Hey guys! I have seen so many supportive young people here and a sister needs your help! So, I applied to Smith for ed1 but got rejected 
and I’m not disappointed. I got 2 early acceptances from Siena and URI. Well, coming to the main point: I am planning to apply to a college for ed2 & I have shortlisted a few colleges… Mount Holyoke, Carleton, Bowdoin, Haverford and Pomona. I am an international student so I will have to stay on-campus for sure. Secondly, I will be applying for financial aid since I am not rich and can’t afford huge college fees and thus, I need 100% scholarship. These unis give good scholarships I know this for sure. My other concern is that I want to be a part of a women’s college and for this reason, I am considering Mount Holyoke but I am worried that MoHo has lower rankings than other colleges (it is #34 on liberal art colleges) but I think I can compromise on this since I really want to go to a women’s college due to personal reasons. I am aiming for Psychology major. Kindly pour in your suggestions in this matter. I want reviews of Mount Holyoke College.
I’d recommend that you also look into Amherst. It’s a liberal arts college like the others on your list, but it’s need blind for international students (along with Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT). It’s not a women’s college though.
I wouldn’t worry about rankings so much. Mount Holyoke is a very good college. If it is really your top choice, then you should go for it. You can look into other all women’s colleges like Wellesley, Scripps, and Bryn Mawr as well.
I would definitely suggest Mt Holyoke over your other options, considering that you applied to Smith ED1. Mt Holyoke is the most similar to Smith, as it is also a women’s college and is located in the same area. I also believe that applying to Mt Holyoke might be your safest option, as their acceptance rate is higher than Smith’s.
In respect to rankings, being #34 on liberal arts colleges is a much better ranking than the other schools you have been accepted to. As the other commenter said, Mt Holyoke is a very good college.
Mt. Holyoke is a very good, well respected college. 34 is not a bad ranking. There are something like 3000 colleges in the US. 34 is pretty good. I think it would make an excellent choice for you, given what you have written.
Even if you were accepted and funded at all five of the colleges on your short list, Mount Holyoke seems as if it would represent your best choice based on your criteria. With respect to your academic interests in particular, MHC offers a top-notch psychology program.
Although none of the women’s colleges are need-blind for international students, they do offer aid to international students. Mount Holyoke is a good idea, also look at Bryn Mawr, Wellesley, Barnard, Scripps. BTW, if you are thinking that a women’s college offers an environment where women don’t have to compete with men for leadership opportunities, you are correct. If you are thinking that they offer a cloistered life, where the dormitories won’t have men coming into them, think again. But if you need your family to believe that, no need to disillusion them!
I also recommend Mt Holyoke. Given that you were not accepted at Smith for ED, applying to an even more competitive school for ED2 does not sound like the best strategy to me, especially given that you prefer a women’s college. Mt Holyoke is ranked a bit lower than Smith but not to a meaningful degree. It is very well respected as one of the original Seven Sisters colleges. It also admits a relatively high % of international students. The location and campus are beautiful and has a reputation for being a very kind and supportive community.
Plus Mt. Holyoke has the advantage of being a member of the 5 colleges consortium, so you could take classes at any of the five - UMass Amherst, Amherst college, Hampshire college, and… Smith!
If you need a full ride, i would ditch the womens college idea and just go anywhere you can.
Not wishing to sound harsh, but you need a full ride. Compromise is a necessity and not a wish list option.
Worrying about rankings when you need a full ride is an exercise in futility. Siena and URI are perfectly fine colleges. What kind of money were you offered?
All the colleges you listed above aren’t short of international applicants needing a LOT of money. They will take the best of the best. Apply to Mt. Holyoke and be grateful if you get accepted with enough aid. It’s an excellent college and probably a better option than Siena and URI, if you get the money you hope for. As an aside, my D’s very good friend attended Siena and had a great experience.
Look at niche and uni go for reviews. Check out insta, FB and twitter for MH, and the other schools too.
Your title says you are confused about ED2, but you don’t say why. ED2 is also binding, just like ED1. If you get accepted, you must withdraw all your other applications.
We know nothing about your stats, but getting FA to cover the full cost of tuition and room and board at any of those colleges is going to be very difficult. Especially with these very tough financial impacts due to covid. I would ensure you have a plan for college in your country. Good luck.
As noted up-thread, it would seem to make sense at this stage to apply to colleges generally less selective than Smith. For reference, these are the U.S. News selectivity ranks for the highly selective schools you listed (within the NLAC category):
︎1. Pomona
︎2. Haverford
︎8. Bowdoin
︎12. Smith
︎15. Carleton
︎28. Mount Holyoke
Congratulations on Siena and URI.
But further recommendations are useless unless we know your stats, rigor, and activities.
I got all A’s and A*s in O and A levels plus a good extracurricular record. My guidance counselor said that my essay is her favorite for this year and that she loves my writing style for the supplements as well. I think this means I have a strong application but not an excellent one. There might be other students having a stronger application than mine!
I got presidential scholarship $21,500/annum (4 years program) in Siena whereas I haven’t received an official acceptance letter from URI yet. I haven’t applied for need-based aid in Siena yet. URI’s admission counselor said that we don’t offer need-based aid.
Yeah, I know that ED2 is binding too but I am just unsure of what college to select. Recently, I talked to Mount Holyoke’s admission counselor and she said that we strongly consider students who are ready to pay at least $15,000 (boarding fee). So, I guess I am not gonna for this college then. I am really confused at this point and I just hope I make the right choice.
I would definitely recommend Bryn Mawr. It’s a women’s college about 5 minutes from Haverford, and they’re strongly connected through a consortium.
https://www.usnews.com/best-colleges/bryn-mawr-college-3237
This is the general cost breakdown:
| Household income | Average cost after aid |
|---|---|
| Less than $30,000 | $8,289 |
| $30,001–48,000 | $14,753 |
| $48,001–75,000 | $21,857 |
| $75,001–110,000 | $23,869 |
| More than $110,001 | $43,591 |
I was really really considering Bryn Mawr for my ED1 option as well but the main issue here is that Bryn Mawr asks for SAT score and my SAT score isn’t really well which means I will be at loss :((
Hmm it’s a difficult decision. Another top women’s college would be Scripps, though that is quite selective. Best of luck!
According to common data sets, Smith has the highest ED acceptance rate among three you mentioned. They also have the largest endowment.
You’ve clearly worked hard and you’re a highly accomplished student. I think the amount of financial aid you need is going to be a barrier to admission, especially during the pandemic when colleges are hurting financially. Fortunately it sounds like you’ve already got a couple of options. I wish you the best of luck.
Smith
61% ED acceptance
32% RD acceptance
Mount Holyoke
57% ED acceptance
38% RD acceptance
Bryn Mawr
52% ED acceptance
33% RD acceptance
Does anyone, by chance , know when Mt. Holyoke will release their ED2 decisions?
According to their website, in late January.