<p>Hi! I was wondering if there's anyone who chose MHC over BMC. I visited both schools and really liked them. I'm thinking about doing lit or creative writing, yet I'm not sure which has a stronger program. Bryn Mawr seemed to have very academically focused students who don't really care for the social scene, while Mount Holyoke seemed to have a better balance. Can anyone talk a bit about the English department of MHC and also why they chose MHC over Bryn Mawr.
Thanks!</p>
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<p>Similar situation - anybody with thoughts as the deadline approaches?</p>
<p>Just curious - What did you decide? My D likes both but hasn’t visited MHC yet.</p>
<p>My D liked them both equally on paper, but after visiting both MHC rose to the top of her list and BMC fell off the list. It was a gut feeling thing for her, she just felt really at home at Mount Holyoke but not at Bryn Mawr. It had to do with the geographical location and surroundings as well as the other students she met/saw. She’ll be attending Mount Holyoke this fall and is extremely excited about it :)</p>
<p>@Aussiemom - if your question was for me, the decision came down to the very last day for my D, deciding between MHC, BMC, and one other. MHC had been lower on her list at the beginning when we visited all the colleges, but moved up rapidly in the final days. Ultimately though she chose Bryn Mawr, mainly because of the strength of its math program and the more seamless integration (academic and social) with Haverford. She’s moving in next week.</p>
<p>Thanks for both replies! D has visited twice and interviewed at BMC and so far it’s the front runner. She’s also considering MHC and possibly Smith but worries that that the climate would be too cold for her. She’s interested in majoring in the sciences. Unfortunately, she won’t be able to visit before applying but she plans to apply to several of the sister colleges and a couple of other colleges. Once she reviews acceptances and we compare financial aid packages, we’ll visit in the Spring.</p>
<p>Aussiemom, D visited BMC the summer before senior year and did overnights at both Smith and MHC in the spring after she was accepted. You will have ample time.</p>
<p>Ok, good @mom4art . We had a huge college fair yesterday in Charlotte and D was so excited that the reps from MHC and Barnard were going to be there. She emailed the reps that she was going would stop by to meet them. Well, both schools didn’t come but she did get a heads up from Barnard that they weren’t able to go. Bummer. Bryn Mawr was there and D was glad to speak with her again.</p>
<p>Aussiemom, if possible try to arrange an overnight visit for your D. I think this will give her a better feel for the school rather than just the admitted student 'dog and pony show". Also if she’s concerned about the weather, she may want to visit in the deepest , darkest part of Feb. My D, who grew -up a sunny so cal beach girl, learned to love the winter. </p>
<p>I agree with momneeds2no, I think that the overnight visits my daughter did were really critical in figuring out which colleges suited her best. I was hesitant at first because it was a lot of expense and she had to miss several days of school, but in retrospect it was SO worthwhile! I would try to arrange them if at all possible. One more thing: make sure you check the college calendar and be certain that classes are in session during the visit (and ideally, that it’s not mid-term or finals week) so she can really get the full experience.</p>
<p>Thanks for all of the tips! She has a heavy load this semester including a class our nearby community college. She’s decided to apply to both of them (free application) and then visit the schools which accept her for overnight visits (Spring). She has a lot to juggle right now and when the dust settles she can visit and see what really fits.</p>
<p>Aussie, Waiting to arrange travel until the decisions and Fin package is smart. If possible try to schedule some sort of interview as part of her application. Sometimes the reps tour regionally. Occasionally alum will conduct 'informational interviews". I think the interview really helped my D gain admission (not just at MHC but other LACs too). Does she/you have contact with other MHC families in eara? It’s important to talk to folks other than admissions–ESPECIALLY at Women’s Colleges. You know, get the dirt too. Try to read between the lines. The overnight visit should focus more on “life on campus” rather than the physical campus plant. It’s easy to get swept away by the MHC campus – lovely, historic, clean, safe, etc. Take a close look at the other women, how they spend time, engage socially, the vibe at meal time, etc. </p>
<p>Rest assured your daughter will have access to a world class education at either B-W or MHC – the caliber of education and peers which only a very select few women ever encounter. This is an exciting time. try not to stress and enjoy the ride. It only happens once. </p>
<p>The thing about waiting for acceptances is that plane tickets are expensive, and students are no less busy in April than now. You only get about 5 weeks from having all acceptances in hand until you have to decide. If your kid has really narrowed it down to a couple of colleges, and/or if you live nearby, it is workable. It makes April very stressful if they haven’t visited at all and are trying to squeeze in visits and make a big decision like this. Lots of kids end up dropping colleges that might be the best fit for them when they wait for acceptances to visit because logistically they just can’t make the visits work.</p>
<p>Intp, that’s good point, especially if the schools are geographically diverse. First semmester of senior year is tough on the kids. But once “the hay is in barn” (aka apps finished a mailed), then planing visits makes sence. Once thing to check is if the school will offer overnights if the app is still pending. </p>
<p>While I do think that visiting now is a much better idea (can’t imagine trying to schedule visits to multiple schools, last-minute, in April…yikes!) I also agree that if it’s absolutely impossible, schedule an interview. Ideally, it should be with the admissions rep for your area. She’ll be the person who does the very important “first-read” on your D’s application, and I really believe that having that personal contact is a plus. Especially if your daughter interviews well. Are you in NC? The MHC rep for NC: <a href=“https://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/staff/karen-osgood”>https://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/staff/karen-osgood</a> and this one has other SE USA states: <a href=“https://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/staff/veronica-salazar”>https://www.mtholyoke.edu/admission/staff/veronica-salazar</a>
My D was able to schedule an interview with the local rep when she was in the area for other visits. If all else fails, do an alumni interview…</p>
<p>@Staceyneil, My D did contact her when she found that MHC was scheduled to attend the college fair and told her that she would be there so she has had some communication. I agree, scheduling an interview would be helpful. Thanks for bringing it up so I’ll remind her. I wish that we had gotten to more colleges this summer but took a job as a camp counselor at an overnight camp in VA.
We may be able to go over Thanksgiving break if they have camput ours but I’m sure that there are fewer students on campus.</p>
<p>Yeah, that is always the problem on holiday breaks! There will probably be a handful of students around -mostly internationals- but she won’t get the real feeling for the school. I guess we were lucky: my D’s high school had a couple of 3-day weekends on non-holiday weekends so we were able to 3-4 day trips during regular class time and only miss a little bit of (her) school… What about during her February break? Do you have those?</p>
<p>Yes, we can certainly do it then. If fact, it may be better because she can also evaluate whether she can handle the cold!</p>