<p>My D is considering both MHC and Smith. I know that it is difficult to compare two excellent colleges, but was wondering if anyone had any experiences or information that they could share?</p>
<p>I visited both this weekend. My d. got into both (and into Williams and bunch of other places), and chose Smith. Academics at both are terrific, faculties are very fine. Smith is larger, and hence has more course offerings and departments, and is also at the center of the 5-college scene (which, for some students, including my d., was significant.) Mt. Holyoke is bucolic, and drop-dead gorgeous (especially this time of year). It also appeared to me (unscientifically) to be much "sleepier" - you don't feel the excitement you do on the Smith campus. Mt. Holyoke has a higher percentage of international students (the highest of any liberal arts college except for Macalester.) Smith has the highest percentage of low-income students (Pell Grant recipients) of any prestigious LAC/Ivy League school. Both have academic strengths, and occasionally weaknesses. Mt. Holyoke is especially strong in chemistry, English (and writing!), political science, history, and French; Smith in biology, music, engineering/architecture, govenrment, and all European languages. If into dance, Smith is the center of the 5-college dance scene, but pointe ballet is taught only at Mt. Holyoke.</p>
<p>The major difference is in "feel". Smith is strongly connected to Northampton, a happening town. The back campus is gorgeous and rural, but the front campus is bustling. (Overall, the campus is smaller, contributing to the more "bustling feel".) Smith's endowment is about double that of Mt. Holyoke's, and it shows up in more depth in some areas.</p>
<p>Both are GREAT places.</p>
<p>Thanks for the information. Both do seem like wonderful schools.</p>
<p>Hello!</p>
<p>My name is Veselina and I am an international applicant who will be applying to both schools. I need to clarify something about MHC and Smith - is it true that Smith is way more competitive than Mount Holyoke?
Thanks in advance:)</p>
<p>D and I visited both of them last year. Maybe it was just the day we went, but at Smith the tour guide, the admissions counselor who ran the information session, and the interviewer all told D that the main social network for any young woman there is whatever residence hall she is in. In other words, they made it sound like each residence hall is a social unit unto itself where the students have little interest in making friends in other places and groups. The social relationships at MH sounded much more well-rounded and fluid. I hope the impression we got of Smith is wrong and can be dispelled.</p>
<p>Vesselina,</p>
<p>Both Smith and MHC appear to be about equal in terms of competitiveness. Princeton Review lists the Admission Selectivity rating for both at 97 and the Academic rating for both at 98. In addition, US News and World Report lists the acceptance rate for both schools at 52</p>
<p>I think what they are trying to tell you is that Smith's housing (which is amazing) is not "dorm-like". Each residence houses students from all four years, and students can stay in the same house for all four years if they so choose. The result (for many students) is a tight network of friends who care for each other. However, the dining situation is such that you can eat at any of 19 different dining spots, and many of them offer different types of food, and the one you choose for a particular meal may also depend on where you need to be on campus for classes, etc. There are also several hundred clubs and other activities. The fact that the campus is smaller also results in more "mixing" of folks from various houses.</p>
<p>But, again, I don't think you could go wrong with either. I expect that, for most students, the geographic setting (and its impact on campus life) is likely the biggest difference, and I can easily imagine students happy at one being satisfied at the other.</p>
<p>This is the prejudice of an MHC alum, but I think MHC is friendlier and Smith "edgier", MHC more "explorational", Smith more ambitious. But would be happy to here any counter claims.</p>
<p>so which place is better for physics?</p>
<p>It would be very hard to distinguish among them, except if you have a very specialized interest. Both departments are about the same size (Smith's is slightly larger), both have links to small astronomy departments. Smith's also has links to their own engineering school. Both do lots of work within the 5-college system.</p>
<p>The physics department at both schools are terrific. I visited both MHC and Smith with my D and was enormously impressed. I think that womens colleges are one of the academic worlds best kept secrets. They may not be as competitive in terms of admissions as top coed LACs but are educationally their equal.</p>
<p>Alan - why don't you tell us more about your visits?</p>
<p>Sure. Both campuses are lovely. What impressed me about MHC was that everyone and I mean everyone, from cafeteria workers, to bookstore staff, to students and faculty were incredible friendly. The visceral response I had when on the MHC campus was that true learning, not regurgitation of a professors viewpoints was honored. Students at Smith are obviously bright, but did not appear to be as friendly (in all fairness to Smithies, we did not spend as much time at Smith as we did at MHC). My D has told me that one way she judges a school is to look at student and faculty car bumper stickers. Bumper stickers at Smith were uniformly liberal. At MHC bumper stickers were primarily liberal, but occasionally more conservative (pro-life, Bush-Cheney). My D is certainly liberal, but recognized that at a school such as Smith she would be looking at a mirror at MHC there might be an opportunity to learn from those that do not share her political views.</p>
<p>LOL! My D. lives in Julie Nixon's house (which, however, is across campus from Barbara Bush's and Nancy Reagan's). Across the alleyway from her window, in the next house over, is the window of Laura Bush, no relation, but treasurer of the Smith Republican Club. So they have been having "window sign wars" for the last several months.</p>
<p>You do know that the recently tenured econ. prof Jim Miller was the Republican candidate for Congress from Northampton/Holyoke, etc. He did, however, only get 10% of the vote, but apparently his classes were much appreciated!</p>
<p>Mini, first you ask me to tell you more about our visits and then you question my opinion. Please. "LOL"? Come on I was only offering what my D experienced. No need for hostility. Your daughter loves Smith, and that's great. You certainly do not need to defend Smith's reputation or engage in small mindedness.</p>
<p>I was joking! For the record, I liked Mt. Holyoke every bit as much as Smith, the Dean of Religious Life is a personal friend of two decades, the former Dean and English prof is an old friend from my days at Williams, my d.'s research assistantship is tied to a prof based at Mt. Holyoke and she thinks he is great, and I think your analysis of "group-think" at Smith is spot on (though I don't think it is different at the Mount.) No hostility intended, and I hope your d. gets into both (and more!) and has the luxury of choosing.</p>
<p>(The LOL! was intended as a indication of recognition in your truth-telling, and next time I will be more careful.)</p>
<p>Thanks for clarifying. I know both Smith and MHC are wonderful. It sounds like your D is having a fabulous time at Smith.</p>
<p>alan, check my posted reply to "Chances at Mount Holyoke, Smith, Wellesley?"</p>
<p>searchingavalon, from my d's experience at smith: at the beginning of the year, orientation activities and convocation ceremony establish each house as one's base social network, but the atmosphere doesn't become exclusive. d. and friend (from hometown and same hs) spend lots of time at each other's houses. d joins friend's household for a soak in the pond. the friend studies with other residents at d's house, and if too late or tired, will sleep over. </p>
<p>sucharita: physics and math are strong at both. there may be larger physics community at smith because of engineering majors, some of whom even complete minors in physics.</p>