Hello everyone! My sister is currently deciding between Mount Holyoke College and UMass Amherst. She is an international student and really wants to study Computer Science. At UMass Amherst, she was accepted into the CS exploratory track. Right now, she is having hard time deciding which school would be a better fit for her. Some of her priorities are:
- Better environment for studying CS. For example, student professor ratio, average class size etc.
- Flexibility to take classes at other colleges (as part of the Five College Exchange). How hard is it to cross-register for classes between the two schools?
- Career Opportunities: Finding internships, academic and career guidance, etc.
Just a side note: As an international student, she actually has to pay more for UMass Amherst. After reading about the two schools and knowing my sister, I think she might like a smaller school with more focus on students.
Would love to hear some perspectives from current students or alumni and anyone else!
I haven’t been part of the Five College Exchange, but have friends who attended both schools. The good news is that your sister can’t go wrong – they’re both very good! Personally, I think Mt. Holyoke is THE most beautiful campus I have ever visited, period. Back in the day, I visited a friend for the weekend and thought it was a very welcoming place. Currently, I have two friends with daughters at the school. I do know they take courses at the other schools, but am not sure about the details. I would also say that small colleges like Mt. Holyoke tend to have great alumni networks, and students tend to form friendships that last a lifetime. This is NOT to say that large universities don’t have significant advantages as well. I think she’s right to check into the logistics of cross-registration, but, from what you’ve written, it sounds like she might find the small school environment to be a great match. She could then branch out to do coursework at UMass Amherst. Especially for an international student, that would be a wonderfully welcoming way to spend four years.
I want to echo that Mt. Holyoke’s campus is so gorgeous and it’s warm and friendly. There’s a free bus service that goes to the various campuses of the Five Colleges. They do take time, and she’d have to plan accordingly, but as a 2nd Gen family that’s passed through the Five College system, I can attest that it’s possible to take classes at all Five Colleges if that’s your goal. Mt. Holyoke is high on this family’s list as a warm, caring, gorgeous institution that offers great academics and is a place that seems to nurture strong, high-achieving women. Once she gets her feet on the ground at Mt. H I’m sure that she’d figure out a way to attend classes elsewhere including UMass. To find out what courses are offered through the Five Colleges, here’s a link to the course catalog search engine –
https://www.fivecolleges.edu/academics/courses
Before she decides, however, she should make phone calls or email the various registrars to find out the details of cross registration.
At least some of the schools (maybe all?) restrict taking classes at the other schools for the first semester/year. She can take a bus, but from MHC to UMass will probably take 30 minutes or more (and then time to get to the actual class). However, once there she can stay to study, eat, whatever.
Getting into one’s preferred major at big state universities can be a problem. If she’s only been accepted into the UMass CS exploratory track, then I assume that she’s not guaranteed acceptance into that major? If that’s the case and Mount Holyoke will guarantee that she can major in CS, then that would be my choice.
UMASS Amherst all the way - very good CS Research, vibrant CS community! Big and small companies hiring from UMASS