<p>I have visited both schools during early June of this year. I also plan on seeing both of the schools once more in a month. Here were my impressions of each of the schools.</p>
<p>Simmons: Since they had Summer Term, I was able to see a fair amount of students on campus. I was toured by two wonderful students who I immediately connected with. I also had an information session as well as an interview which went very well. Below are the top things that stood out to me while at Simmons
It really is like a hidden gem in Boston
I loved the volunteer center
The students all seem very career focused (from what I saw)
I will put this out there… There were many college guys around campus who looked quite nice
5)The social work department seems amazing. I am going to sit in at a social work class while I am there which I am really excited for. I have corresponded with the department head and so far I am very impressed.</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke: Unfortunately, Holyoke does not have a Summer Term. Therefore, I only saw about three students while on campus. I did get a tour from a current student who my alumni representative set up. She was very smart and definitely into her academics. Additionally, she seem to love the school and while on the tour, we even ran into her professors. I also connected with her while on tour.
Below are the top things that stood out to me while at Simmons
Location! I was surprised that the only things immediately surrounding campus was a bookstore, a coffee shop, and some other small stores. It was definitely more rural than I anticipated.
Academic Support (I really like how the professor-student relationship runs at Holyoke. It seems like the professors really care about your success). Although, this is a general statement, I got that impression from the tour as well as research.
Pretty cool classes! From horseback riding to hiking, there is a variety of unique classes that one would not find at a typical college.</p>
<p>From your post, I get the idea that Simmons might be better suited for your needs and from what I understand with your stats you might be able to get a better offer at Simmons. </p>
<p>My DD had a similar choice to make this spring between Simmons, Smith and Bryn Mawr. There was no money from Smith. Decent offers from BMC and Simmons. A couple of things swayed her in ways I did not expect. The Simmons FA meant not having to borrow money. Important if you want grad school. DD is interested in biology and psychology. The neuro program was interesting. She likes art but not as a career and there is an opportunity to take classes at the Mass school of fine arts. The chance at internships in Boston is almost unlimited. A rep at Simmons said to me that many schools are putting internship and externship programs in place now but Simmons has been about professional training for women since it’s inception in 1899 (a pretty interesting story). So what DD liked was the opportunity to work in any field like writing or neurobiology, not just nusing or social work. </p>
<p>And then, after an overnight in Boston for accepted students, she was sold even though BMC started off in the lead. She decided it was too rural?!?</p>
<p>If you are confident in wanting to pursue a career in social work, the Simmons 3+1 program that allows for completion of the MSW degree in four years is quite compelling. This may be a significant economy as an MSW allows for many more options than a BSW in the field and is an important credential for entrance into many jobs. Finishing a master’s degree within the usual time frame for obtaining a BSW will save huge amounts of money, which is particularly appealing when one is entering a human service field (from the perspective of someone with an MSW degree.) You say you don’t want a BS degree- is that because you want a BA? a BSW? </p>
<p>I’d look into how many students actually pursue this advanced standing program and how internships are structured. Also consider whether you are ready to commit to this focus. Perhaps volunteer in the field soon if you haven’t already. Best with everything! </p>
<p>Wow! Thank you for the detailed post! I have looked into the 3+1 program at Simmons and plan on applying. I do want a BA. I talked to the social work head on the phone at Simmons and she said that only 4 students are in the program. It is very competitive! Hopefully my recommendations as well as my college classes I took this summer will get me a boost in the application process. We shall see! :)</p>
<p>I completely agree with this assessment. Choosing a school because it seems a better fit based on your potential major can really close off your options if you happen to change your mind, which many students do. I started out as an English major, moved to Theatre Arts for two years, graduated with a History degree and went to law school. A degree from MHC carries much more weight than one from Simmons, regardless of the subject concentration. And the rural life is not so bad.</p>
<p>Thanks for your post! I agree with you that MHC has a better reputation yet I am worried that if I did choose MHC over Simmons, I would have less real world experience when it came to psychology-social work internships at organizations. I am just judging whether I want a holistic liberal arts education or a head start on a degree I’m 90 percent sure I want to pursue. Although MHC has a better rep, is the psychology program really stronger than Simmon’s social work/psychology programs when it comes to career placements in clinical settings and graduate preparation?</p>
<p>Naspy58 and tenstudent: I think you will find that Simmons will give you a good liberal arts education. you would have to think of some specific cases of majors or minors that you may be interested in and compare the schools side by side to find if one is not able to provide you with quality educators or opportunities. I originally felt like you did Napsy58 and encouraged my DD to look at larger universities like our flagship state U because every major was there and good. But the truth is she was not interested in every major, just some specific ones like biology, psychology and English. The schools compared strongly on those majors. But the approach for each school was different. I think that is what helped her make the decision. </p>
<p>So try to compare the schools based on approach to education. Maybe the choice will become clearer.</p>
<p>Thank you so much Evergreen! You have been great. The whole process is just soo scary! To be honest when I set foot on the Simmons Campus, it was so perfect. It is just difficult because so many people tell me to go to MHC so I am taking another go at it and looking at MHC one more time. One thing is certain… Simmons would be a lot better socially and easier to get in and out of since I am from the West Coast!</p>
<p>My DD got a lot of that too. Reputation drives a lot of opinions and MHC (and BMC in our case) have well deserved reputations for high quality unique educations. Again, there is no bad choice. Telling my DD that name recognition was important was probably the wrong thing to say. I think she found it irritating. Once we had turned down Smith, I spoke to a person there about the two schools. That was interesting. And don’t be afraid of asking each school to compare. They will tell you their stong points and you can decide validity. It won’t be the first time they have been asked this question. Maybe it comes up more with the upper end women’s colleges because they are competing for the same small pool of applicants.</p>
<p>Also, although Simmons is strong on pre professional training, ask about liberal arts education and placement for grad school in science and non-science. One difference I noticed: many of the students at Simmons are from New England. That is probably not true of MHC. </p>
<p>MHC has the highest percentage of students entering science graduate (both MD and PhD) programs in the country. Not just among women’s colleges, but from ALL schools. And I will say, being a Mt. Holyoke grad has opened doors for my D. All that being said, Simmons is a very good school as well.</p>
<p>To MADad: the alum networks on these great women’s colleges are strong. What struck me is that you will find BMC alums working at Wellesley or Simmons alum working at BMC. The connection is strong across colleges.</p>
<p>Did you know that in addition to the study abroad programs, there is an exchange program with Mills college, Spellman and Fisk at Simmons? Don’t know if DD was impressed but I would spend a semester in CA in a heartbeat.</p>
About 40 percent of MHC first-year students are from the Northeast. Simmons’ students are almost entirely from the Northeast, However, Simmons is less than a mile away from notable schools such as Boston University, Northeastern University, Berklee College of Music, School of the Museum of Fine Arts, et al. I can’t imagine a more diverse (or fun) area to attend college.
Heck, even Harvard Medical School is only ~1500 ft away. Not that aspiring physicians have a great deal of time to socialize. :)</p>
