Thoughts on College of the Holy Cross

I was admitted to Holy Cross and think I am about ready to commit. I toured the campus in the fall and was able to shadow a current student. I really liked it! I am planning to do an economics major and possibly double major in political science as well. What are your thoughts on Holy Cross? How are the academics? How is the social scene? Thanks for any replies!

Hi! I graduated from HC in the 1990s, so this is an admittedly somewhat dated response, but… I think you will find the academics demanding but rewarding. Economics and political science are two of the strongest departments at HC, and dual majoring in both should provide an intense but fulfilling experience. Plenty that that academic track could lead you to post graduation, from business to law, etc. What appealed to me about HC was the focus on the core liberal arts in the classical sense, the well-rounded academic program and the education and growth of the whole person (academic, social, athletic, artistic, spiritual). Students are generally very well-rounded, friendly and just “good kids”. The social scene when I was there was active and lively, always lots to do. Drinking was prevalent, but not overwhelming, and the general mindset was work hard/play hard. Within reason. Academics were demanding, but the spirit was cooperative and never cutthroat. The alumni network is very strong and supportive as well. Best of luck to you!

Every grad from my school who has gone there has adored it!!

Congrats!!

With respect to the economics department, Holy Cross faculty appear to be active contributors to their field:

https://ideas.repec.org/top/top.uslacecon.html

Our D is a current student and is very happy and challenged at HC. She is a STEM student but has friends who are economics and poly sci majors. A good friend just spent a semester in D.C. interning with a senior Senator and had a terrific experience. Economics and poly sci departments are well regarded and they have a good pre business advising program.

Social scene is good for both partiers and non partiers. Campus Activity Board sponsors a lot of non drinking activities, (Quidditch Tournament, Battle of the Bands, comedian shows, movie nights, dances, winter carnival etc). There is a movie theatre on campus that shows fairly recent releases. Campus vans take students to nearby shopping malls and there are Smart cars to rent. Uber is popular for going into the city of Worcester. No need of a car on campus.

Great school with an excellent reputation. Congrats and welcome to The Hill!

We’re about to head to Open House day tomorrow. However, my daughter’s biggest concern is that she’s just not “East Coast” enough. The group chat is making her feel like she is the only kid that works and doesn’t use “summer” as a verb. She’s just an average kid from the Midwest, and doesn’t want to feel ostracized. Thoughts?

@Buchholt The students are really down to earth, nice and very welcoming. My D has friends from all over the country and New England and she’s never mentioned “snooty” conversations among her “tribe”. She’s a fairly reserved, studious kid and has made lots of friends- (and we don’t “summer”). Your kid will be pleasantly surprised how unpretentious the vibe is. Enjoy the Accepted Students day. And congrats to your daughter.

@Buchholt I am an alum at HC and I’ll be there tomorrow for accepted student’s day with my daughter. Holy Cross gives a lot of financial aid to kids who could not afford it otherwise, I know because I was one of those kids. The students are amazing–the nicest people you’ll ever meet. While there are some very well off students, the majority are very down to earth, work-study students. You can’t find a better group of people. I hope my daughter chooses HC.

@Buchholt Agree with @HCPP20 and @threegirls in that HC is not known as a snooty school. Hard working and friendly really is the vibe there. And a huge percentage are involved in community service, really taking the Jesuit mission of ‘men and women for others’ to heart.

What about grade deflation? HC used to have a reputation for this. Is this still the case? Depending on what job you eventually go into, bad college grades could follow you around for a while, and a lot of employers won’t know that a 2.7 from HC equals a 3.0 elsewhere.

Just a follow up…we had a great experience at Open House and she came away feeling less concerned about fitting in. While she didn’t meet many kids, she still felt the general vibe was one she could be comfortable with. Hopefully there is some kind of parent community…I’m looking forward to meeting other HC parents!

@Buchholt Glad your D had a good experience!
The emphasis on community is one of the school’s biggest strengths, and Holy Cross does a lot of specific things to assimilate the freshmen and make them feel welcome.

@Buchholt I’m glad to hear that your daughter had a good experience, despite the overcast and misty weather at Accepted Students Day. Our D said it was not the best day to showcase the lovely campus, but we know from experience the open house info is really helpful. The Gateways Orientation over the summer and then just before the semester begins are really integral to getting comfortable with life on The Hill and to forming those beginning friendships. The orientation leaders are well trained to welcome new students on campus and to help foster connections with their peers. Our D felt ready for the academic rigor of HC once she felt comfortable and settled into campus living.

We met a bunch of new parents during the Summer Gateways Orientation. (The students do their thing with the orientation leaders and the parents have their own sessions). I still run into some of them at pick up/drop off for school breaks. Usually there are a bunch of parents waiting at Hogan Campus Center until the kids are ready to bolt and that’s where you get to meet other folks . It’s also a great spot to get a cup of coffee and snack from Cool Beans and read the student newspaper while you wait. I don’t know if there is a parent group per se for each graduating year, but maybe @Wisteria100 knows of a specific group, since she has a D there as well. I know our state has a HC “Alumni, parent, friend” get together in May that we are planning on attending. I bet most states have their own group like that and you would get emails about such events specific to your region once school begins. There are always big sporting events as well as choral and theatre performances thru out the semester that parents are welcomed to attend and those are ways to meet other HC parents. Good luck to your D.

hey! is it possible that an Indian guy from Hindu culture will be admitted to holy cross

of course -the school is not limited to Catholics and about 20% of the freshman class comes from diverse backgrounds