<p>Read from other threads that some LACs form consortium. Could someone explain to me what it means?</p>
<p>A group of schools where you can cross register for classes although you generally have to take a certain number of credits at your home college.</p>
<p>Thanks! So what are some of the schools that have consortium?</p>
<p>Off the top of my head, The Five College Consortium, The Claremont Consortium, and Worcester Colleges Consortium. There are others.</p>
<p>The great thing about consortiums is the variation you get in school "personalities" (or reputed personalities). For example,</p>
<p>Five College Consortium, in and around Amherst, MA:</p>
<p>UMass: Public, possibly a decent school, but I know nothing about it.</p>
<p>Amherst: The most selective, with a reputation for being preppy/snobby. When I went there, there seemed to be a lot of square shrubberies and shirtless guys running around. I don't know if this is typical.</p>
<p>Smith: All girls, with a reputation for being a bunch of lesbians who don't shave (not me talking, by the way... I like Smith). I think it has a pretty strong writing program too. Northampton= best college town EVER. When I went there, there seemed to be a lot of awesome used bookstores and people with crazy hair.</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke: the OTHER all girls school, good LAC, but I haven't visited.</p>
<p>Hampshire: The hippie school with the weird curriculum (that I'm probably applying to). According to my aunt: a bunch of freaks (she lives in the area, and to her that is probably a compliment). When I went there, the student who gave us the tour was majoring in the concept of home, or something like that. Huh.</p>
<p>Don't know much about the others, but Claremont looks pretty good too.</p>
<p>Pomona: best rep as far as I can tell</p>
<p>Pitzer: create-your-own-major/interdisiplinary-ness/other fun progressive things</p>
<p>Scripps: all girls</p>
<p>Claremont McKenna: uh... no clue</p>
<p>Harvey Mudd: sciencey </p>
<p>Claremont Colleges, unlike the colleges in the Five College Consortium, are within walking distance of eachother. I think the Five Colleges have free intercollege transportation though, and I do love to get things for free that usually cost money.</p>
<p>Eh... I really have no idea what I'm talking about, but I thought I'd share anyways.</p>
<p>Tri-Co</p>
<p>Swarthmore: Most selective, intense academics, engineering school (unique for an LAC), quirky</p>
<p>Haverford: Slightly less selective than Swat... don't know much about it. Part of the smaller Bi-Co with Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr: All girls, less selective (although not as easy as the numbers would suggest- a lot of cross application with the rest of the Tri-Co and Seven Sisters), still intense academics (like the other two)</p>
<p>I don't know. From an outsider's point of view, they seem pretty similar but I think the differences will show when I get there. </p>
<p>As a Bryn Mawr or Haverford student, you can take any classes you want at Hav or BMC, even if they're offered at the college you attend. To take a class at Swat, it can't be offered at Hav or BMC. If it's not at Hav, BMC, or Swat, then you can take it at UPenn.</p>
<p>I'm not sure how it works for Swatties, but I'm assuming that they have to try at BMC and Hav first and then try at UPenn.</p>
<p>You could probably walk between Hav and BMC if you wanted, but blue buses run between them frequently (every 20 or 25 minutes, I think...), and it takes five minutes to get there. I don't know- only taken the trip once, and it didn't seem very long. It's more difficult to get to Swat- the Tri-Co vans don't run as frequently and it's a 30 (or more?) minute trip. Two different trains go to UPenn (and UPenn gives you money to take the cheaper one).</p>