<p>What are the differences between these four colleges? How do they compare academically, size, social life, environment, mood, and difficulty? Please inform me with as much information as you know about these colleges! Thank you :)</p>
<p>I am pretty well-informed about Bryn Mawr, as I live relatively close and applied. It’s a pretty small school, 1300 students, which really adds to the close-knit feel. Academically, it is quite challenging and has a significant amount of grade deflation. When a Mawrter takes a course at Penn, she’ll generally receive higher marks for her work, making Penn seem “easier.” Social life isn’t booming, but the administration does a great job at bringing fun to the campus, organizing cool events like build-a-bear, design-your-own-converse, and even a zip line, all on campus! It’s fun, you just won’t find traditional college parties, but you can go into pretty much any philly school for that!</p>
<p>Thank you for the detailed description of Bryn Mawr! It is great to hear from someone who lives so close to the school as I live in the Northwest. 
Good luck getting in!</p>
<p>tenstudent, do you have a copy of the Fiske Guide to Colleges? Your high school guidance counselor or library may have a copy you could borrow. I would suggest you get one and read up on these schools, it gives a very good summary of many aspects of them. Then come back with specific questions. Although you won’t find a description of Simmons in there. Although you can go to C-O-L-L-E-G-E P-R-O-W-L-E-R to learn more about Simmons. Instead of asking posters to write up a summary of what you could look up, it would be better to do some research on your own and then come out here with additional questions or to get verification of specific points.</p>
<p>I do have the Fiske Guide to Colleges. Specifically, I am confused about the difference in feel and life of the colleges.I have looked at unigo and CollegeNiche but thought a discussion post could also be beneficial.</p>
<p>As far as the two MA schools, Simmons is OK, is in a great city, but is not in the same league as MHC. MHC is in a tiny quiet town, but has the great college town of Amherst a free 20 min bus ride away, along with the other 4 schools of the consortium. There is a reason why MHC is always listed among the best LAC’s in the nation.</p>
<p>Although the 4 schools have many differences, you can put them in two broad groups. MHC and BMC are traditional residential liberal arts colleges with over 90% of their students living on campus. They are strong in the hard sciences, as well as the humanities and social sciences. Mills and Simmons have a broader range of programs such as nursing; less than 60% of their students live on campus. </p>
<p>If you’re interested in the first two, you should also take a look at Smith, Scripps, Barnard, and Wellesley. My daughter didn’t look at the second two, so I can’t help you with similar colleges, but I’m sure that other posters can. </p>
<p>Say a bit more about what you’re looking for or hoping for in an undergrad school/program, major, campus culture, friends, prestige/ranking, etc. I bet folks here could match your stated interests to elements at the different schools. (BTW, ^ I’d say Mills would fall more into photodad’s first group than into the second.)</p>
<p>Hello dyiu,
I am looking for a college that is preferably somewhat close to an urban location. Additionally, I am looking for a college with a good psych program and perhaps a social work program. That is why I really like Simmons! I also work really closely with a nonprofit and absolutely love the work! Therefore, I think it would be awesome to get a non-profit management minor or attend a school that has a strong emphasis on social justice. When it comes to social life, I am not that into partying but I want to be surrounded by a strong group of friendly, fun, inspirational and caring women. It would also be great to go to a school that has affiliation with other coed schools since I am straight and would like experience dating a variety of men while in college.</p>
<p>I hope this description helps!
Thank you dyiu13 for your question.</p>
<p>@tenstudent I don’t know about the other schools, but Mount Holyoke is strong on social justice. A lot of grads go on to N.G.O/philanthropy/foundation work. There is a Nexus track (curriculum-to-career minor program) for Non Profit Organizations <a href=“https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/nexus/nonprofit_organizations”>https://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/nexus/nonprofit_organizations</a>. They have an excellent Psych department. Every student is funded for a summer internship after sophomore or junior year. The community is amazingly welcoming and engaged and friendly. Women socialize at the other schools in the 5-college consortium frequently so you can meet guys, although obviously not quite as easily as at a co-ed school. But- it’s not near an urban location. Northampton is a groovy town with lots of restaurants but the closest “urban” towns are not very attractive. Boston is around 2 hours away, though. When we were there recently we saw signs for a $10 r/t bus trip to Boston from campus, so it looks like it’s not that hard to do.</p>
<p>Thank you for your great input on Mount Holyoke. </p>
<p>In that case, I’d recommend Mills, first, with Simmons, second — depending. Mills has a Psych major, after which you could move on to a two-year MSW program. Simmons now is seeking CSWE accreditation for its BSW program, and, of course, it has an extremely well developed MSW program. One question I’d have for Simmons is: How will undergrads fare in the “shadow” of the MSW program students? (If you learn anything along those lines, let us know.) They both have interesting 4+1 and 3+1 degrees. Also, both schools have management-related undergrad courses, as well as MBA programs. </p>
<p>With your background, it sounds like being smack-dab in the middle of the East Bay/SF area or in Boston would be great for you. You really want to be in the thick of it, IMHO. Social life also benefits from the urban locations, so you have a lot of freedom and aren’t locked into “student-centric” social life. You can find young men pretty easily simply by being engaged in urban life. </p>
<p>Mills seems more social-justice aware, more feminist, more multicultural, perhaps, than Simmons. Perhaps Simmons students tend to be more parochial and insular to the NE? At Simmons, nursing students add a different flavor to the student body than you’d likely find at more liberal-arts Mills. Both schools do have a sizable contingent of “resumers” or women older than the traditional-aged college student, which is why the residential percentage might be lower than at BM or MH. Students at both seems to enjoy the age-mix. </p>
<p>Mills students can attend UC-Berkeley while Simmons students can attend schools in the Fenway Consortium. </p>
<p>BTW, you can go on a year-long domestic exchange from Simmons>Mills or visa versa. Simmons offers access to a Washington, DC, semester, which would be fab for a future social worker/NFP staffer. </p>
<p>Great sports programs are available at both. Maybe a bit more arts on-campus at Mills. </p>
<p>Mills has the more gorgeous campus/buildings, I’d say. </p>
<p>Don’t know about MH and BM, except by vague reputation. But, if you’re going for highest prestige/rank, it’d be MH and BM. 
</p>
<p>What type of social work career are you aiming for? Thoughts? (My DD is looking for a SW program/career, too.)</p>
<p>Wow! Thank you for the fantastic and informative post dyiu13! As a junior in high school, I am unsure of exactly where specifically I would land in the social work world. Right now, I ideally want to go into medical care social work. Specifically, I think working with hospitals would be very appealing. Additionally, I am thinking about getting a doctorate if I am ambitious enough and not worn out of out school. Perhaps, I will become a social work professor. Who knows! I wish the best of luck to your DD. :)</p>
<p>Hospital SW is actually one of the higher-pay SW jobs. More power to you. SW offers so many options. I believe it is very important to learn management in the SW/healthcare field. Are you on a NFP board or board committee yet? Maybe a “youth” or “volunteer” voice? Try now. You’ve probably seen me and others on CC mention this great book: How to be a High School Superstar by Cal Newport. Honest to god, it’s excellent and effective advice — for a good life. </p>
<p>BTW, both Simmons and Mills give you easy access to lots of healthcare institutions for job shadowing (would HIPPA chill that?) and interning. The commute could be just crossing the street at Simmons or heading down the road or even across the bay on BART or bus at Mills. </p>
<p>@dyiu13 what is NFP? My D is interested in therapy (specifically art therapy) and I couldn’t tell if this applied only to hospital social work or not… Although I know some hospitals do employ art therapists.</p>
<p>Thank you dyu13 for your book suggestion! I searched NFP and cannot find any information on it. Is there a URL link to the website? Staceyneil, I know someone who does art therapy at a psychiatric unit. I am not sure if art therapy is connected to social work but what do I know! All I know, is that she works with the patients weekly. Art therapy is really interesting and that is great your daughter wants to pursue it! I believe it is going to be a vastly growing field.</p>
<p>NFP = not-for-profit or non-profit organization. </p>
<p>Yes, arts in therapy and heathcare is growing, and of course there are an increasing number of majors/programs being developed to train for it. I’m unsure of how reimbursement will play out — who will get paid what if they have which credential. From what I’ve seen the student would be educated in their art (dance, writing, music, etc.) and also have the science and social science/counseling training too. </p>
<p>Ahh, I apologize for misunderstanding. I am currently one of the four lead volunteers for the largest non-profit food distributor in Washington State. I volunteer three hours a week at that location, assisting volunteers with sign in and check out. I also help the Head Volunteer Coordinator with office work. Lastly, I manage the organization’s filing. I absolutely love the work and I am very close with the Coordinator.I am hoping to receive a letter of recommendation form her.</p>