<p>Smith does not have easy access to Philadelphia like BMC does, or to Boston like Wellesley does, but Northampton I think has the most vibrant town of the Wellesley/BMC/MHC crowd. I even think it has a better local town than Williams or nearby Amherst. So while it is definitely in the country, it’s not totally in the sticks. I’m definitely a city girl, and I found that the wide variety of restaruants, the good music and art scene, and the funky shopping helped make up for being not in a big city. It’s kind of like living in a cool neighborhood of a big city, except of course, the neighborhood is all there is.</p>
<p>Smithie: I agree with that but we’re looking through the mind of a teenager who may still feel that’s “in the sticks” even if the life style doesn’t support that.</p>
<p>They’re kids and they get instant reactions, positive and negative. I found it very difficult to talk my kids out of that.</p>
<p>For example, my D would not apply to Wellesley or Bryn Mawr. She thought Wellesley snobbish (though I must say she also refused to visit so she based this on nothing) and as for Bryn Mawr for some obscure reason she said, “I have enough colleges already.” Huh? So she applied to MHC, Smith and Barnard and would have attended any of them, with a marked preference for Barnard. I know, it makes no sense. But that’s kids.</p>
<p>I think that most young women who would be happy at one of these colleges would be happy at all of them, with the possible exceptions of MHC and Barnard because their settings are most extreme.</p>
<p>Well, not everything about college decision making is rational, I think that’s obvious by looking at this thread and these boards 
Split decisions are just as valid as anything else I guess. </p>
<p>I was just making the point about the college towns because the “smallness” of Bryn Mawr, PA was one of the major reasons why I didn’t choose to go there (talk about instant reactions). For me, that was in the sticks, and thus undesirable, whereas Northampton was a vibrant metropolis by comparison, at least in my eyes. And when I went to Williams I was really struck by the smallness of hte town and isolation of the campus.</p>
<p>That’s where personal preference comes into account. I, personally, don’t think of something that is in the suburbs of a major city (particularly with easy train / bus access) as being in the sticks. But that’s just me and my tastes.</p>
<p>One of my D’s biggest concerns before accepting Smith was whether Northampton (NoHo) was too small…this from someone who was originally looking at colleges in big cities and for whom Columbia was #1 on paper. As a college town, Northampton passed with flying colors. It has enough restaurants, art, music, etc. that D was never bored, never felt chafed.</p>
<p>As a datum in support of MM re Barnard & MHC representing the extremes, D was accepted at Barnard, didn’t even apply to MHC and it was difficult enough to pry her out of the car in the parking lot…as I recall, TheMom worked on the hands and I took the feet.</p>
<p>These are simply to reactions of one family that looked at several of these schools.</p>
<p>**Mt. Holyoke **- pretty but too isolated for my D. She wanted non-car access to a bustling community.</p>
<p>Bryn Mawr - very appealing and the train access to Philly would be a major plus, as would the access to all the other area colleges. The community of Bryn Mawr has movie theaters, restaurants, etc., but most significant is that you can walk to the train that can take you either to Philly or to the other Main Line communities.
Reason D did not apply – we live just down the road; way too close to home.</p>
<p>Barnard – D attended a Sisters invitational day there – reps from each of the colleges presented panels and workshops. It was a good day, but Barnard did not appeal, even though D really likes NYC (we have family there).
She found Barnard’s campus drab and dreary. Perhaps it was the day, but D cares about aesthetics and the other campuses were really attractively landscaped; Barnard’s did not feel soft and green but, rather, hard-surfaced and cold.
We also found Barnard empty on a spring Saturday – suspected lots of students clear out, heading downtown for activities in mid-Manhattan. D wanted a campus where lots of students are involved on campus on weekends.
Finally, we got the impression that for a lot of people, Barnard is consdered a back door/second choice to Columbia. Lots of female applicants cross apply. D wanted to be someplace that was its own destination, rather than a back-up. (I appreciate there are lots of Barnard students for whom this is not the case and for whom it is a first choice, but it seemed to be common enough to affect the impression.)</p>
<p>Wellesley – beautiful campus, but we found the community somewhat stiffly upscale. Plus we again got the impression that a lot of students head off campus (to Boston in this case), and that the campus is really quiet on weekends. D wanted a destination campus. Further, the student body seemed more uptight than at Smith.</p>
<p>Smith – D ended up there, and was very happy. We perceived Noho as a sort of New England version of NYC’s Greenwich Village – funky and happening, lots of non-chain restaurants and interesting shops. Smith’s academic level felt “just right” to her – challenging but not too driven.</p>
<p>Different strokes for different folks and different situations. Had we been living in suburban Boston rather than suburban Philly, she might have been just as happy at Bryn Mawr.</p>
<p>Just out of curiosity - and just asking, not challenging – how do you perceive Wellesley, MA as being more “stiffly upscale” compared to Bryn Mawr, PA? I"m more familiar with Bryn Mawr (as I grew up in Philadelphia), but either way, they both struck me as just old-line, well-to-do suburbs … am I off base or haven’t explored Wellesley enough?</p>
<p>For those who really are torn between the alternatives, and not able to make up their minds as they could see themselves on any of these campuses, and if the academic options in your areas of interest seem comparable, you may as well consider climate.</p>
<p>Here in the Philly area we are in the mid-Atlantic region, whereas the other schools are in the Northeast – and three in New England. It makes a difference (I can say as a transplanted New Yorker).</p>
<p>If you love winter and want lots of snow and can see yourself skating on the pond, consider Smith or one of the other New England schools.</p>
<p>If you hate the cold, consider Bryn Mawr. IMO we in the Philly area get spring two weeks earlier and an extended fall compared to the other options. If those are your favorite seasons, come on down!</p>
<p>If you are drawn to NYC, Barnard may well be the place for you.</p>
<p>If you love nature, Mount Holyoke has great natural beauty and good access to mountain hiking, etc.</p>
<p>LOL, jyber - I’m a transplanted Philadelphian who has been in Chicago ever seen college, my D is born and raised in Chicago, and I’ve told her that there is absolutely no difference in any of the colleges she’s considering in the midwest, Phila, or New England when it comes to climate! The only one where there is a difference is Colorado College - but even so, that’s inextricably linked with the proximity to the mountains.</p>
<p>I think the Philly area probably had more snow than the Pioneer Valley (MHC/Smith) this year…</p>
<p>I would extol more benefits of Barnard, even including the amazing job of snow removal done, but I don’t want to be a shill.</p>
<p>The truth is that Barnard was the perfect place for my D, but I don’t even know if it’s what I would pick.</p>
<p>These are just such wonderful schools that I am so grateful that they can hold their own in a coed environment. And if people didn’t have preferences and one were the obvious pick it would be so selective that no one would be admitted.</p>
<p>So, long may our five beautiful, brainy and bold sisters reign.</p>
<p>
Well, I have only visited Wellesley and I live in a neighboring community to Bryn Mawr, so clealy my opinion is weighted by the difference in exposure. For what it is worth, I grew up in NYC (lower Manhattan) and then lived for 12 years in a “top” NYC suburb. (Not motivated by design, but it was where H’s first job was based, and I easily commuted from there into Manhattan.)</p>
<p>Anyhow, while both are clearly upscale communities, it just *seemed *to me that the business district around Wellesley had more stuffy restaurants and upscale chain stores, plus more strictly controlled zoning, than what I see in Bryn Mawr, which has an old 5 & 10/hardware store and numerous thrift shops right on Lancaster Ave. (the main drag). Bryn Mawr has lots of small, cafe-type eating places, and at least one used book store.</p>
<p>Again, this was simply my impression and I also admit I have not been to the Wellesley area in several years. But in general, I feel that the Philly area tends to be less coldly upscale and more low key. Many people here are very into gardening, for example. Again, this may be an individual impression.</p>
<p>And I am talking about the comparision in business districts, not the surrounding areas, which is both cases are full of beautiful and pricey real estate.</p>
<p>P.S. Post #150 may well be correct re the snow in Philly *this *year, but I am hoping that was an aberration. And I do still get to plant my tomatoes earlier in the season. 
Anyhow, I do enjoy the earlier springs and longer autumns here.</p>
<p>P.P.S. Mythmom, I agree with your post #151 100%, and congratulate your D on her excellent experience and outcome re Barnard.
Any one of these schools can be a terrific option; to have them to choose among is an abundance of blessings.</p>
<p>@2boysima - This was an unusual year for snow, not at all the norm for the Philly area or the DC area, that’s for sure! </p>
<p>But yes, the weather in New England can be pretty rough. It’s actually a lot milder by Smith/MHC because the Pioneer Valley shelters the area from the worst of the storms that can really batter the coastal regions. But it’s not unheard of for us to still be getting large amounts of snow during March and into April. We once got three feet of snow the night before spring break started!</p>
<p>Re climate & duration of seasons, SC, MHC & WC are likely about 3+ weeks colder than BC, and BC is likely 1-2 weeks colder than BMC. (i.e., considering location and end/onset of winter, if you get my (snow) drift).</p>
<p>For some reason, my D <em>wanted</em> winters, though I tried to get her to look at California schools, promising to follow her into the sun and warmth. (Hmm, maybe that threat stopped her?)</p>
<p>I have absolutely no first hand knowledge of Bryn Mawr vs Wellesley, but googling the demographics comes up with this</p>
<pre><code> Bryn Mawr Wellesley
</code></pre>
<p>Population 21,630 13,929
Avg Age 37 40
Income $110K $139K
Median home px $472K $710K
Percent rental 36% 12%</p>
<p>Wellesley (town); We lived there for many years, in a very small cottage that most people in “Swellesley” would have looked down on except that it had the cache of being in the historic district. Wellesley is know locally to be the epitome of stuck-up, with manicured lawns & Lilly Pulitzer clad, blond pony-tailed, well-coifured women. There seemed not much of a relationship between the town & Wellesley college; one hardly ever saw Wellesley students wandering around and my understanding was that the stores weren’t welcoming and didn’t offer much to the students. Although, personally, Halloween was an absolute blast for us, because we were sandwiched between Dana Hall School & Wellesley College and would hand out a small fortune in goodies. Frankly, I found Wellesley (the town…not the college) suffocating. </p>
<p>Bryn Mawr, while seemingly not having an obvious town center, does have appealing amenities for a college student, within walking distance; such as a pizza place, coffee shop & miscellaneous funky stores. If one thinks of concentric circles, Bryn Mawr at the center is a small community, the next neighbor is Haverford at 1 1/2 miles away, then Swarthmore, then Philadelphia at a 20 minute train ride. I think that NYC is 1 1/2 hrs, maybe 2 hours away.</p>
<p>Yeah, I know the Starbucks near it (BM), I often stop there when I’m in the area for business, LOL! Thanks for the description - I have to confess we really saw nothing of Wellesley other than driving to it to visit the school. It seems as though the shops of BM (Lancaster Avenue, etc.) are walkable-accessible to BMC, whereas I didn’t see too many shops in Wellesley being walkable-accessible to Wellesley. For my D I think that’s personally neither here nor there, but certainly it might be meaningful to other students.</p>
<p>One great thing about BMC is that it is between New York and DC as well as being close to Philly. If you’re at Smith or even at Wellesley, New York is definitely do-able by bus or train, but it’s going to take much longer. And Washington, DC, that’s a full day’s drive from Northampton (I know, I’ve done it) including slogging through traffic in New Jersey and Delaware. It’s not much better/shorter on the train either and certainly more expensive. </p>
<p>As a government major and an active Smith Democrat, I sometimes wished we were closer to DC especially so that I could attend more rallies/lobbying events/trainings/etc. Even being closer to New York would have been nice. It’s “only” three-four hours from Northampton, but time is really a college student’s most precious resource.</p>
<p>Though I should note that even with the distance, the Smith Democrats got around. We did campaign work in Pennsylvania regularly as well as various parts of New York and New England. And when I went to the National Marriage Equality March in DC in the fall of 2009 (after I had graduated) I was pleased to see and march with a large group of my fellow Smith Dems who had made the trek in a college-provided van. We went everywhere to campaign, even Missouri, though the distances meant you had to get up at 5 AM or earlier a lot of days.</p>
<p>Smith. Because of it’s system with so many great colleges.</p>
<p>Determind15 - I agree the Five College Consortium is a great option for Smith, but that’s not a differentiator vs Mount Holyoke.</p>