<p>I really need your help, not so much regarding news about Mt. Holyoke, but for "putting some much needed brain in my head". I will try to make my story short: I wanted to attend Wellesley College and for the last five years, I have only thought about that "one" school, how it is a perfect fit for me etc. Everytime I would read about Wellesley, I would be more and more in love with it, to the point that I have idolized it more that what it is really worth. Well, Wellesley decided that I was not good enough for them, even though I was accepted at Georgetown, Columbia, etc. I am going to attend Mt. Holyoke in the Fall, but I do not feel excited, even though the college is almost like Wellesley. I continue to dream that somehow Wellesley will accept me and instead of researching and falling in love with Mt. Holyoke, I continue reading about Wellesley (and I am NOT going to transfer there ever); I envy that they are number 4 when I know that rankings do NOT matter, I envy that they are women who are going to change the world and that they hold very good job positions (when I know that it is what you learn and not where you do it), I envy that the students are very, very close to their professors and that they are in first-name bases and even friends. i envy their environment, when I know that there is not diversity there and most likely I would not fit there (I am not rich or a legacy or a snob).
Please, I am begging you, help. Please tell me whatever comes in your mind, whatever you think you should say to get me out of this situation. Even if you want to curse at me, I would appreciate the time you took to read and then reply to this. Please, I need some motivation.</p>
<p>Hi,</p>
<p>You know what, I felt the same about Wellesley. I was all over Wellesley for the past few years. I even made it my "target" college, as you did. However, I came to realize that the possibilities of me studying there is second to nil. Because I'm an international student who'd need financial aid to ever study in the States.</p>
<p>I applied to MHC as well and got waitlisted. I came to realize that MHC is the college for me. Come on! You were admitted and don't have to go over the anxiety of being waitlisted. How I wish I was admitted. Moreover, I was told today that they "almost" met their expectations for both fall and spring classes. That means that there is a big chance that I wouldn't be able to attend MHC as well.</p>
<p>You're the subject of my envy..:)</p>
<p>Cheer up gal!!!</p>
<p>avelance</p>
<p>Well, as a Wellesley student, I would definitely agree that you have idolized Wellesley to an unhealthy degree. (I will say, I'm not sure why people think this, but really and truly, NOT everyone or even a majority of people at Wellesley are rich and/or snobby and/or legacies. I know this doesn't help you any, but it grates on me slightly that all Wellesley students are pigeonholed as such. I have non-rich, non-snobby, non-legacy, minority friends who fit in perfectly fine at Wellesley. On the other hand, that's an advantage of not going to Wellesley--not having to ward off misconceptions about snobby Wellesley students). </p>
<p>Anyway, think of it this way: you would probably be disappointed in Wellesley if you were to attend because of how high your expectations are. Maybe, because you don't have such high expectations of Mount Holyoke, you'll be really pleasantly surprised when you get there. Probably so, I'd say, especially when you have school work to keep you from obsessing about something in the past (Wellesley). Furthermore, #4 ranking or no, I would tell you that it is unlikely that someone who had heard of Wellesley would not have heard of Mount Holyoke (very few people at my high school in Illinois, for example, had even vaguely heard of Wellesley). Maybe there's a little difference with Hillary Clinton being so famous, but then again, tons of people hate her, so that advantage, if you want to call it that, seems minimal. So the higher ranking really seems very trivial (which you know, or you would have automatically picked Columbia as that appears to be the highest-ranked school you were admitted to). Furthermore, that #4 ranking comes with a certain number of students who only applied to/attended Wellesley because of it's high ranking, and then bitterly complain that it's SO far from Boston, or it's SO hard to meet guys, or whatever. This is honestly really annoying--it's not a lot of people, but enough so that everyone knows one or two, and it kind of sucks. </p>
<p>I have a question for you: have you gotten rid of all your Wellesley stuff (view books, admission letters, etc.)? If not, I suggest you do. I was rejected at two colleges, and I immediately recycled all of their view books and pamphlets, and everything. I also didn't even take my rejection letters into the house--I opened them and they went straight into the recycling bin. Very helpful for closure, I found. </p>
<p>Although I think you will feel better as Mount Holyoke begins to send you information about housing and stuff like that, I will caution you that if you don't ever make the effort to give Mount Holyoke a chance, you will not be likely to be happy there. I know people (my former roommate, for one) who really never tried to like Wellesley because they really wanted to be somewhere else, and of course, they never really did like Wellesley. Even though some of these people transfer away and probably would have transfered away anyway, why resign yourself to being unhappy for a whole year of your college career before you even show up on campus? You can't definitively will yourself to be happy at Mount Holyoke, but you probably can will yourself not to be. Don't do that.</p>
<p>Hon, I think you need to sit down and make a promise to stop torturing yourself. Start checking out what MHC has to offer. Research the area too. Once you start thinking about when you're going to get tickets to the Six Flags nearby (MHC's HR dept. has discounted tickets), and what you're going to wear to the back-to-school or "pirates vs ninjas" themed Rocky Horror shows at the theatre across the street, you'll feel better. You have to LET yourself get excited about all the options you may encounter. Here is a link that talks about last year's orientation (I don't know how much will reoccur this year, but this will give you an idea of the events that may go on): Mount</a> Holyoke College :: Schedule of Events
Check out all the cool second saturday events too: Mount</a> Holyoke College :: Projects</p>
<p>Have you registered for classes yet? ISIS opened last week for entering students. Definitely check out all of your awesome options. And check out the 5 college course catalog. You can't take 5C courses until the spring, but you should let yourself get excited about your future there. Check out all the clubs you'll be able to join too (MHC's club list is here: <a href="http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/student-programs/org_lists/adn%5B/url%5D">http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/student-programs/org_lists/adn</a> and you can be a part of clubs at the other 4 colleges also). Also, join the MHC 2012 facebook so you can look at pictures of the beautiful campus and talk to other incoming students. Send me a message and I'll give you my facebook name too. Surround yourself with more moho-related things! :)</p>
<p>Like you said, rankings do NOT matter. And there are many women at MHC who will change the world and end up having extremely good jobs. A great thing about colleges like MHC is that students have the opportunity to really carve out a memorable college experience, but grad schools also RESPECT the degree. You can have the best of both worlds: You can learn AND you can have a great career subsequent to your college experience.</p>
<p>Oh, and I can assure you that students at MHC are just as close to their professors. That is one of the major perks of a college this small, actually, so don't worry at all about that. </p>
<p>Anyway, you know that MHC is a good fit because you yourself are saying it in this post. You're focusing on what seems like a failure, but is really something that may have been a blessing in disguise. Sooo, start searching mtholyoke.edu, trust me. :)</p>
<p>Logic_girl, I am sorry you feel this way. I do not want to repeat what Advantagious said, because I could not have said it better myself.
I think that it is hard to let go not only of Wellesley, but any school when you obsess and think about it so much. As you said, you have ideolized Wellesley more than what it is really worth and therefore you have set yourself up to be disappointed.
You should rejoice in the fact that you are going to attend a very good school, a college that many women dream about but a few can attend (THE FEW, THE PROUD, THE MOHOs), a school that is just as good as Wellesley, where you are going to receive a superb education, have friendships for the rest of your life and be very close to your professors as well. Like you, I would have loved to attend Wellesley (and was rejected), but Wellesley was the first women college that I read about. After I was accepted at Mt Holyoke, I did my research, and everyday I fall more and more in love with it, and Mt.Ho surprises me more & more that I really know that I am going to be happy there. You are responsible of the education that you will receive (the world is full of books, if you want to be smarter, then read); Wellesley is not magically going to give you an education if you do not do the work and nor will Mount Holyoke.
You are going to attend a private, liberal arts, women's college, the oldest institution of higher education for women, the first of the Seven Sister, and these are going to give you amazing opportunities in life. If the name of the school is Mt Ho, Smith, Wellesley etc, little does it matter, it is just a name, because they are all wonderful schools.
If all these do not make you feel lucky, then please let me tell you sth: today I found out that a childhood friend of mine back in my home country, was sold by her fiance as a sex slave. She had the same dreams as you and me. God knows what is happening to her right now; we on the other hand, are going to be everything we are capable of becoming.
Rejoice and be proud of your school. It is really wonderful.</p>
<p>Scholarfeminist, I am so sorry to read about your friend. It is heartbreaking to think about all that occurs in this world. We really are so lucky to have this opportunity to improve our futures. So few people get these chances, though everyone deserves them. :(</p>
<p>Frazzledmaybe, unfortunately these things are very common all over the world. I do believe that as Mount Holyoke women, we are obliged to do whatever we can to break the patriarchal laws and ensure that women in the future will not be considered as the inferior sex, as the other sex. I have yet to hear about an adult man being sold as a sex slave, and this shows the supremacy that men have and so desperately want it. This is the feminist in me talking, but it is hard to lose friends because of this mentality and then pretend like nothing has happened. We are, indeed, very, very lucky.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone for your time, your private messages and everything that you said. I finally feel excited to attend Mount Holyoke and I feel lucky to be part of your community. Although it will take some time for me to forget my dreams about W., I am ready for everything that MH has to offer.
Avelance, I really hope that you will get in; advantagious thank you very much for giving me a perspective of Wellesley from an insider; frazzledmaybe, thank you for the links (I feel excited now) and scholarfeminist you gave me really what I needed. I am whining why I am going to attend MH instead of W, while women around the world are going through hell. I am really happy that you are going to attend MH, we are lucky to have you and I am looking forward to hear all you have to say and be so passionate about the feminist movement. Thank you everyone, a thousand time thank you.</p>