<p>I really love the atmosphere at Mount Holyoke. The people seem amazing, I've heard incredible things about the professors, and I've been awarded the 21st Century Scholarship ($25,000 a year, plus funding for a summer internship/research. It also includes participation in "select intellectual and cultural events" on and off campus). My only hesitation is the fact that most people have never heard of Mount Holyoke. Many have said that I'm "throwing away my future" by choosing a "complete no-name school" in MA over some of my other options, such as NYU, Boston College, Boston University). People have warned me that Mount Holyoke has severe financial issues (I haven't found any concrete evidence of this, but any comments on this issue would be appreciated) and that Mount Holyoke isn't prestigious enough to help me get into a good graduate school (I'm thinking about law school or education, specifically) or get good job placement. Oh, and I want to major in history, psychology, or gender studies, so I'd love to hear any opinions on these departments!</p>
<p>Any comments would be much appreciated, especially about the influence of prestige, as well as anything pertaining to grad school/job prospects!</p>
<p>Go where you feel excited to go and where you can financially afford to go. I have certainly heard of Mount Holyoke and I’m sure you can pursue an excellent education there. Your future is what YOU make of it, the name of a college is a very minor blip on the screen. You will be successful if YOU take advantage of your opportunities - and any good college will have more opportunities than any one person could ever follow up on. Actually, going to somewhat less competitive college can make it easier to get the excellent GPA and recommendations and leadership positions that will put you in an even better position for grad school. </p>
<p>No offense, but frankly…those folks are a bit odd. Especially considering the three schools on your list.</p>
<p>BU & BC being regarded as “better” than MHC?? Maybe BC nowadays but not too long ago, regarding BC on par with MHC would have prompted laughter among many knowledgable folks and employers in the NYC area. BU isn’t worth even bringing up in this comparison.</p>
<p>As for NYU, while it has strong departments in some CAS departments(i.e. Applied Math) and schools(i.e. Stern), it’s not worth the premium they’re charging and many employers wouldn’t regard MHC to be inferior academically. Quite the opposite, actually. </p>
<p>As for grad school prospects, MHC would actually be more helpful in preparing and providing the prestige in getting you into grad school due to the closer faculty mentoring available than would be available at those other schools…especially NYU and BU which have the feel of large public colleges with bureaucracies to match. </p>
<p>Moreover, if your interest in law school, the main criteria for admission is undergrad GPA and LSAT and considering the expense, go to the least expensive undergrad which will provide you with great preparation. MHC wins on all counts here. </p>
<p>I often say that free advice is worth what you pay for it. Mt. Holyoke is one of the nation’s best liberal arts colleges. It is certainly one of a handful of best women’s colleges. As you probably know, women’s colleges claim to offer women many advantages over coed schools. How do you feel about this? Many graduates of Mt. Holyoke go on to graduate schools and advanced degrees. Of the schools you mentioned, Mt. Holyoke is the best for undergraduate work.</p>
<p>I’ve heard of Mt. Holyoke, and I would have put it ahead of the other schools on your list for undergrad. I think the people who are saying they’ve never heard of it probably aren’t that familiar with top schools throughout the nation. Frankly, they may have heard about BC not because of its academics (which of course are great) but because of its sports teams on television. Admissions folks at grad schools and law schools have certainly heard of Mt. Holyoke, so it won’t hold you back. I wouldn’t worry about what “most people” are telling you. It’s a great school, and if you feel comfortable there and think it’s a great fit academically and otherwise, go for it. </p>
<p>I don’t know who these “people” are who claim that Mt. Holyoke is a “no-name” school that won’t get you into graduate programs, but they are apparently not knowledgeable about higher ed, and their opinions on the matter can safely be disregarded. Mt. Holyoke is an excellent choice for your interests.</p>
<p>Echoing everyone else above. Mt. Holyoke is an excellent school. I’d also say that a huge benefit of Mt. Holyoke is that it’s part of the five college consortium - along with Hampshire, Smith, Amherst and UMass/Amherst. If you’re enrolled at any of the five, you can take classes at any of the other schools for no additional cost. Bus transportation between the five colleges is free, frequent, and easy. To me, it’s a win-win situation - having the benefits of a small college but having nearly any kind of class you’d want to take. And Amherst is a great college town.</p>