Hi, I’m in the class of 2023 and did not do as well as I expected with my application results. I really wanted to go to Smith College but got deferred ED2 and then rejected. And I don’t know which college I should attend.
Priorities for me:
-good political science major
-somewhat diverse
-open-minded student population
-preferably not in the middle of nowhere
Right now, I’m leaning toward going to MHC because I like its vibe and it’s close to Smith, so transferring is always an option (I assume transferring will always be easier since they are both in the five-college consortium).
However, I’m still worried that I might not want to transfer (the application process is truly exhausting) and that I should pick a school that has good academics and “prestige” for grad school in case I want to stay in one place for four years.
I would really appreciate it if anyone can share their experience with any of those schools and especially if you are a POC!
This is simply untrue. You have great results. ALL of those colleges are excellent, particularly Kenyon, which is easily on par with Smith.
The obvious outlier is F&M. It is much more mainstream and Greek-y than the others and is VERY far in feel from a school like Reed.
Kenyon, IMO, offers the best of all worlds, but it is fair to say that it’s a bit isolated, albeit not that far from Columbus.
MHC is great, but please don’t make the mistake that so many make by thinking you can just transfer out to another college before you even start. This will stop you from settling in properly and forming friendships. The Mass consortium is not super practical to get around if you are thinking you can just zip between campuses.
Reed is, as I summarized in another post, for those who want to experience the “life of the mind” at college. It’s very rigorous, academic, and probably a bit more on the intense side. If you are really interested, visit if possible. Portland is a great city.
I’d say F & M is not quite as rigorous academically as the others, and the vibe is really different to the others. It is definitely going to be the most mainstream of these four schools.
You don’t mention what sort of vibe you are looking for. As you really wanted Smith, I think MHC is a very good choice, but I think Kenyon is overall the best of these choices. It will have elements of all, with great professors, a good creative edge, a bit of sportiness, top notch academics and outstanding beauty.
Thank you for the reply! I’m probably going to try to tour Kenyon at some point; I’ve heard great things about the school’s academics but I’m still unsure about living in rural Ohio for the next 4. I live outside of Boston so MHC will be a nice commute for me. I was looking at your other posts and noticed that your daughter went to Bates. I was waitlisted by Bates and was wondering if you might have any tips on how I can get off the waitlist. (I’ve heard they wl everyone and don’t know how true that is)
Thank you! MHC definitely stands out to me as the environment will be very much what I’m used to. I really liked the idea of going to a women’s college and having a good balance of play and work in college, as well as still having good academics in the political science department and being prepared for grad school. I do not love the idea of greek life, which is a big concern for me regarding F&M. And affordability is not a top priority for my family.
I assume you are aware that you won’t be able to attend MHC as a commuter and will live on campus. Do you want to be close to home? Please don’t plan to go home every weekend, as that is definitely not the best way to acclimatize to college life.
These colleges all have high retention rates. That means students are happy and so they return for their sophomore year. Reed is definitely a place where you need to feel you fit in, mainly because it is quite an intellectual school. There are no varsity sports, for example. In your position, I’d most strongly consider MHC or Kenyon. F&M will probably feel the most “normal American kid” of these four.
Reed: 88%
F & M: 92%
Kenyon: 91%
MHC: 92%
Trust me, you are going to be spending a very significant amount of time on campus at most of these colleges. It’s where your bed, food, and friends are. So I honestly wouldn’t put too much emphasis on location. At these LACs, you are there to immerse yourself in LAC life.
Well, they don’t WL everyone, but the numbers accepted from WL each year can vary widely.
Keep the LOCI brief, but give them meaningful info. Let them know soon that they are your top choice and you will attend if accepted. Update with any pertinent info about awards or developments. Ask your GC to send updated grades. If you don’t need FA, let them know that too. Then send another short email with similar info sometime later in April, to remind them you really want to go there. But do not pine away hoping for a waitlist offer. They have not accepted many from WL in the last few years.
This is so true what @Lindagaf said about campus life vs location. My daughter is a junior at Kenyon, and while she was initially a bit concerned about its isolated location, it hasn’t been an issue at all. There are lots of students there from NYC and the West coast. Feel free to pm me with any questions re Kenyon.
This is addressed to students considering Kenyon, not @Lindagaf (this was my unsuccessful attempt at quoting on this forum :)).
If you really liked Smith, I would say that you probably would also like MHC. Aside from being in the same area and both being women’s college, I have heard that they have very similar vibes.
You should definitely visit before you choose, but based on what you’ve written, MHC seems the best fit.
I wouldn’t worry about grad school. MHC, Reed and Kenyon are all in the top of colleges which have the highest percent of students who do PhDs. Any would allow you to do a PhD, but what this tells you is that these colleges all have students with similar career aspirations and future plans as you do.
Like others, I don’t think that F&M sound like as good a fit as any of the other three.
Find out how you can meet with students at these colleges - there are often ways to connect to them online, and they should all have the possibility of coming to visit the colleges and, in some cases, staying overnight.
This is standard practice for a LOT of colleges. Williams has similar numbers, as do Wellesley, Boston University, and many others.
There is some overlap between Bates and the other colleges OP has listed. If it’s her top choice and she wants to remain on the WL, there is no harm sending a LOCI, but yes, she needs to assume it won’t happen and get invested in the choices she has.
You might want to note that MHC is usually about 25% international students. This is relevant both for political science (their Model UN is… kinda the UN) and diversity.
The bus is free. From MHC it’s easier to get to Hampshire, Amherst, and UMass than it is to get to Smith. Cross-enrollment depends a lot on the subject. My Smithie never got off the waitlist at MHC for a poli sci class, but there were numerous MHC students in her architecture studios at Smith. She was able to cross-enroll at UMass without a struggle, just a bunch of paperwork. Regardless, if you make the effort, you don’t have to be isolated at MHC. Participation in events across the consortium is pretty easy.
People do transfer between the schools from time to time, but usually it isn’t necessary because there is plenty of interaction.
Good luck with your decision!