<p>Yes, you’re right, I should have been more clear. In most cases you can’t use pre-college credits to fulfill your major courses, they just count as additional credits so you can reach your needed credit total for graduation. That being said, each individual department can set its own policy for how to deal with IP/AP/A-level credits. If you go to the web page for the department they usually give the department policy. But in almost every case I’ve encountered, the departments sometimes let you use a pre-college course as evidence that you’re qualified to skip up to a higher level, but they don’t usually give credit for that course or count it towards your major.</p>
<p>
Ah. Yes. This is what I recalled. It seems that I was wrong when I said that units couldn’t be used to accelerate, period.</p>
<p>But point stands: even if you can do it, it’s probably not a good idea.</p>
<p>Yx, sometimes the best decisions are not without economic risk or cost. Again, I say that you are making as great an error as your parents if you focus on getting a degree in three years because of cost. “getting degree” and “completing education” are not synonymous.</p>
<p>If necessary, take loans. Best money ever spent and don’t regret it for a second. We’ve now paid off about 1/6 of ours…time to party!!! (with relatively inexpensive champagne)</p>
<p>Thanks for all the comments!</p>
<p>@mini At MHC, my family contribution would be 32500/yr while at Smith, it would be 37700/yr. MHC indicated on my fin aid form that my total debt at graduation will stand at $19000 to $25000, and Smith’s website showed that loans for the first year is $3000, 2nd year $4000, 3rd year $5650 and 4th year $6200. So yes I do save quite a bit of money by doing Smith in 3 years, money that could go towards my JD.</p>
<p>I’ve communicated with a current student (taking econs major, gov minor and 2 languages) and she said that the course requirements for 2 majors can be fulfilled in 2 years, assuming I take a 5 course load per semester. It is fine by me, but of course I’ll be very busy. If I really do want to graduate in 3 years, I will still have space for a french course every semester and some left over for my other interests since Smith does not have any course requirements. The good thing is that I have a clear direction, so I can pick courses that I want from the first day onwards. The current student I am corresponding with finished half the course requirements for a neuroscience major before she decided to switch to econs and gov.</p>
<p>Then, I also have an A for both A-Levels Econs and Maths, so that can perhaps allow me to skip 2 courses for the econs major. I do not think it is impossible, just that I have to work very hard and sacrifice some playing time (and of course 1 year of college experience). I do have a friend at Duke planning to double in econs and stats in 3 years so we can sort of motivate each other.</p>
<p>I am really undecided as of now. MHC dosen’t seem to fit me well because although I am quiet by nature, I do like to be in a livelier environment and have a place to catch a breather if I want to escape from the campus. South Hadley just seems like a pretty sad town from what I’ve read about it so far.</p>
<p>^Have you tried asking the Smith financial aid office to compare offers with MoHo’s? Just say that you’re really really wanting to attend, but cannot afford it, and shall have to go to MoHo instead because they offer a better package, and if they could be evr so kind to increase… :D</p>
<p>Another thing, if you’re going for a JD, your GPA is really important, and trying to complete in 3 years at the same time trying to maintain a stellar GPA…tough, you might crack under the stress.
If things don’t work out, then go to MoHo, and get a better undergraduate experience. You’ll be happy at both in the end, and more importantly, you won’t remember your undergrad as just a stressful experience. If you choose to go to Smith and complete in 3 years, I don’t really see you enjoying the “livelier” environment very much.
Also, remember, there’s a bus going from SH to Amherst’s frat houses to party, and there’s really a lot of social opportunities available if you look for it. Mount Holyoke too, has it’s social people, and you’ll find them. Verrry social mind you, I hear a lot of puking over seats goes on while on the way back. :p</p>
<p>Taking five courses per semester is pretty difficult, especially considering you’re going to be coming into a whole new cultural landscape (both personally and academically). I only took five classes one semester and it nearly killed me. There is a reason why four courses is the normal semester load. Doing five will give you very little time to do any of the things that would make you actually appreciate being at Smith. You should really focus on doing just one major if you’re going to have to graduate in three years. Also, like I said before, it’s very, very likely that classes you need for your majors will be scheduled at the same time, making it impossible to take both in one semester, which will set back your planning. </p>
<p>I think you should give Mt. Holyoke more of a chance. I wouldn’t call South Hadley “sad” by any means. It’s a very adorable little town. And Mt. Holyoke has wonderful dorms just like Smith does. It has more international students than Smith and it has a strong government program (remember that Smith doesn’t offer a degree international relations, only government with a minor in international relations or a government major that is focused on international relations). I think they’re pretty comparable and Mt. Holyoke seems to make the most financial sense for your family. And you’ll still be able to take classes at Smith and visit Northampton.</p>
<p>It says a lot when people who adore Smith urge you to go to MHC instead. Four years is everything. Until you get there, you won’t fully understand why this is.</p>
<p>D took 20 units for several semesters but that always included two 2-unit “non-academic” classes such as Dance and a musical instrument. </p>
<p>Bluntly, I think you’re crazy if you think you can sustain a 5 x 4-unit schedule and maintain the GPA attractive to any kind of top law school. And, oh yeah, you’re going to be spending serious time prepping for the LSAT if you plan to go to law school directly after undergrad. I have a niece who killed her grad school chances by taking too many units…nobody ever told her of the effect on GPA and what it would do to grad school (or law/med school) options.</p>
<p>My daughter knew a Smithie who took on that kind of crazy schedule – five courses per semester, every semester. She graduated in four years, but probably had enough credits to do a triple major. The problem was that she had no social life, no close friends. All she did was study. Of course, she wanted it that way – or at least, didn’t mind – but I always thought that she missed out on the peer-driven part of a Smith education.</p>
<p>Maybe she could try writing loads and loads of letters (also get other close people including students at Smith…her interviewer, etc) to SFS at smith letting them know that she likes the school to such an extent. I think they’d be pretty kind and open to proposals…</p>
<p>I hope that it works out for her!</p>
<p>I thought I had posted this but I don’t see it, maybe I forgot to click “Post.”</p>
<p>Yx, something for you to consider: virtually everyone here, who knows Smith and knows the American college system, both parents and recent alumni, are discouraging you from graduating from Smith in three years. Possible, yes; good idea, no. All this from people who want you to succeed and to be happy with your choices. I think you may need to conclude that even if you don’t completely get it, maybe they understand something you don’t.</p>
<p>Amortized over the first 10 years of your career, the cost differential is going to be minimal. The difference in experience significant.</p>
<p>Also, law schools (and legal employers) tend to prefer people who have been through 4 years of college (or, if they graduated in three years, had work experience). Applying to go straight to law school in a 3-year college program means you only have 2 years of grades to show them, not 3 or 4 like other folks, and it will include fewer upper-level writing and reasoning courses. Plus, a lot of law is being seen by clients and opposing counsel/parties and judges as mature, reliable, and with good judgment. Unfair as it may be, it is often harder for these folks to see that in a very very young lawyer.</p>
<p>My D is a 1L (law school first year.) Law schools definitely do not like to see kids racing through.</p>
<p>And the LSAT score is very important. It’s hard to study for LSAT’s when one is taking 5 courses.</p>
<p>And your coursework may be more relevant than you think in law school. My D is turning her honors thesis into a Law Review article. She could not have written this thesis with a fifth course.</p>
<p>“It says a lot when people who adore Smith urge you to go to MHC instead. Four years is everything.”</p>
<p>I think this bears repeating.</p>
<p>I will carefully think about this first. It’s hard to consider MHC when I’m so obsessed with Smith. I think if it can’t work out I’ll take a econs major and the 5 colleges IR cert, then I won’t have to take 5 classes per semester continuously. I am also waiting for my fin aid evaluation from Bryn Mawr so that’s another option, but I don’t think BMC is going to end up affordable too because they underestimated my need by $17000/yr. Not a pretty sum for them.</p>
<p>Oh yes another thing I’m worried about MHC is the large chinese population. Obv I don’t discriminate against them because I’m a chinese (China chinese, not Singaporean chinese as I moved to Singapore from China when I was 5) too, but I have a big tendency to gravitate towards the people similar to me. This ends up in my group of friends being very uniform. That’s something I want to change because I want to have a more diverse group of friends. I think that Smith’s housing system will facilitate my making of friends with all kinds of people. Traditional dorms don’t offer that kind of extremely close house community.</p>
<p>The only thing that can really facilitate you broadening your friendship base is your own choices. I knew plenty of people in the Smith housing system who were international students of one nationality or another who primarily chose to associate with people from their own country. When you’re in a new environment, it’s natural to gravitate towards what feels comfortable, so choosing one school over another is not going to stop anything automatically, you would have to make that decision for yourself to consciously make the effort to meet new kinds of people. </p>
<p>I get that you love Smith, I really do. I love Smith. But I think you’re not thinking about this completely rationally. It’s already going to be a stretch to get your parents to agree to an LAC. It’s even more of a stretch if you can’t really afford it, whereas you could more easily afford MHC. I think you should try to set aside your feelings and be rational about the situation. Try to give Mount Holyoke a closer look. The housing system at Smith is great, but that’s one small fraction of the entire experience. The housing system at MHC might be slightly different, but that’s also just a small fraction of the whole experience.</p>
<p>@ S&P</p>
<p>Yeah I do know that I’m being extremely biased. It’s just hard to let go when I’ve learn so much about it and even made friends with people who are going to Smith. I guess I’ll need to find more people deciding between Smith and MHC to help me decide.</p>
<p>While at this, do you know the differences between Smith and MHC in terms of grad sch/job prospects? Also, about the helpfulness and resources of their career development offices? One major dislike about MHC for me is that I have to compete for funding for internships while at Smith, it is a given.</p>
<p>I think they’re pretty comparable for grad school and job prospects. The Moho alum network is also strong and helpful, but I don’t know about their career development office (though I assume it’s similar to Smith’s). Keep in mind re: internship funding competition is that there’s a chance you could end up with more money than Praxis. Praxis is a great thing, but $2000 does not go as far as you think it will when you’re talking about paying rent as well as buying food in a big city for a summer internship. In a competition, some people get less, certainly, but hopefully those with a real need will get more funding that will make things even more reasonable for them.</p>
<p>Yes, regarding the Praxis-- I know Smith likes to promote it but, really, $2000 doesn’t go very far. Of course, it is better than nothing. BTW have they increased the amount? I have seen it listed as both $2000 and $2400 on their website.</p>
<p>^^ You’re right, $2000-2400 isn’t enought to support yourself during the summer. I think the stipend presumes that students will have free housing (family or friends). The hour requirement to receive the stipend, however, is low enough (works out to about 3 days/wk for 8wks) that a student can easily supplement the stipend with a couple shifts as waitresses, lifeguards, etc.</p>