<p>BTW my D did not get a goat out of it but I can’t seem to edit the typo in my previous post :)</p>
<p>NEMom, your daughter has a choice of riches! </p>
<p>My daughter is a senior at Mount Holyoke and has loved it. She has had amazing academic experiences. Additionally, she has had several international opportunities. She has enjoyed the close knit community and the beautiful campus.</p>
<p>My international “daughter” is a first year at Smith. So far, a very positive experience. </p>
<p>Listening to he two of them talk, I honestly don’t see a difference between the rigour…obviously, there are many variables that should go into that comparison…this is just my observation.</p>
<p>I got a call about a week ago and I am also in =) I need to choose between Holy Cross and Smith now. I am visiting Smith this Wednesday, but I am definitely leadning towards Smith.</p>
<p>Misskelly, please let us know if you have any questions. Holy Cross is a fine college; however, there are significant differences that you will have sort out for yourself. My daughter who just finished her first year absolutely adores Smith, yet when she applied to LACs, she applied to both co-ed and women’s colleges. To make a long story short, she chose Smith; she could have gone to a couple of co-ed colleges but she didn’t feel they would provide her with the academic experience she was looking for, so that narrowed her focus down to women’s colleges and she wound up at Smith. Although she is finished with school for the year, she is working at Smith for commencement and reunion. I just got off the phone with her: while she very much wants to come home and see everyone here, she is feeling so sad about the year being over and leaving Smith; she just doesn’t want it to end. When Smith alums say over and over again on Facebook that Smith was the best four years of their lives and they wish they were there again, you have to acknowledge there is a special, deeply felt experience at women’s colleges that I just don’t think you can get at a co-ed institution. Smith used to have reunion during commencement weekend, but so many alums wanted to come back, they had to split all the reunions into two weekends! </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong; Holy Cross is a good school. I know it’s Catholic but I don’t know how prominent that aspect is in the culture of the school, and you’ll have to determine how important that is to you. It’s in Worcester, which is about a half-hour from our home. Worcester has some nice features: it supports the arts nicely, has some nice restaurants and there are a bunch of colleges in the environs and I think you can cross-register and use public transportation between them and around the city. Smith is part of the Five-College Consortium (about a total of 35,500 students) and you can likewise take FREE public transportation to the other schools. Frankly, if I had a choice between Worcester and Northampton, I’d take Northampton any day. I love that place; it’s like Cambridge, lively and funky, only smaller, and manageable, with excellent restaurants (and Herrell’s ice cream)! For Smith students, downtown Noho, depending on where you live on campus, is a 5-10 minute walk.</p>
<p>I feel that my response is a bit of a jumble but hopefully it will get you thinking about your choices. Enjoy your visit at Smith; I believe all the older alums (30th year reunions and up) are arriving that day. Perhaps you can ask them why they keep coming back! Good luck with your decision.</p>
<p>Choice is really quite different. Holy Cross is conservative sporty co-ed school with division 1 sports including football, basketball, baseball and is in a large city, albeit not the most cosmopolitan. Smith is a single sex school in a funky hip small town and probably much more liberal and quirky. You should pick the right school for your personality type.</p>
<p>CarolynB, wow, thank you for your response! Your story really helped me a lot. Everyone I know who went/goes to Smith says they just love/d it there. I love every aspect of Smith from what I heard, and hopefully I will have great experiences like my friends and your daughter. I am visiting tomorrow, and am bringing my deposit check with me =)</p>
<p>1980collegegrad, thank you for you response. I did love it when I visited HC (not so much their dorms). I always thought of myself as a very quiet, conservative person, but now I heard all those great things about Smith, I am sure I want to go to Smith =) </p>
<p>Thanks for your insights!</p>
<p>Misskelly, at one time in her life, my daughter considered herself a quiet, conservative person as well, but over time and through many experiences, she has blossomed and Smith is helping to continue that process. As a parent, it’s a joy to see! College is an opportunity to learn about new aspects of yourself, to try new things; college will challenge your assumptions about yourself and what you are capable of; my daughter can definitely attest to that. My daughter’s roommate this year was very sweet, a bit reserved, and quite traditional in her outlook; frankly I was a bit worried about how she’d make the adjustment, but I didn’t need to worry; she has come to love Smith as well. With all the nurturing friends you discover, Smith is a great place to develop confidence and independence. Enjoy your visit tomorrow! Let us know how it goes and what you decide.</p>
<p>Is Smith still accepting students off the waitlist?</p>
<p>I don’t know. They may be waiting to hear from students they notified earlier before they go another round, so to speak. I would suggest you call the Admission office. Good luck!</p>
<p>Hello! I visited Smith today in this rainy day, and I absolutely loved it! I dropped my deposit on my way out. Thank you for your words CarolynB! I feel great and am very excited for next year.</p>
<p>Congratulations, misskelly! I’m so glad you loved your visit, despite the rain, and you’ve decided on Smith! Hooray–you have so much to look forward to!</p>
<p>:-) If you like it on a rainy day, wait until you see it in all its sunny glory.</p>
<p>^^Yes, and yesterday was a cold, raw rain in the 50s, too! Today, of course, is supposed to be beautiful–sunny and 80! I’ve lived in Mass. for over 30 years and what they say is really true–if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes! New Smithies, that’s why when you come to Smith, it’s a good strategy to learn to wear layers. My daughter’s roommate from Oregon finally got the hang of it.</p>
<p>My daughter has chosen Smith as well. Thanks for all your help.</p>
<p>Congratulations, everyone! Smith is not a perfect college (none are!), but it offers an excellent education within a supportive community. I cannot imagine another place that would have encouraged my daughter to bloom as she has.</p>
<p>Aw, I just got the letter saying that Smith is closing the waitlist. Oh well, MHC here I come! =)</p>
<p>Aww. I’m sorry to hear that, nightpwnsj00, but it’s nice to know your fallback is such an excellent school. 
Hope to see you around the Pioneer Valley next year.</p>
<p>nightpwnsj00, Though it’s always disappointing not being admitted to your first choice, congratulations on attending Mount Holyoke. Momwaitingfornew’s comments (substituting MHC for Smith) apply exactly for my daughter, who graduated from Mount Holyoke last weekend. You’ll be attending one of two wonderful schools. I’m sure you’ll make the most of the opportunity you have. I wish you all the educational and internship opportunities, support and friendships that my daughter had at Mount Holyoke :)</p>
<p>Nightpwnsj00, ditto what 5cesk8mom said. You will have a fabulous experience at Mount Holyoke because you will create it that way; you’re the kind of enthusiastic person to take advantage of all that the school has to offer. I have a Smith alum friend whose daughter chose MHC over Smith because of her interests and she is now a rising sophomore next fall. She has absolutely loved, loved, LOVED her first year there and calls it “MoHome.” We wish you great success at such an excellent women’s college!</p>
<p>Good luck, nightpwnsj00! :)</p>