I’m surprised to see that the majority of attention going towards women’s colleges are those in the East Coast. As a second year student on campus, I would highly recommend attending Mills College in Oakland, CA. I am writing this post in hopes of reaching students who have questions regarding the historic ivy-esque looking campus, the academics, and the social life. As far as information that I can offer - Mills is an amazing opportunity that many students in the Bay Area overlook in hopes of attending a UC or out of state school. However, I have met many students from areas such as Seattle, Maryland, Portland, Southern California and more. In regards to academics, the class sizes are small and the professors are caring. One of my professors frequently sends me and a handful of other top students opportunities for internships and summer programs, and because of small class sizes, professors are able to know you well enough to provide flawless letters of rec. In regards to social life, it’s just about as good as it gets. Granted the campus is in Oakland, which is historically a troubled area. However, as the SF tech bubble expands, more companies and startups are expanding to Berk and Oakland. Most students spend time in beautiful downtown Lakeshore, Lake Merritt, Rockridge, or attending games/concerts at the Oakland Coliseum and Oracle Arena - both within 10 minutes of the campus. There is a free AC transit (bus) pass you can use anywhere in the Bay and a free shuttle that runs every hour to the BART (transport to get to anywhere in the Bay Area), downtown, and the UC Berkeley campus. Mills girl frequent UC Berkeley (where students can cross register - similar to Wellesley/MIT) to meet people, try new restaurants, and some attend frat parties. Otherwise, many students take a quick bart down to San Francisco, where the possibilities for a night out are endless. Honestly, your time at mills will depend on the friends you make and the kind of person you are. Let me know if you have any questions!
Thank you so much, I have twin daughters and for one, this is her very favorite school, and she was accepted with a great scholarship! She will be attending the overnight for admitted students next month.
Thank you for the post! My D wants to go to a college in or near a big city and she is interested in women’s colleges. She is reluctant to go very far from Pacific Northwest so Mills is a great choice.
I was concerned about the safety because I know the old reputation of Oakland. So it’s nice to know that it is improving.
I read somewhere that the campus gets deserted on the weekends because many students are local. My daughter is very social and wants to have good parties and activities with friends on campus or in the Bay Area. Is it true that students don’t have much to do or out of state students feel deserted on the weekends?
One more question. My D will be in the top 25% of the Mills accepted students. Will they give good aid to the top applicants? I read that Mills has a financial problem. Do they give some full tuition or full ride scholarship to the tippy top students?
Thanks.
The “deserted campus” is mostly due to the fact that there is not much to do in Oakland, so most students go out during the weekends to Berkeley or San Francisco. It also depends on the kind of friends she makes! My friends and I are a very social group and we go out on very late nights into the UC campus and the city on weekends. Three of my closest friends here are from the Pacific Northwest, and all of them love it! In regards to top students, I was in the top of my class and granted a great financial package. I was not eligible for any federal aid, but I did receive an amazing half-ride merit scholarship. They definitely grant merit to students who they feel have qualities of leadership and success. The “financial problem” was mismanagement of funds by the college president. A new president (http://www.mills.edu/newpresident/biography.php) has been appointed, and I am confident in her ability to bring Mills the recognition it deserves.
What is student life like for graduate students at Mills? I’m a 4th year undergrad in Southern California and want to go to Mills for their dance program. I’m worried that I will be alone on the weekends, especially if I’m going to rent housing off campus. I would ideally like graduate housing, but if I’m planning to stay in the area longer, renting in the area would be scary.