Hey everyone! I have been fortunate enough to be accepted to both Denison & Mount Holyoke with full tuition merit scholarships. I was also accepted into Cornell ILR, but I’m expecting a less than stellar financial aid package so I figure it’s best to start trying to decide between these two.
The basics: Denison is about forty minutes from me, whereas MHC is 10 hours away. MHC is a bit more expensive due to travel & that room & board is a little more, but it’s not an important factor as the difference isn’t significant. At this point, I want to major in political science (and/or another social science), likely with more marketable minors (stats/comp sci maybe, not sure) & go into something related to politics. My mother went to a Seven Sister, so the idea of going to a women’s college certainly isn’t foreign to me.
Looking more for aspects of each to think about and questions to ask rather than saying which one I should attend. I’ll be visiting both in the next couple weeks. Thanks!
Wow, congrats on your acceptance with fantastic merit awards at both schools!
A few thoughts, as the parent of a Denison-to-be student, who has visited 15-20 east coast and midwest LACs (though since I have a son, not Mount Holyoke. I did, however, attend BMC and am a big advocate for women’s colleges, especially with a close relationship, a la BMC-Hford and the 5 college consortium).
Academically, Denison’ poli sci offerings are impressive for someone interested in political sphere. The Lugar program in Poli Sci is a specific program/track which is focused on policy and requires internships as part of the program. There is also the PPE major (Philosophy, Political Science and Econ), which has been described to us, by current Denison students, as involving requirements which would be analogous to a double major. My own kid is not that interested in the E part of the PPE major, so not likely to pursue. Denison has also introduced a new major, Data Analytics, which could be an option for someone looking to connect traditional humanities/social sciences with more specific skills. Doing a major and minor seems pretty common among the Denison students my kid has connected with.
Denison is much more diverse community than it used to be, the school is working hard to create, and develop, a community of students from all kinds of backgrounds. Something like 18% are first generation college students, and about the same percentage are Pell grant recipients. We were very impressed by the obvious diversity on campus when we have been there. Greek life – something my kid is not interested in – is non-residential so there are no “frat” houses on campus. When the move to non-residential Greek life was made in the 90s, all students were also required to live on campus (unless they live at home with their families), so there are no off campus “pseudo frat houses” either. Greek life participation is about 30%, so about the same as Kenyon. From everything we have seen, there is a vibrant arts and music scene on campus, so plenty to do for students who are not interested in drinking the night away. Columbus is about 30 min from campus, and it sounds like students really do take advantage of the cultural (and shopping) offerings available. The student body seems to draw pretty heavily from North Carolina to Boston, as well as midwest, so it is not an intensely-Ohio based community. Many Chicago area kids too, from what my kid says about the Admitted students FB group. Students seem to have no problem getting work in major east coast markets, so I don’t think the Ohio location limits a student to midwest careers. Of course, there are some pretty darn successful alums, including Steve Carrell, Jennifer Garner, as well as the head of ESPN and former head of Walt Disney.
Mt Holyoke will always hold a special place in my heart, as I interviewed there, and just loved it. I wound up at Bryn Mawr instead, but always found Holyoke to be a serious academic community. I appreciated the advantages of a women’s college – with resources and academics focused on women – and the broader academic offerings available through, for me, the Bi-Co community.
I would suggest exploring the key differences between the all-women’s focus at Holyoke with the 5 college consortium vs. the all-in-one option at Denison. The logistical/schedule challenges of taking classes across the consortium is something to keep in mind-- my experience at Bryn Mawr was different, because Hford was literally 5 min away, and pretty much everyone took classes on both campuses. It is a little trickier with the 5 college program. I believe some of the schools only allow you take classes at other campuses if your own school does not offer it (Amherst, I believe, does that, though someone can correct me).
Bottom line – you can’t go wrong with either choice. You will have a fabulous experience at either school, so try to focus on the key differences, and figure out what matters most to you.
Congrats, and good luck on your decision!
I would go with your gut feeling after your visits. Two excellent choices here. Congratulations.
In fact in one of Michael Eisner’s most famous films, Dead Poets Society, the lead played by Robin Williams was based on a professor he had at Denison, Dom Consolo, who passed away last year.
It’s more open than that at Amherst for sure. Most of the colleges only allow 2 courses per semester elsewhere (or at any one institution), and only liberal arts, as defined by the home college, for credit. Each school has its own rules linked here: https://www.fivecolleges.edu/academics/courses/cross_registration
There are some 5 college majors and certificates: https://www.fivecolleges.edu/academics/graduate_and_post-baccalaureate_programs
Agree 100%. Both wonderful schools.
Thanks OHMomof2 for the link on cross-registration, my understanding was clearly wrong. (My kids would pay good money to hear me say those words to them!)
To the OP-- hopefully you can visit both schools before decision time. Great choices, congrats!
That you have the five-college cross registration privileges with Amherst, Hampshire, etc. pretty much pushes Holyoke over the top. Not only is it like attending the five institutions, the social scene in Amherst - due to the presence of so many schools in proximity - blows Granville away.
I’d like to think I have a fairly balanced view of these choices, as a 7 sisters alum with a kid going to Denison. The educational and social opportunities at Holyoke are one approach – not necessarily superior, just different. There are pluses and minuses of being at one school within the consortium. Your “home school” will be your alma mater, where you live, eat, take most of your classes. Hoping on a bus to go to parties at another campus (usually Amherst), has advantages and disadvantages. That is a different, not necessarily better or worse, experience than going to a co-ed school which is all residential, no one lives off campus. For what it’s worth, Denison does have an all female dorm which, I believe, is available sophomore year on. First years usually live in west quad, plus specific theme housing in north quad.
Questions to ask at each school might include: pros and cons of social life through consortium? Impact of Greek life on campus at Denison? Career resources, funding, support etc. on each campus? Internship opportunities in DC?
Two very distinct choices, OP should look for what feels like it offers the most of what she prioritized.
Hey everyone, thank you for your answers! I apologize for not answering earlier- I was accepted to Stanford on Friday but their parent contribution is unaffordable so it’s been a very emotional couple of days.
For me, the appeal of going to a women’s college is more about the history and culture of celebrating women’s achievements, and not necessarily the safety & other aspects (if I went to a co ed school I wouldn’t request to live in an all female dorm). Also, I love all of the traditions that MHC has, & that part of the campus culture.
@Midwestmomofboys my mom is a BMC alum! 
Love the school & they gave me 25k/year in merit but it just doesn’t seem worth it to spend 80k more.
Not at all interested in Greek life.
MHC gives $3,00 once for a qualifying summer internship & the Lynk seems great, but Denison has slightly better six months post graduation employment stats.
@OHMomof2 Thank you for those links! I didn’t initially realize it was only liberal arts classes, so I couldn’t take a supplemental business course or two.
This is more subjective, but does anyone know much about if the conservative alumni connection (for jobs in the political realm) is stronger at Denison? I’m very much liberal and it just seemed like all the alums & connections the tour, etc talked about were conservative (could easily be wrong & could be due to the prominence of the Richard Luger program- though that’s non partisan, but thought I’d ask)
Denison does mean a bit more conservative as a college, I think.
The more I read your posts, the more it sounds like you like the idea/feel of a women’s college.
I would ask yourself if you would be okay being in an environment without males. That would be the biggest deciding factor in my opinion. Some girls are fine without them and others couldn’t live without them. I know you can take classes at the other schools in the area, but you’ll pretty much be in an all-girl environment. The second factor is whether you feel a desire to experience another part of the country (New England) or do you prefer being able to come home anytime you want. Good luck. Both have great reputations
I think Mhc Students can take non liberal arts classes elsewhere just not for credit. If it’s a big issue perhaps ask directly. For what it’s worth I know two Denison students who turned down Princeton and Yale to go there, one has graduated and one is a junior, both and are very happy. It’s not super unusual.
Congrats on your acceptances.
I’m not in a position to compare Denison with MHC, but just wanted to throw out that if you’re enrolling at MHC thinking you’ll be cross-registering at the 5Cs for other classes, do take into consideration how realistic that’ll be, depending on how heavy your course load is. It’s easy to think, “just take the bus up to Amherst” but in real life it might not be that easy/simple. Not to discourage you from MHC (an excellent choice), but just something to bear in mind. My D (not at MHC) had been thinking of taking a course at nearby college where she could cross-enroll but it turned out to be too complicated and time consuming and she dropped it.
By the way, have you tried writing Stanford to appeal for more aid? They’re typically quite generous in terms of need-based aid.
The shuttling does take time – most students only take a couple classes off campus. I think they do socialize with the other campuses. Typo in my previous post, meant to say Denison LEANS conservative.
Trying not to inject a political slant into this, but as an Indiana resident, Senator Lugar hardly counts as a Republican these days . . . . he was very much about bi-partisanship and was big on reducing the nuclear arsenal (from what I remember from my kid’s middle school biography report).
I forget, can you get back to visit both schools?
@insanedreamer Yes we are writing to Stanford & appealing in the next few days.
From what I’ve read, taking classes at UMass or Amherst is the easiest, but Smith is very logistically difficult.
@Midwestmomofboys This week I’m visiting MHC for an admitted students day & overnight (never visited before) & I’m visiting Denison (official admitted students day with overnight) at the beginning of next week. Denison is close enough I could visit again if needed.