<p>Smith vs. MHC vs. BMC vs. Wellesley vs. Barnard</p>
<p>Can anyone explain the atmosphere differences between these top 5 schools in a paragraph or less? I am trying to decide which one(s) will fit me best. Please help! </p>
<p>During my daughter’s application process just concluded, I found this comment very useful and referred back to it often:</p>
<p><a href=“Seven Sisters question, asked a different way - #30 by justmytwocents - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>Seven Sisters question, asked a different way - #30 by justmytwocents - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums;
<p>Yikes… not sure I agree with the link above! I, too, just finished admissions cycle with my daughter, who originally had all 5 of these schools on her list. I will come back and comment more tomorrow when I get a minute…</p>
<p>@elli1234 Are you able to visit? MHC, Smith, and Wellesley are easy to combine into one trip, at least. I can’t imagine choosing one of these without visiting and especially based on less than a paragraph of observations :)</p>
<p>All of them will have the typical advantages of women’s colleges: strong alumni network, more supportive environment, etc. But each one has a VERY different flavor. My daughter looked at all of them, and two stood out for her the most. But I think it’s really an issue of personal fit. They’re all going to offer extremely strong academics and great professors. </p>
<p>If you spend a little bit of time using the search feature here on CC, or visiting each college’s forum under Colleges and Universities > Top Liberal Arts Colleges, you’ll find lots of input from people about each school. That might be a good start. You might also narrow it down based on whether you want to go to school in NYC or not. My D initially thought she did, but after visiting she decided it was definitely not for her. Too many distractions, too expensive. So that knocked Barnard off her list.</p>
<p>I will try to give a brief synopsis of our takeaways of the atmosphere differences as you requested, but keep in mind my observations may not be any more valid that those in the link Requin provided, which I didn’t agree with 
Here’s what I wrote recently in response to someone asking about the differences between Wellesley and MHC: "Both campuses are absolutely BEAUTIFUL. But they have different feelings and settings… MHC is part of the 5-college consortium with Amherst, Smith, Hampshire, and UMass Amherst, in a very small town with a free bus running to the other colleges and the hip town of Northampton. The surrounding area is truly beautiful with lots of opportunities for hiking, etc. but a longer haul to a decent big city. Wellesley has a gorgeous pastoral campus -so you get some nature right there- but is surrounded by wealthy suburbs. Boston is ~45 minute bus ride. Surrounding area vibe? Both are kind of islands… but even though MHC is technically more isolated, I feel like the surrounding area has more to do/see more easily than Wellesley. At Wellesley, you can go walk around the affluent little village/town, or you can make the commitment to go all the way to Boston… (but it IS Boston, with all there is to do there!) Otherwise I think most people stay on campus. At MHC there is a free bus connecting all the colleges and Northampton. You have all the cultural events, social events, etc of 5 colleges plus a vibrant, artsy town. My sense is people go off-campus more at MHC; at Wellesley most people stay on campus during the week and then go into Boston on the weekends.</p>
<p>(Both schools allow cross registration with other colleges. I think it’s more common/easier at MHC with the 5-college consortium, though.)</p>
<p>Diversity: I think Wellesley is fairly diverse but MHC is especially well-known for its diversity. (My D is on the accepted students facebook page and talking with girls from all over the world. She’s been skyping with a young woman from Uzbekistan and may be roommates with her.) This is something you can look up from the Common Data Sets, I think: the number of different ethnicities and international students at each school.</p>
<p>Fun? I think that Wellesley is in general a bit more serious. Which is not to say -at all- that MHC students are not intensely focused on academics. But it feels less cutthroat, less competitive, more supportive in general than Wellesley. I think it really depends on which vibe suits you better! Hence my advice to visit. I really think that is crucial. Go while school is in session. Sit in on a couple of classes. Stay overnight in a dorm if at all possible. You may find that the more serious, slightly more pre-professional vibe at Wellesley is more appealing to you - or you may prefer MHC’s slightly more down-to-earth, welcoming, supportive community.</p>
<p>My daughter’s most important criteria when looking at schools was that it be passionate, intellectual environment. Both schools absolutely deliver on that front.</p>
<p>And, yes, Wellesley is more selective than MHC. It also has a larger endowment. That said, I know of several young women who have chosen MHC over Wellesley because the “vibe” there suited them better. I also know of lots who chose Wellesley! I really think you should visit, and see where you feel the most at home, and where you feel like you have found “your people”."</p>
<p>Smith has the advantages of MHC in terms of the 5-college consortium. It also has a house system for dorms, which creates a different kind of community. My D’s sense about Smith was that it was a bit more in-your-face feminist/activist than the others.</p>
<p>While I feel uncomfortable generalizing so much, here are my VERY pared down impressions: Mount Holyoke: incredible sense of community. Very welcoming and friendly. A bit more down-to-earth. Strong on social justice and diversity. Smith: a bit more strident. Wellesley: a bit more pre-professional, with a more intense/competitive community. </p>
<p>Note that the aid packages may also vary significantly. Wellesley does not give merit aid, for instance.</p>
<p>I really hope that you’ll be able to visit while school is in session, sit in on a couple of classes, and hopefully stay overnight in a dorm. Good luck!</p>
<p>Just to elaborate a bit - of course you should visit and get your own sense of each place. There are many similarities, and many equally important differences. Other people’s impressions on message boards like CC are just that, impressions, and certainly shouldn’t make your decision for you. But OP asked for a one-paragraph summary of each school’s atmosphere and as it happened there was a post from a couple years ago that was exactly that, so I linked it. (I don’t actually think that the summary in that post is inconsistent with @staceyneil’s “pared down impressions,” if it comes to that.) I wouldn’t take that post as gospel but overall it agreed with the impressions my D and I had of those schools. Except for Barnard (because she didn’t care for NYC), my D applied (and was accepted) at all of these schools - she had an agonizing choice exactly because of all these pros and cons. Ultimately she chose Bryn Mawr but really all four are wonderful colleges.</p>
<p>I think it was the comparisons with other colleges’ student bodies that got my hackles up. Colby and Bates are SOOOOOOO much more homogenous and whitebread than Mount Holyoke. Wellesley is much more open-minded than Duke. Smith is much more progressive than Colgate. It struck me as odd to compare these schools with schools I see as so very different.</p>
<p>I will say that the entire thread that link is taken from was informative and fun to read when D was first making her college list. I’m sorry if my comment was too critical!</p>
<p>Older D is at Smith; younger D has Barnard as first choice, but also looking at MHC and Wellesley. We don’t know anything at all about Bryn Mawr…I showed them the descriptions, and although they didn’t particularly agree with the “comparatives,” they found the rest pretty accurate!</p>
<p>Thank you all for the wonderful advice! @staceyneil, your thoughts were so wonderful to read! I am definitely going to visit all of these schools over the summer and get a feel for each. Then, hopefully I can get the chance to visit my top one or two again during the school year. </p>
<p>Here are a few other thoughts. While they have significant differences, in the grand scheme of things, Smith, Bryn Mawr, Mt Holyoke, and Wellesley are more like each other than any other schools. Barnard is a bit different because it’s partially integrated with Columbia (e.g., they don’t have their own sports teams, and the teams are Division 1 instead of 3) and has New York City instead of a nice campus.</p>
<p>My daughter applied to and was accepted at the three with which she felt she had the best fit (Smith, Bryn Mawr, and Wellesley). I’ll only talk about these since I know more about them. All 3 schools are known for significantly less drinking and drugs than the typical college. They all have a number of unique and interesting traditions. Smith is a friendly, casual, accepting place. The students tend to be unpretentious, irreverent, and often somewhat quirky. My quiet, introverted daughter has an amazing number of friends, and every time she starts a new activity or class she picks up more. The other two schools seemed friendly as well, though the students at Bryn Mawr seemed more inwardly focussed. Students at Wellesley were a lot more preppy. Studying is important at all three schools. At Smith it’s a collaborative affair (my daughter has had several study friends in almost every class she’s had) and students juggle it with their other activities which they treat as equally important. I’ve heard that at Bryn Mawr many students prioritize studying over other activities, and that at Wellesley schoolwork is more competitive between students than at other schools.</p>
<p>Each school has distinctive features that color its environment. Smith’s many houses and dining halls give the students an intimate living environment. It’s the only school with an engineering program; in addition to activist students and arty students, it has a large contingent of nerdy students with a wide of range of interests. For example, besides usual activities like a science fiction and fantasy club and a quidditch team, students publish a research journal and students put on an annual sci-fi/fantasy/anime/gaming convention (ConBust). Bryn Mawr is smaller than the other schools, which provides a more intimate overall environment. While all three schools are in some kind of consortium, Bryn Mawr’s relationship with Haverford is the most interconnected and active. In some cases the two schools have complementary academic departments; for example, students from both schools interested in molecular biology will major in biology at Haverford, whereas students from both schools interested in organismal biology or ecology will major in biology at Bryn Mawr. Wellesley has several social societies that do various activities and which you have to rush for and get accepted into, sort of like sororities. Both Smith and Wellesley have their own study-abroad programs. Nearly half of the juniors at the two schools study abroad for some amount of time, and financial aid is guaranteed to continue while abroad.</p>
<p>I highly recommend visiting all five, since sometimes a school that seems perfect on paper will just not feel right when you’re on campus. You will also sense things that don’t come through from reading. For example, Smith had an energy and sense of vitality that we didn’t feel at some well known LACs, and my daughter liked Barnard’s tiny campus far more than she expected from looking at photos and a map.</p>
<p>Clearly staceyneil, although trying to be fair, is an MHC fan. 
Please note that the Wellesley bus to and from Cambridge on an hourly basis is also free, and that it takes something like 45 minutes or more to get from MHC to some of the consortium members, according to what I’ve heard. (The Wellesley/MIT bus used to take more like 30 minutes. Maybe there is more traffic now.) Boston and Cambridge have cultural resources far beyond anything that Northampton has to offer. I mean, Amherst has a nice little art museum, but it is no better that the Wellesley art museum and the MFA, Fogg, and Gardner museums are not to be found in Northampton, as charming as it is.</p>
<p>I actually think that the descriptions linked by requin are not bad, although I think the college comparisons are iffy in some cases. (MHC may be a bit like Bates, but Colby? I don’t think so. And Smith/Colgate seems fairly bizarre.)</p>
<p>In terms of the local atmosphere of Smith and Wellesley, consider whether you’d rather prefer to live a small city/large suburb with virtually no access to a larger city, or a medium-sized suburb with easy access to a larger city. I didn’t really do a thorough visit of Smith, but I liked the idea of living in Wellesley over Northampton, which felt a little bit too “in-the-middle-of-nowhere” for me, personally. Many people would prefer Northampton since it’s less expensive, though. </p>
<p>I picked Moho over Wellesley (didn’t apply to to the other sisters) because I felt more at home and safer expressing myself there. </p>
<p>Thank you everyone for the amazing feedback! I have now visited all five schools. My top pick is Wellesley, second is Mount Holyoke, then Smith, Barnard, and finally Bryn Mawr. There were so many factors that made me decide on this order, but most of it was just the individual feeling of each school. </p>
<p>Which would all of you say is the least - nerdy, fantasy oriented. Least STEM oriented.? Least cut throat? Least Gay Transgender? My daughter is only looking at one so far. MHC. She will be a Political Science major. Other interests include literature, art, and writing. Not involved in team sports,.She absolutely wants to have the opportunity to meet men. She is politically and socially liberal, but a preponderance of transgender students or gay students would make her somewhat uncomfortable.</p>
<p>Which are the best fit?</p>
<p>None of these schools have a preponderance of transgender students or gay students; they all have some. Once your daughter gets to know some gay or transgender students, they may not make her uncomfortable any more. Smith is not cut-throat whereas Wellesley has a reputation for it; I’m not sure where the others fall on the spectrum. Probably the best ones for meeting men are Barnard (proximity to Columbia) and BMC (proximity to Haverford). As for your other questions, these schools are strong in a lot of areas and have multifaceted student bodies. For example, Smith has a full STEM program (it’s the only one with engineering) and BMC and MHC are also known for their science programs, but these schools all have strong humanities programs as well. Smith has a strong contingent of nerdy/fantasy oriented students, but also has a lot of students in performing arts, visual arts, activism, etc. (and many cross multiple boundaries). The other schools may be similar.</p>
<p>Uhhh…I was trying to find out about schools strong in my daughter’s interests, not STEM schools. </p>
<p>I would expect that none of the colleges would have a “preponderance” of transgender students. However, in a relativity small college, 1/4 can seem like a lot. As a family, we know gay people. She has a gay friend in high school, however that student.is male. Her cousin visited Smith and was put off by the presence of so many trans or masculine appearing students. This is a girl who grew up in Greenwich Village NY! She is interested in STEM and is nerdy. chose Wellesley. The cousin is more cut throat. </p>
<p>She is in NOT interested in STEM or nerdy pursuits. Or competitive sports. </p>
<p>Are liberal arts and social sciences being down played at these schools in favor of STEM?</p>
<p>No, these schools are strong in liberal arts and humanities as well. For example, Smith (the school I’m most familiar with) has a great performing arts facility including an amazing tech shop, one of the best art museums at an undergraduate college, a large variety of student singing groups, an exceptional language program including Smith-run study abroad programs in 4 countries, etc. As a political science major, your daughter might be interested in Smith’s semester-in-Washington program or in its study-abroad program in Geneva. The other colleges have similar strengths in humanities and liberal arts.</p>
<p>@LuxLake - Barnard is urban and has a wonderful poli sci department - my Barnard grad daughter was a poli sci major. Barnard/Columbia students are notoriously lacking in “team spirit” when it comes to athletics – there actually are a lot of student athletes, but no one shows up to athletic events. </p>
<p>I can’t compare Barnard to other women’s colleges. DD had no interest whatsoever in attending a woman’s college. She was dead set on NYC – also applied to NYU & Fordham. Would not have wanted Columbia’s core, so never really considered applying to Columbia – Barnard was clearly the better fit. </p>
<p>I can tell you that Barnard offers all of the benefits of a woman’s college with none of the drawbacks or limitations. (Plenty of males around – they just don’t happen to be assigned to live in the same dorms, at least not during the first year)</p>
<p>Barnard is indeed different from the other women’s colleges. I am going to encourage her to look into Barnard. I can anticipate her objections - we are originally from the NYC metro area, and NYC for her; does not hold the unique thrall that many students have for it. </p>
<p>However, I agree that she should look at Barnard.</p>
<p>lux, here’s some you tube videos highlighting non-STEM classes at MHC.
MHC is hot-bed of Liberal Arts. Students are fed through a meat grinder of critical thought everyday.
I would assume the other sisters are similar.
<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;
<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;
<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;
<a href=“War: What Is It Good For? - YouTube”>War: What Is It Good For? - YouTube;
<a href=“- YouTube”>- YouTube;
<p>Accrding to my D, meeting men is a challege. She one of the ladies who “likes boys”, wears make-up and gets dressed each day for class. (evidently it not uncommon for women to show-up for class in onies PJs) It’s taken her a while to adjust to life at MHC. But, she feels the trade-off (boys) for a superior, world class education is worth it for her. Aside form accedmics, she loves the 5-college area, the free PVT bus and the abilty to take classes and attend events at the other schools. She’s spends several hours per week at Amherst. The Campus is crazy lovely especially the grounds and her historic and gracious dorm room. She has great roommate and has made many friends. </p>