UGA vs Georgia State vs Mt Holyoke [chose UGA]

College Search & Selection
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hey! I’ve been feeling very undecided with my college choices right now and college decision day is just around the corner. I’d really appreciate any insight :smiley:
TLDR; basically I’ve been given a guaranteed transfer option into Georgia Tech next year (fall '23) as long as I take 30 credits at another institution for this year, so I’m confused on where to go for my first year. I’m also kind of undecided with my major and I initially went in with business (CIS) but I’m also considering computer science (or computational media at Tech).

University Of Georgia pros:
-I’m instate so I have a full tuition scholarship

-they have all the necessary classes I need to transfer into tech

-larger school, close to a major city and it’s also close to home (i can visit the fam)

cons:

-they don’t have a CIS major. MIS would be my second option however it’s not as good of a program and job prospects seem ok

-visited campus and the vibes were really off, i feel like i’d have a hard time making friends because uga isn’t the most diverse campus

-have to pay approximately ~6k for a dorm so I can’t really save $$

Georgia State pros: -good aid so id only be paying ~1k in fees and books & i’ll save a lot of $$

-has CIS as a major

-big urban city

-has most of the requisite classes I’d need to go to Tech

cons:

-I live about 45 mins away from campus so I’d have to commute (might be really tiring)

-again, I might struggle making friends bec commuters tend to leave as soon as class is done

-they don’t have a particular computer science class that I need to take if I want to transfer to GT (CS 1331 at GT)

-might miss out on the dorming / living on campus experience I guess

Mount Holyoke

pros:

-is a small LAC in massachusetts. I’ve always wanted to study OOS

-I’d get to dorm, can visit cities such as Boston and NYC

-extremely generous aid, would only be paying 6k for everything

-5 college consortium so i can take classes at smith, amherst, umass, and hampshire college (thinking about all the connections i can make)

-would be a really refreshing experience

cons:

-it might be a lot harder to transfer to tech so I might just have to stay here for the full 4 years

-they don’t have a business program so i’d have to major in econ (possibly minor in CS)

-it’s a HWC and i’ve already studied at an all girls high school for like my entire life

-mass is very cold

-campus seems really small and rural

I guess it basically boils down to mount holyoke (4 years) vs transferring to Georgia tech. I feel like both would lead me to great opportunities but at the former i can make a lot of connections. however the latter seems like a more prestigious option than a relatively unknown LAC. What does CC think I should do?

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You go to a school. UGA or Mt Holyoke and don’t look back.

You don’t go somewhere with one foot out the door.

What’s your major?

I would eliminate Ga Tech. Love those that love you.

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Rule out commute - it sounds like you have. You could go to a closer Two year school, too.

That is pretty great package for Mount Holyoke. Did you visit? Travel home can be tough from there to GA.

If you really want Georgia Tech, take 30 credits at UGA and make plans for the next year. Worst case scenario you end up loving it and stay at UGA.

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I don’t see CIS at MHC.

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True, but students change majors all the time.

@stream_dynamite Look at careers which interest you, and see what degrees are required in order to work in those field. See if they have any of those majors as Mt Holyoak.

In general, I’m with @tsbna44 - UGA or Mt Holyoke.

It is FAR from being “relatively unknown”. It is a very well known and well regarded school, and it will open many doors.

And instead of “small and rural”, think “green and beautiful”. The networking opportunities at a small school are, ironically, better than at a large college, because you make closer friends and more of them. Moreover, being a woman in tech or CS is not easy. My wife is a CS professor, and talks about how difficult the social aspects of doing a CS degree are for women, especially in places like GTech. Since networking is all about social interactions, it makes it difficult for women to benefit from the networking opportunities at places like GTech, and makes doing well in the classes that much harder.

If you had been accepted directly to GTech, I would say that, perhaps, the benefits of attending GTech for CS outweigh these problems. But I would not recommend attending G State or UGA, which have the same issues in tech classes, because you MAY transfer to GTech.

Good luck, and congratulations!

Overall, I think that you will both do better at MHC and graduate better positioned, careerwise.

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My point was that she dismissed UGA because it doesn’t have CIS, but she then said that she’s interested in MHC. I’m just saying that MHC apparently doesn’t have CIS either.

That seems curious to me. I’m not saying anything bad about MHC. Just saying that it’s not consistent.

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Is that guarantee dependent on your college GPA, or do you need only achieve 30 credits regardless of the grades? I ask because if it has a GPA requirement, there is the possibility you fall under that threshold and are forced to remain at your first-year school.

Therefore, the decision isn’t necessarily MHC versus GT. The question might be UGA/GSU or MHC. If you chose UGA/GSU and are unable to transfer to GT, it is almost a certainty that your generous FinAid package from MHC will not be available as a sophomore transfer. Therefore, you would likely remain at UGA/GSU for your entire 4 years.

So ask yourself if you would prefer four years at UGA/GSU, or four years at MHC. That is your real decision right now.

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Do you want to attend a women’s college…or not?

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First off, thanks to everyone for the great feedback! Just by reading some of the comments from this post, I feel like I’m much closer to making a decision than I was about 24 hours ago. Although I don’t think I’ll make my actual choice (with the deposit ) until May 1st :face_with_open_eyes_and_hand_over_mouth: this has provided me with a lot of clarity! Especially because as a first gen, I’ve gone through the entire college process alone without any real feedback or input from others, specifically people who can help me make a decision lol.

@thumper1 MHC was the only HWC that I applied to, and I never expected to get in (especially with such a generous aid package) so I guess I never really gave it much thought. Now that I’ve been accepted, I’m wondering if socially that’s the right scene for me since I’ve been exposed to a similar environment my entire life, and I always figured college would be a great time to switch that up. However, since MHC is a great college nonetheless, I’m cool with going to a women’s college since it can provide me with amazing career opportunities.
@Bill_Marsh Well, I’m not “dismissive” about UGA because of the academics but more so due to the lack of actual diversity on campus. I feel like it might be harder to relate to my peers, based on my experience visiting campus. Also, I did mention that a con of MHC was that they don’t offer my major but they do have a similar program (major in Econ and minor in CS) which is what a lot of LAC’s tend to offer (compared to a traditional BBA) anyways.

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Based on my chat with the admissions office, I believe that I am guaranteed a spot at GT next fall, as long as I take 30 credits while maintaining a minimum GPA of 3.3. But I completely understand that I may not be able to transfer next year if I do terribly in my classes and mess up my GPA, and I will have to keep that mind while selecting a college. If that is the scenario, I feel like UGA might be the better option (finances aside, as both UGA and MHC amount to the same in fees) since I’ll be close to my family and they offer more choices in the BBA program. The only thing holding me back from making this decision is that I keep thinking back to Mount Holyoke’s 5 college consortium. I feel like attending classes at these 5 other colleges (Smith, Amherst etc) can help me make connections that might be more beneficial than a degree from UGA? This is why I’m finding it really hard to choose between the two.

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Forget Ga tech. Both Mt Holyoke and UGA are outstanding. Go have a great first year, fall in love with the school and make it a fantastic four years.

Not sure how much MHC students take advantage of the consortium. You might ask. It’s not close to any of the other four schools.

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25 minutes to Amherst College and 35 minutes to UMass. Bus runs every half hour.

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The concern of MHC not having your current primary major is an important one. That you applied there kind of randomly and now are trying to make a decision site unseen is tough.

One option, go to MHC for the year and give it everything. Take in all the area offers and make sure to get a 3.3. If you hate it or can not figure out another major you have GT and you have had a New England college experience. And if you love it, stay. For this to work, you need to figure out what classes you need for GT - you may need something this summer or next back in Georgia at a community college because that may be hard to pull off up there.

Or go to UGA and enjoy! And if you do not enjoy it, you have GT.

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Get on Facebook group and see how many actually do this. Maybe a class here and there, I guess. But it’s most likely not going to be lots of classes. But still kinda cool in some respects. The nice thing is no matter which you choose if you do above the 3.3 you have GT as a back up. Few can say this. But. And it’s a big but. First year is a big adjustment for many students. Use every resource. Many in the engineering /CS majors might not achieve a 3.3 their first year. Yes, you read that correctly. You will have to work hard for that average,as you should. Get every help you can. Study groups are key. It seems all your choices will have those resources for help. Good luck. There is nothing wrong staying where your at if you love it. Being active on campus and being a good student will reward you with internships and job offers. Good luck.

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As a first gen be sure to take advantage of all the study resources at your college. Take a time management class. Study groups are also very helpful.

Do you have Hope or Zell for UGA and/or GT? You could do very well at Scheller. They have an IT management path. Combine with a CS minor or other tech minor and you’re good.

You have a top school in-state. Crazy to walk away. If you can’t do a 3.3 at UGA or other school you would have problems with GT CS.

Last resort could be to look at the list below of colleges with openings. Typically the list grows after May 1st.

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As a student myself at a school part of the 5 college thing and a MA resident, I am very positive that you should not go to Mount Holyoke. The area does suck and is very rural, also do you want to risk spending another 4 years at an all-female institution? UGeorgia seems like the place to go and even if it may be a PWI, I’m sure there are dozens of groups designed for POC students looking to connect.

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If you plan on transferring to Georgia Tech, and you are sure about your major choice and ability to handle the rigor at Georgia Tech, I would go to Georgia state. There are a ton of kids every year who go to Georgia state under the transfer option and transfer into Tech. If you are flexible about funds, you could actually even live at Georgia Tech in an off-campus apartment and then commute to Georgia state. Quick commute and it would let you actually take advantage of lots of the activities on the Georgia Tech campus, and you would meet other Georgia Tech students living in off-campus housing.

The hitch is if you don’t transfer, don’t do the transfer pathway correctly, don’t make the 3.3, etc. Then you are at Georgia State which does have a lot of commuters and may not be the college experience you are looking for. Just know if you decide to go to UGA that there is a very robust minority student network with a ton of support. So while walking around campus it may not look diverse, there are a lot of involved minority students and network.

Agreed that if you cannot make a 3.3 at UGA to sarisfy the transfer pathway requirements Georgia Tech will be a rude awakening.

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Just thought I’d throw my hat in the ring. As a current MHC student, I love it. Yes, it is rural for sure. You can get off campus, but I don’t much. I have friends and tons of things to do on campus, so I don’t really feel a need. We have a very strong support system for first gen/low income students. Our CS major is fabulous, with lots of resources. I’m not a CS major, but it’s very popular here. I’ve also heard good things about econ. I’ve loved all my professors. I find I don’t mind it being a womens college at all. Massachusetts is cold for sure, so something to think about. Our alum network is also great.

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I’m an alumna of Mount Holyoke. It is a wonderful school – a national treasure. I do not see Georgia Tech as being in the same league as Mount Holyoke. So, if Georgia Tech is your dream school, don’t take up a spot at Mount Holyoke for a year hoping to get a 3.3 average so you can transfer to Georgia Tech. If you elect to spend your first year at Mount Holyoke, you will not spend a lot of energy going to classes at the other colleges in the consortium because you will have to work very hard to achieve a 3.3 average in your classes at Mount Holyoke. Even if you took one or more classes at the other schools, you probably would not make the connections you envision that would last beyond your one year in the Pioneer Valley. Everything notquitesure says about Mount Holyoke is true. Not only is it cold in the winter at Mount Holyoke, but there are no fraternities and sororities and there is no football team. As I say, it is a serious liberal arts college, not a rah rah large university with a football team and a tech focus. If a small liberal arts school with a beautiful campus in New England and many traditions appeals to you because you envision yourself as a life long intellectual, then give Mount Holyoke serious consideration. Otherwise, head to Georgia and enjoy the sports teams at UGA or Tech.

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I agree! I did mention in my post that if I do end up choosing MHC, I would be doing it for the full four years whilst getting my degree from there. Solely because I don’t know if its the best idea for me to travel OOS for one year if I planned on coming back to GA for Tech next year. My choices are either staying in-state my freshman year and then transferring to Tech OR going to MHC for the entirety of my college career. I never wanted to mix the two possibilities together. Thank you for sharing your opinions on MHC! I do believe that Mt. Holyoke’s dedication to academics is abundant and future opportunities seem plentiful. It’s part of the reason why I applied in the first place. I’ve heard of MHC alumni going on to achieve great things, and that is why their education is truly commendable.

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