So,I’m deciding between these two schools. The main question I guess is which school has the strongest science department and will prepare someone who is interested in medicine or possibly going into dentistry/med school well. If I go to Skidmore,with the aid I got, I wouldn’t be expected to pay anything and will have an extra $500 in my pocket,whereas with MoHo I will be expected to pay $46,000(which will probably be through loans)over the course of 4 years. I visited mount Holyoke and I really liked it. I visited Skidmore and have mixed feelings about it. Basically,I guess I’m asking which of the 2 schools has the strongest science department and in your opinion which school do you think is best for me to choose,if you were in my shoes. I feel like I’m being unclear(it must be because it’s 11pm)but hopefully(fingers crossed) you guys understand what I’m trying to ask.
Why take out all that debt when you have such a good alternative?
I just want to make the right decision. One I won’t regret 4 years from now and if Mount Holyoke has a better science department than Skidmore and will prepare me better for dental/med school wouldn’t it be better to go there?
I’ve tried looking into the strength of Skidmore’s science department,but I couldn’t find anything
Mt Holyoke is nice, but go with the money. Skidmore is fine. Have you asked Mt. Holyoke for s financial aid review, since apparently Skidmore gave you a lot more aid?
No,I haven’t. What exactly is a financial aid review? Will they like reassess my financial aid package?and if so, is it too late to ask them to,since it’s like 13 days before the deadline?
No, its not to late. Tell then you have a much better aid package and you want them to review it in case there was a mistake. CALL them, dust thing on Monday
Tell them you got a better aid package from a comparable college (just checked, they are only one spot apart on USNews), and prefer MHC, but are having trouble justifying it due to the cost difference. Ask if they can review your financial aid. Try not to use the word “match”. Be nice, throw yourself at their mercy and ask if they can help you.
Okay. Should I do this myself or ask my counselor/parent?
Is your aid from Skidmore need-based or is it merit? I’m not very experienced with this, but it’s my understanding that you’ll have the most success if it’s an apples to apples comparison. Even if it’s not the same type of aid, there’s no harm in trying, but you should be specific in identifying the type of aid received at each school.
I guess it’s need-based? I got in through heop, and the amount given from the heop program,pell grant,federal SEOG grant,TAP Grant,and grants given by the school added up to covering all my expenses. I feel like because I got in through heop though,that will make it more unlikely that I’ll get more aid from Mount Holyoke.
Do you realize that HEOP is a special program which is funded through New York State? It is comparing apples to…elephants. It is need-based BUT it is a whole other category of financial assistance. Mt Holyoke does not offer HEOP since it is not a participating institution. It is not even in NY State.
If you qualify for HEOP that means your family’s income is below guidelines for annual income by household size. A debt of $46,000 when your family is low income is not a good idea if you have a viable alternative.
Ordinarily anyone would say Mt Holyoke is a “better” school, and as a proponent of women’s colleges I would chime in.
However in this situation take into consideration your long term plans. I will PM you about HEOP.
Hi - don’t know if you’ve made your decision or not - but Skidmore has a Health Club for students considering health care professions and they have a Health Professions Advisory Committee consisting of faculty that will assist with plans for med school etc. I highly recommend any school that is “essentially” free and Skidmore is an excellent environment for academic pursuits.
Although I’m in favor of women’s college, especially for the sciences, in your case Skidmore with HEOP and no debt is a great choice. It’s beefed up its science offerings and will prepare for you med or dental school very well.
Mount Holyoke denied my appeal…
@Tookme10mins: I’m sorry. But now you don’t have to agonize over your choice and you have a clear winner! CONGRATULATIONS!!
I guess
I can’t imagine a woman attending a woman’s college unless the fact that it is a single sex school was factored into the decision making and viewed as highly desirable. I don’t know if there have been any studies on the issue but I would think that a woman who ended up at a woman’s college without having a clear preference for one would end up unhappy. I suppose this would be less true for a school like Barnard which is closely aligned with and located in the same place as Columbia. But Mt. Holyoke is clearly a woman’s college somewhat isolated from a brother school.
Tookme10mins, It has been a whirlwind for you. Perhaps you feel disappointed with Mt Holyoke’s appeal process? It can be frustrating.
However in order to have gotten where you are, with acceptances to such great schools, you must be a resilient student. Once you can get past the disappointment, my hope is that a year from now – if you give Skidmore your best shot – this disappointment will be a distant memory. You may even ask yourself in six months what was the big deal. After all, you must have liked Skidmore a lot to have applied there in the first place.
D #1 was reluctant to take the HEOP program she was admitted to. She had gotten accepted almost everywhere she applied (except Skidmore!!) But the financial aid at other schools did not hold a candle to HEOP. Part of her resistance was that once the offers were on the table…there was no “choice” anymore.
It was almost like, not having a choice made the outcome suddenly less desirable.
The summer program was intense. Thanks goodness she bonded with the other kids. She was still not convinced it was the place for her. It was a hot summer and there was no air conditioning and all the kids felt out of place. However within a week of the first semester, her entire attitude started to change.
D has individual mentoring and career counseling. She spent a semester abroad in Madrid. She has done 2 internships already. Those kids she bonded with at that first summer program became her best friends. They are suite mates and go to each other’s performances, parties, activities, etc. One of them is a Gates scholar. D will have help applying to grad school, and best of all she will graduate with NO LOANS. D now realizes that HEOP was the best thing that could have happened to her.
Saratoga is an awesome little town! S #1 also interviewed at Skidmore and really liked it. By the way, the food is incredible.
I give you so much credit, Tookme10mins, You followed through with the appeal and you really looked at this AND you took the time to come back and let us know what happened. I really appreciate that bc it shows that you follow through and are considerate of others. Skidmore’s HEOP staff see in you qualities that set you apart from hundreds of others.
It is going to be great, and you are going to shine. Congrats again!
^I strongly disagree with the above comment. Lots of women’s college students and alumnae (including myself) also applied to co-ed schools and didn’t have a clear preference for where they ended up. In fact. I’m willing to bet the vast majority of students who apply to women’s colleges also applied to some co-ed schools as well. It’s the same as students who maybe don’t have a clear preference for an LAC or a research university or students who aren’t sure whether they want to be in an urban or a suburban environment. If a student had a strong preference against women’s colleges, that would make them unhappy. But if a student simply was unsure whether or not she’d prefer it and ended up at Mount Holyoke or another women’s college, and was open to the possibility of loving the atmosphere, they could love it or hate it depending on their own personality and expectations.
Also, MoHo is in a consortium with Amherst and UMass-Amherst.
That said, OP, I’m sure you’ll be happy at Skidmore, too. I had a couple friends from a study abroad program who attended Skidmore and they loved the college. The student body is also skewed towards women (61% women), so while not a women’s college environment, it’s not evenly balanced either. It’s a great school and you’ll get a great education there.