Smith/Mt. Holyoke Student Body Differences, anyone?

<p>[[ Those sombreros are in my house now c/o your D]]</p>

<p>Better yours than mine. Burn'em.</p>

<p>If you wear the sombreros in DC you’ll get arrested or asked out by a hippie. Take your choice!</p>

<p>[[And bed? I'm slowing easing out of a completely nocturnal state from finals]]</p>

<p>I was in a nocturnal state in college too, but it had nothing to do with finals. Something you're not telling us? Com'on, you can tell me. The kid isn't here :)</p>

<p>How many attempts did it take you to <em>finally</em> make it to one of <em>many</em> times when you could take the neuro final, 4? You're one lucky puppy finals are self-scheduled -lol</p>

<p>Each was portrayed as a different woman. I think it was something like this: Wellesley and Radcliffe were portrayed as snotty, Vassar as the noncomformist, Bryn Mawr as "experimenting," Barnard was "Columbia's girl next door," Smith as the jock, and Holyoke as the partygirl.]]]]</p>

<p>The origional.</p>

<p>You'll need Quicktime to view...It's a free download <a href="http://www.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/Reisberg/film/sisterssmall.mov%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.wellesley.edu/Chemistry/Reisberg/film/sisterssmall.mov&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>{{If you wear the sombreros in DC you’ll get arrested or asked out by a hippie. Take your choice!}}</p>

<p>get your bail money ready...we plan to have a photoshoot in front of the white house. We'll get doubles from costco and send em to ya.</p>

<p>{{How many attempts did it take you to <em>finally</em> make it to one of <em>many</em> times when you could take the neuro final, 4? You're one lucky puppy finals are self-scheduled -lol}}</p>

<p>It took me a few days and a couple more visits to Amherst, I couldn't peel myself away...</p>

<p>{{I was in a nocturnal state in college too, but it had nothing to do with finals. Something you're not telling us? Com'on, you can tell me. The kid isn't here}}</p>

<p>Well between you and me...I have a raging pot obsession, whiskey addiction (me and Jack D... we go waaay back), and did you know that if you filter cheap vodka in a Brita pitcher it is as high quality as Grey Goose?</p>

<p>[[get your bail money ready...]]</p>

<p>No need. I’m way ahead of you b/c I’ve had experience. The kid has an AmEx Gold Card with no limit. She’ll be able to get you both sprung, for a fee ;)</p>

<p>[[We'll get doubles from costco and send em to ya.]]</p>

<p>Not the high tech type, eh? What are you learning at Smith besides vodka filtration? Save the stamp. Digital photos can be emailed. Surprise, surprise. </p>

<p>[[I have a raging pot obsession,]]</p>

<p>I’m glad to see the arboretum is being put to good use. Although cannabis horticulture isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I donate to Smith.</p>

<p>[[It took me a few days and a couple more visits to Amherst, I couldn't peel myself away...]]</p>

<p>Save the gas--stay there. You know how scam free meals. LOL—Forgot, you can’t drive.
We'll cure that :)</p>

<p>[[did you know that if you filter cheap vodka in a Brita pitcher it is as high quality as Grey Goose?]]</p>

<p>I know where you got that silly idea. When are you ever going to learn to stop listening to Harvard men? </p>

<p>Trust this old bootlegger, it doesn’t work. Not to mention, it’s a waste of a perfectly good charcoal filter. Just put the cheap s*** in a Grey Goose bottle. No one can tell the difference anyway. Seriously, 60 Minutes visited an upscale lounge and did a taste test. Not one person could identify their fav vodka or the expensive from the cheapo, albeit, they were probably already loaded.</p>

<p>Gotta go, church tonight :)</p>

<p>Disclaimer: The editorial is for amusement purposes only and does not reflect the opinions or believes of anyone affiliated with Smith past or present-- nor are any said activities sanctioned or condoned by Smith College or its employees--that I’m aware of anyway. :)</p>

<p>Nice disclaimer RLT!!! ;)</p>

<p>Nice disclaimer RLT!!! ]]</p>

<p>Thanks. Ya can only spend so much time in court until it gets old.--Kidding :)</p>

<p>When I owned one of my companies, it was standard
(and the insurance agent and underwriters insisted) to have slander and libel insurance on the sr management team. It’s a shame that’s what the world has come to. Before you even go there, no, I never needed to avail myself and be represented by the insurance company’s attorneys</p>

<p>{{When are you ever going to learn to stop listening to Harvard men? }}</p>

<p>When did I start? Harvard men arent worth my time.</p>

<p>{{post#124}}
hilarious.
enjoy church..............</p>

<p>BUMP</p>

<p>I'm sure this topic will need to be revived for this year's applicants since many women apply to both MHC and Smith. A year after I've finished with the whole process with my daughter, I have a more concise view of the differences. Please note: the following reflects my own bias. My daughter attends Smith, although she got into both schools. </p>

<ol>
<li><p>Most women who apply strongly prefer one school over the other after visiting. Smith is a busier campus, both because of its proximity to NoHo and because of its larger size. Also, I understand that students in the 5 College Consortium take more classes at Smith than at any others off their own campus. MHC is more beautiful and isolated. </p></li>
<li><p>Both are liberal, with significant lesbian populations. Straights have no problems at either school, and, despite common misconception, are in the majority. If you are intolerant of gays, then you should not apply/attend either. Note: most colleges ARE liberal. It's the nature of academics. That doesn't mean that all graduates will be liberal, however, since people tend to gravitate toward one "side" or the other after college.</p></li>
<li><p>Smith's student body has a more urban feel -- however urban you can get in western Massachusetts. MHC struck us as more preppy, clean-cut. This overall impression is, of course, a gross generalization, since all types inhabit both campuses.</p></li>
<li><p>MHC has distributive requirements. Smith does not, although to graduate with Latin Honors you must take at least one course in seven different disciplines. The difference is that Smith allows students to make that decision. If that matters to you, then Smith should be at the top of your list. If it doesn't, both come out equal in this regard.</p></li>
<li><p>MHC has a much larger international population, while Smith is much more economically diverse. Both student bodies embrace those from different backgrounds.</p></li>
<li><p>Despite the closeness in rankings, Smith is more difficult to get into, but that should not matter when making the final decision. If prestige matters to you, then Smith has more name-pop, more respect. Neither school is widely known by the average American. Among academics, Smith is just a notch below the Ivy League, while MHC is one notch below Smith, but among the general population, both schools are just unknown places with odd names. (It's the old LAC name recognition problem.)</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Of course, there are many, many more differences - with just as many similarities. My d fell in love with MHC the first time she saw it, but, after visiting many more colleges, returned for her interview, only to discover that she had lukewarm feelings about it. She wanted a more vibrant location, and NoHo, with its small New England city bustle, fit the bill. She also liked the course offerings better at Smith. MHC's dorms were better kept up, but she loved the house system at Smith. (She's not a quad girl, which has a more dorm-like atmosphere.)</p>

<p>All in all, you can't go wrong at either school.</p>

<p>Ummm...what an unusual position for me. I've scrutinized MWFN's preceding post and can't find anything I disagree with, or even would quibble with. I must be slowing down.</p>

<p>The relative isolation of MHC...and we're not talking "isolation" like Grinnell here...turned my D off so completely that it was "Dad, don't park...please...Daaaad!!!!" Being a completist...it was on our pre-arranged list afterall, I parked. Then TheMom asked in the Admissions office if there were any more tours that day. "Moooom!!!!" Fortunately, there were not.</p>

<p>Regarding NoHo, there are towns of 30,000 and then there are towns of 30,000. D had originally been looking for a big city but NoHo passed muster. It has art, music, theater, restaurants. Some first-years were complaining that everything shuts down at 11. A) You should see the towns where everything shuts down at 6 and B) D scoffed and said, "You just haven't explored enough yet." I gather that Fitzwilly's, for instance, is open later.</p>

<p>"I've scrutinized MWFN's preceding post and can't find anything I disagree with, or even would quibble with."</p>

<p>I'm . . . speechless. :-)</p>

<p>“If prestige matters to you, then Smith has more name-pop, more respect.”
Among academics, Smith is just a notch below the Ivy League, while MHC is one notch below Smith”</p>

<p>ROFL ..Rest assured, no one will ever accuse you of being meek. </p>

<p>Let the jousting begin. ;)</p>

<p>The meek shall inherit the earth, but in the meantime, it's mine. :-)</p>

<p>MWFN, please resume speaking. I enjoy your voice and you have much to add. Let a hundred flowers bloom, let a hundred schools of thought contend.</p>

<p>Funny, I have a friend in my age cohort who is a MHC grad and she's very much like many Smithies of the same era and, allowing for age/experience, the current era. But I don't know many current-era MHC students and one of the ones I do know transferred; too small a data set to be definitive but my sense, for all the rivalry provoking implicit in the MWFN's assertion about academics, is that Smith is indeed tougher academically. </p>

<p>There's also a qualitative difference that I can't quite put my finger on. Academically speaking, a lot of Smithies seem to have a chip on their shoulder an having met several dozen, I feel confident about saying that. The Ivies may indeed be co-ed these days but in Smithies there seems to be an awful lot of throwback to when the Seven Sisters were the "alternative to Ivies for women." I'd grant the same description to the Wellesley students in aggregate as I've encountered them. In contrast, the MHC students seem a little more...compliant? Nature vs. nurture...cause and effect?...self-selection?...a coherent theory resting upon a lack of sufficient data? I don't know.</p>

<p>A mom of an MHC first year chiming in here! The MHC students I am familiar with are confident, competent and thus far (considering their ages) accomplished young women. </p>

<p>My daughter was at Smith for a debate. Her opinion...IF she had seen Smith, had applied and had been accepted, she would have had "an impossible decision". Good thing that little word means so much ;) </p>

<p>My instinct is that in the end, its about fit. They are both wonderful institutions.</p>

<p>They are indeed both fine institutions. I know of one young woman who is currently attending - and she loves it. However, they remain very different in character - at least, on the surface.</p>

<p>I also should clarify: when I said "among academics," I was referring to people in academia, not about the quality of the education.</p>

<p>whoaaa cali_girl that is one of the most ignorant things i have ever heard someone say.. I mean it's funny tho that people think like that</p>

<p>Did I miss something here????</p>

<p>i think there might've been a deleted post.</p>

<p>i was just replying to a very old post she made....</p>

<p>I'm an international student and well 4 me I like Smith but I fell in love with Mt.Holyoke... I applied to both...But there was just something about MHC that I fell in love with. In Jamaica you don't really have a wide selection of schools to choose from and because of the school system here your in high school for about 6 years ( we don't have an junior high school). So for the past six years I've been attending this school that I didn't choose cuz I was too young and when i got the opportunity to choose my college education.. I was ecstatic. So when i was introduced to both Mount Holyoke and Smith to me there wasn't any real big difference.. What made me decide to apply to MHC as my first choice though was their level of interest. i didn't get that much attention I guess from Smith... But they're both good schools</p>

<p>"What made me decide to apply to MHC as my first choice though was their level of interest"</p>

<p>It’s an admission officer’s job to sell their college. Dunno about you, but I buy a product based on the fact it best fits my needs--not b/c I liked the salesman. Smith has more applications than Holyoke. It makes it more difficult to correspond with all the prospective students on a regular basis. </p>

<p>Having said that, I like Holyoke a great deal. ;)</p>