Smith/Mt. Holyoke Student Body Differences, anyone?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Smith College
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<p>Yes, and we really are talking about "differences in student bodies" LOL.</p>

<p>icek8mom: Yeah, it was disappointing for D to be too short for dance (and too curvy, though very slender, hip bones dug into spine on many moves, but she sure was the favorite in partnering class (I bet you daughter too).</p>

<p>My son is a very talented dancer (just from stuff D has shown him around the house), and as a child he was offered Nutcracker Prince. His immediate response was "I'd rather die", which he stuck to. When I pointed out that he was just afraid his friends would make fun of him his reply was, "Yeah, so what's your point?" Some things don't change fast enough.</p>

<p>Though I hear there's a big swing dance culture at Williams, where he's going. Is it wicked of me to hope he learns to swing dance?</p>

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<p>If I had known about ballet and hadn't had two left feet and had had enough nerve, knowing what I know now I would have done ballet as a kid...a chance to hold all those pretty girls without them telling you "Go away." Actually, from hanging around ballet productions, I figured out that I more probably should have been a theater kid when I was in high school, not a pre-engineering geek.</p>

<p>On-topic footnote: during her college search, D's best ballet experience was at Barnard, where she took class with Allegra Kent, whom she knew previously from a summer intensive in Taos. On just the ballet, there were concerns about getting into the "right" ballet classes at registration.</p>

<p>While visiting Georgetown & GW, she took class at Washington Ballet and wound up at the same barre as Ethan Stiefel...whom I first encountered in that teen ballet fantasy, "Center Stage." ["As a dancer you're terrific. As a boyfriend, you suck." Or summat like that.]</p>

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<p>Ha, "Center Stage" was just on tv. I used to take classes at the Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet, which had two former students in the movie as background dancers (at one point, I thought, "I remember watching Jonathan Stafford dance the lead in Stars and Stripes. Hey, he's in this movie!")</p>

<p>Ethan Stiefel also studied at CPYB for awhile...before I was there, though. Every once in awhile I Google various people who were much better dancers than I - quite a few are doing very well for themselves.</p>

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<p>In Middle School during a summer program my D also took class with Ethan Stiefel at Broadway Dance Center. Pictures were taken! I wonder if ballet dancers who don't go into companies or straight dance programs (Cincinatti, Utah) are over represented at women's college?</p>

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<p>Well, one factor that pushed Smith & Barnard (but not Wellesley) to the fore on D's list was that the ballet was among the best available in a non-conservatory program. NYU might have made the final list but the fact that you couldn't have an academic major and take the ballet classes of Tisch killed that one real quick. Didn't even stay for the tour.</p>

<p>D just got home from her first ballet class in almost a year [wait...she took a couple over Winter break] doing barre and a little center. "Ooof," is the operative word. She's stopped being completely weirded out by being at the same barre with [still] young women who taught her ballet & jazz when she was in the 6-10 year old range. Now the last time the jazz teacher ran into me, over Winter break, she said that it made <em>her</em> feel old.</p>

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<p>About Smith (to go back to the OP's topic)...when we visited, there were a lot of butch women on campus. Like everywhere I looked. The other women's colleges we visited (MoHo, Bryn Mawr) didn't have nearly the same amount (less than 5 that I saw). I personally don't have a problem with it, but if you're conservative or something...</p>

<p>Some other thoughts:</p>

<p>Smith's campus felt very random and disorganized to me. It was a lot more like being in the suburbs than being on a college campus. For example, the dorms looked like ordinary houses and some buildings (such as the student center) reminded me of a mall (contemporary design with a lot of plastic, glass and organic shapes) or other public buildings you would find in a typical suburb.</p>

<p>As a lot of people mentioned, Smith has no distribution requirements, so I thought that was pretty cool. The place just didn't have the organization or atmosphere I was looking for, though.</p>

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<p>Hi. I discovered these forums yesterday and I wish I had done so a little earlier... when I was applying last fall. I will be attening MHC although 'women college', 'laid-back', 'compliant' and 'classy campus' doesn't really go with me. My mom is a homo so she got me to apply to women's college and as I am not exactly comforable with my own sex... more like I'm an only child, pretty isolated from peers and not exactly lady-like or girly, while I am the cutesy kitty type of personality, the idea of a girly group hug only makes me aww as long as I don't have to participate in it. Still, it's not that I am tomboy person who likes staying with guys either. In fact, in elementary school I was in a catholic all girls' international school in Japan and didn't feel the least uncomfotable. In fact I loved it but then we didn't get all too clingy at that age level and most of us were straight. I have a different lifestyle from most people I know. For one, I whore myself in reading manga and watching anime and totally into Japan as I grew up there. Partying, hanging out with guys, having a girly blast after late night drinking and heavy socialising isn't my idea of fun. However, I am cool and do not like a heavy study-centered environment although I prefer being around people who put studies before other things... especially partying. One thing I am concerned about attending MHC, though, is whether they're adventurous and eventful as other colleges would be. While I don't care about heavy fun, I would like there to be all sorts of occassions, festivals, fairs, special guests coming over and other types of academic and non-academic events. I know I seem to be contradicting myself when it comes to my preferences but I just want to make sure I am going to a community where there's some variation. </p>

<p>I did apply to Wellesley, Bryn Mawr and Smith as well. My credentials were pretty good and although I didn't apply to that many Ivys as others in my circle tend to do, I <em>almost</em> had the requirements fulfilled for admission. Almost because a good SAT score is like the one main thing that'd decide your chances to a college (despite what the schools say about extracurriculars and GPA being more important) and the CollegeBoard people screwed up my SAT registration so bad that it's a wonder I was actually able to sit for my exams in the first place. So yeah, lots of tension and not exactly the correct setting and mood for 'preparing for the coming tests'... result I lead sleepless nights and get sick and blah a mere 2280 on SAT II (despite having scored full marks for harder tests of the same subjects in the past) and an embarassing 1800 in SAT I. So, I got a rejection from Smith (funny I got around 10 handouts sent to me from Smith urging to apply in the period preceding) --- not to forget Smith sort of seemed to be missing some of my required application materials which I did resend... and then a waitlisting from Bryn Mawr and rejection from Wellesley. I did get acceptaces and waitlistings from a few other colleges requiring the SATs as well. So yeah, MHC was my safety school and I did get admission as expected and with the leadership award thingy and the reason why I have chosen MHC over the other schools I have been accepted to was nothing to do with ranks (a couple of them ranked higher in top LAC/national unis) and was to do with financial grant. I am kind of worried as with MHC, a large portion of the aid award is a loan and if, after graduation, I have to come back it will take me a lifetime to pay that back. I want to make sure I get a good job with whatever degree I get henceforth (need suggestions for that --- it has to be a science oriented major). I also hope to retake the SATs (if that can be taken in college still) just for the sake of my records. The reason why I couldn't retake it this year was because thanks to CollegeBoard I had to re-register for my SATs as standby and I didn't even get the $101.5 refunded for my 1st registration. So my mother said there's a chance of screw up for the third time and she is done paying and she'd only let me re-register if there's a refund. Yes, we're extremely financially down this year as my parents are buying a house plus a lot of moving and everything is just financially heavy on us this particular year. While paying even a $60 for something will still give my parents headaches the coming years, my parents did say they'll have a bit more money from year 2009. God bless them, they're pouring themselves out for my education.</p>

<p>Anyways, , I am obviously looking forward to making occassional visits and taking classes even at Smith and Amherst and NoHo sounds promising (I will be traveling from South Asia to attend school) so I just wanted some opinions from people who are generally familar with the whole MHC, Smith, girl schools things --- not only an insider of MHC who can be pretty biased --- regarding level of fitness, activity, academics, etc of the community I am going to.</p>

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<p>Also, I forgot to mention this...</p>

<p>As for the gayness level, I have grown up in a community (both here and Japan) where the only homo person I encountered was my mom --- who is having the life of a 'straight' person so I'll admit it makes me uncomfortable. But I do have a couple of gay guy friends on the net and thanks to them I am bit less homophobic than I used to be before. Then again, a gay guy is a different experience from a lesbian girl. I can be normal friends with a gay guy and even be totally unreserved in front of one as I can be sure that he's not looking at me in the 'wrong way'. But with lesbians present, I gotta think twice before changing my clothes in front of others if I don't want them to have any naughty thoughts about me. Well, I don't believe just because there are lesbos that I will witness a lot of gay kissing and snuggling around me and get all freaked out but... I will still like to know exactly HOW a community with a large percentage of lesbians act around each other and to what degree is the lesbian affectionate factor visible through words and actions.</p>

<p>Again, being ignorant about a community with gay people present, I am sure I have no idea about how such a community is really like and I might be jumping to conclusions here. Forgive me if some of the things I have written sounds ridiculous or makes one thing 'uhh... what's wrong about that?'. I am open to experiencing new things and getting acquainted with a different type of community as I am welcome to differences and respect people's traditions and backgrounds (rather the wrong fit was the local community in my high school comprised of people of my own nationality solely where there is no cultural exchange and I seemed different because I am not anything like a typical girl of this country). So getting some ideas about what I am to expect and that's all.</p>

<p>Also... is geekyness welcomed? o<em>O I hope geeky girls (like me --- not nerdy just geeky as I am internet savvy) can make friends still. I have lots of friends here and most of the real life ones are not geeky and we still get along and have loads of fun. I am very talkative and humorous at the right setting and right mood. :) At the same time, I am very opinionated and outspoken and have my own ideas and inputs in everything... that is intellectually vibrant (my guy admires this quality in me <em>blush</em> the most) and I like hot discussions at the coffee table and try to have it quite often. ;) While in thoughts and words I am naughty as well... to an o</em>oing degree, not so in action. :P</p>

<p>(Well as you can see I am a 'forum whore'... might attempt to make the MHC forum alive again... )</p>

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<p>Tsubie, people "grow up" at college --- and I don't mean necessarily get more mature, though they do, but that they really start becoming the people they will be for the rest of their lives. Unless you decide to transfer, MHC will be your center. You will learn a lot there.</p>

<p>A couple of things (assuming you're international and not American): first, you should be careful about your terminology. At least in my neck of the woods, "homo" is considered derogatory and not just a description. Second, yes, you will see overt homosexuality. Third, most student bodies consist of a wide range of students: geeks, nerds, jocks -- whatever label you find, there will be a subgroup on campus that embraces the "type." </p>

<p>MHC is a fine school. Don't fret over where you didn't get it. Instead, embrace what will eventually be your alma mater. Good luck!</p>

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<p>Echoing what MWFN says.</p>

<p>Geekyness will do just fine at MHC, as it would at Smith. And you don't have to worry about various states of undress in front of your housemates, regardless of orientation...from what I understand, jeans-and-bra are almost a uniform at times when not on the ground floor of your house/dorm.</p>

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<p>Down to basics: if a fantastic library is key, I don't think I've ever seen a more wonderfully Harry Potter-esque library than the one at Mount Holyoke.</p>

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<p>Yeah I know they have a good library.</p>

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<p>
[quote]
Also... is geekyness welcomed? o_O

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'm just a prospie, but...</p>

<p>When I visited MHC during April vacation, my impression was that it was practically a haven for geeky types. :)</p>

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<p>ROFL, how so?</p>

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<p>I had the same feeling about geekiness at Mount Holyoke, especially with science and math geeks. It was nice. :)</p>

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<p>I am not talking about nerds... which I'd rather avoid... as I am nothing close. Geeks as in people who are obsessed with certain fun things like RPG games, TV, internet.</p>

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<p>After reading the posts on this thread one major difference that strikes me concerns the parents. My daughter (as well as 2 classmates) was accepted at both schools. Two have chosen MHC and the other Smith. They're both great schools and it really should be about the fit. About the differences: Some like a quiet gorgeous campus with a lake. Some like a smaller campus and the "hustle and bustle" of Northampton. Others may choose one over the other because of it's perceived strength in a given area. The idea is that the schools are about equal though I think Smith has the edge in two areas:slightly harder to get into and better name recognition. What Mount Holyoke doesn't have is a group of parents who post on it's page comments like," Mount Holyoke is head and shoulders above Smith academically". Or ,"Mount Holyoke is a notch below the Ivies and Smith is a notch lower". According to the Princeton review MHC is ranked higher academically than Smith(meaningless margin though) as well as higher than every Ivy except Harvard and Princeton (just for those who put stock in such rankings). Lines like "women go to Smith to get a degree and get married" are unlikey to appear on the MHC page. It seems to me that a major difference is in the parents. So Tsubie, forget you didn't get into Smith and embrace your opportunity at MHC and dump the "Smith is better" hogwash. P.S. my sister's a Smithie</p>

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<p>Im interested in many colleges.However, within the womens college's, its between Wellesley, Smith and MHC ( maybe Barnard) which school is more literary, social science oriented? Im interested in politcal science/international relations or literature(writing).Which would be better for a student of those subject matters?</p>

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<p>I would say that they all have strong social science programs, women's colleges usually do (hold over from the old days). But if you're interested in IR/or political science, then you should look at Smith and Wellesley in particular i think. I'm sure that MHC's program is fine, but they're a bit a more isolated IMO.</p>

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<p>I would think that Barnard would also be strong - - especially w/ cross-registration at Columbia, just across the street.</p>