulating base for taking advantage of resources at the other four colleges. Lots of great volunteer opportunities in Holyoke, MA. Many great opportunities. MHC is also especially diverse—very strong commitment to US ethnic minority and international students.</p>
<p>The five colleges programs are extremely well-coordinated, with no fewer than 12 certificate programs which rival programs at the finest (and Ivy) universities - [Five</a> Colleges, Incorporated: Departments/Programs/Committees/Councils](<a href=“http://www.fivecolleges.edu/academic_programs/academprog_deptprog.html]Five”>http://www.fivecolleges.edu/academic_programs/academprog_deptprog.html)</p>
<p>That said, I can’t see how you can go wrong either way. Do you prefer rural or suburbia?</p>
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<p>Bryn Mawr students may register for classes at Penn that are “not regularly offered by their home institution,” maximum of two courses per term. The way this was explained to us at Bryn Mawr, however, is that they really only want you to take classes not regularly offered at the Bi-Co (Bryn Mawr & Haverford). This opens up tremendous curricular opportunities.</p>
<p>[Fall</a> or Spring Semester | College of Liberal and Professional Studies at The University of Pennsylvania](<a href=“http://www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/reciprocal/fall_spring]Fall”>http://www.sas.upenn.edu/lps/reciprocal/fall_spring)</p>
<p>Two greally reat choices. If you are by chanced interested in Classical Studies Bryn Mawr has one of the top programs anywhere. Otherwise I don’t think you can go wrong with either and you might pick on location.</p>
<p>Both great schools. Traditional conventional wisdom from the dark ages would say that MHC is the least challenging of the Seven Sisters, but the most socially egalitarian and the most science-oriented. Bryn Mawr has its affiliation with Haverford (and to a lesser extent Swarthmore and Penn) and its proximity to Philly. When I did an overnight at Bryn Mawr, back in the Dark Ages, I stayed with someone who frequented Andy Warhol parties and was writing a senior thesis on Sir Phillip Sydney’s squeeze, Penelope.</p>
<p>Personally, I’d go for Bryn Mawr on the grounds of less isolation, even with the 5 Colleges.</p>
<p>Thank you all posting your advice. I chose MHC. Hopefully their academics match up to Bryn Mawr’s!</p>
<p>Have a very happy four years!
I don’t have enough experience with either school to have felt free to post on this. But Bryn Mawr has something of a gloomy image in my mind. Something of the “Mawrter” thing. I think MHC offers more opportunities to bond with other students given the setting. One of the most beautiful schools in the nation, also, IMO.
One guide book has a Bryn Mawr student saying (if you imagine you are heterosexual) that Haverford boys are “short and hairy” and “Swatties are NOT hotties”. Both true from my observations.
My bias is that you made the best choice. Enjoy!</p>
<p>That’s funny, when I went to visit MHC, it was Hampshire is the one with dreadlocks and Smithies are more uptight. And Amherst girls resented MHC girls.</p>