Hello! I’m an international student and was accepted to Mount Holyoke College and committed there before May 1st. However, I was just taken off of Macalester’s wait list and was wondering which college is better? I was given a full ride to both of the instituitons, so cost isn’t a factor.
Wow! Congratulations!!!
Both schools are very different. It really depends on what you prefer. Mac is in an urban center–very cold location. A lot of people like it very much. It’s a fine school, but to my mind I’ve never gotten a good feel for it’s personality. It’s been hard for me to define.
My personal preference is Mt. Holyoke, though. It tends to produce strong women leaders. The campus is gorgeous. If you are the sort of person who needs an urban center, it might be challenging though, as it’s set out in a more rural area. Mt. H understands that it’s set a little far from urban amenities and to make up for that it has buses that take the young women to shopping and the like. Also, the Five Colleges that Mt. H has access to expands the campus extensively. At Mt. H you can take classes at UMass Amherst, Smith, Hampshire and Amherst. There’s a bus system to take you to the campuses, also to Northampton, the cute town. Mt. H also offers elegant buildings and at 9:00 pm they serve homemade cookies. Several of the dorms seem to have glassed-in rooms to collect the sun in the winter. I personally love this school. I also love the honor code there. That makes the campus more relaxed–rigorous academics but the honor code allows for a more relaxed way to take exams and the like
Mac offers a smaller campus but it’s in an urban center. It’s a fine school but to my preference I love Mt. H for the strong training and self-assurance that it gives women.
If you’re concerned that you may not see men at Mt. H., men (from the other Five Colleges) can stay overnight in the dorms. Also, by taking classes and taking part in activities at other campuses, you will see men.
Congratulations again!