MHC itself is rural, but not in the middle of nowhere. It’s a free Five College bus ride away from Amherst and Northampton, and shopping malls. Both are great, definitely not rural, towns. Think of South Hadley as your quiet refuge from those nearby high energy places.
The Five College program is itself another plus.
There’s no comparison. Illinois Wesleyan is a regional school of no particular repute - I live in Illinois and it’s barely on the radar screen. MH is a premier women’s college. No comparison at all.
Having said that - MH is in a sleepy area.
While I’m not a big fan of the US News rankings, I think in this case they may reflect a fairly accurate comparative positioning of the two schools. Both are nationally ranked liberal arts colleges (i.e. IWU is not considered a “regional” university in the official way that term is used), but MH is ranked #41 and IWU is ranked #73. So IMO it makes sense to choose MH based on both academic reputation and location.
Yes, but a sleepy area hard by a very bustling area.
Williams, for example, is in a sleepy area. Period.
My personal impression of Northampton, Amherst, etc. wasn’t “bustling.” Just middle-of-nowhere small cities. If they were in the midwest, they’d be called middle-of-nowhere small cities but put them into western Massachusetts and that’s different somehow. I found them unimpressive, personally, but to each her own.
Nonetheless- there is still NO comparison between Mount Holyoke - a top LAC - and Illinois Wesleyan, barely known in its own state.
I live about an hour from Mt. Holyoke. It isn’t Boston. It isn’t even Springfield. But it is a lovely area nonetheless. MHC is in Hadley which is rural. But as noted upstream, there is transport frequently to Northhampton which is a fun town.
If I were choosing, I would choose MHC over IWU. In my opinion, it’s a better school.
Thank you to everyone who has contributed. We knew MHC was the better option but I think she was getting to deposit time and worrying. It is a very busy time at school for her as she has a huge course load and exam period starting. I am really grateful for all the advice.
So did she choose MHC?
Yes - deposit paid!
Congratulations!!
Nice
Great!
Congrats peggy222—I’ve told this story in other threads–D graduated from MHC 2 yrs ago and was in the area so she stopped in to visit the campus on a beautiful autumn day. She surprised herself when she realized she was crying because of how much she missed the place!!! MHC grads have a great affection for their alma mater, and the MHC degree has certainly opened doors for her.
Already looking forward to visiting next year!
Congratulations!