<p>Wow… what brought that rant on? Your opinion that people pick MHC for “fame” over “fit” is just irrational. And that you would “never think of it” for your kids who “enjoy a vibrant and intellectually charged atmosphere” is quite rude and condescending. My D2 who seriously considered it had a 2380 superscored SAT, subject tests of 800 Lit and Math II. She certainly wanted a vibrant and intellectually charged atmosphere. She also was admitted to U of Chicago, Swarthmore, Carleton, Harvey Mudd, and a few other highly thought of schools. Your assumptions and ignorance are breathtaking.</p>
<p>How was I condescending? </p>
<p>You don’t think that assuming students pick MHC for “fame” over “fit” isn’t condescending? Or that YOUR precious, brillliant little snowflakes need a “vibrant and intellectually charged atmosphere” that couldn’t possibly found at a school like MHC?</p>
<p>I think that there is a prevailing culture here on cc with a clear preference for the schools as described above. Ivies. Seven Sisters, and a few others. </p>
<p>You are being needlessly nasty. My daughter is generally, not interested in women’s colleges, and much of the information that we gleaned from her cousin at Wellesley, and the enthusiastic women’s college parents here on college confidential, have further solidified her thoughts. Yet she is visiting one, because she is curious. </p>
<p>If she loves it, and feels a good connection there, I will let you know. I have no problem with that. </p>
<p>Ah…I get it. A women’s college couldn’t possibly have a “vibrant and intellectually charged atmosphere” in your mind. And sorry, you have missed the boat on the culture out here. Agree that there is plenty of salivation over the Ivies, but the concept of the Seven Sisters is pretty much extinct and almost never mentioned. These are now individual colleges that people talk about on their merits or downsides. I can give you a list of downsides on most of the other women’s college we talk about out here (but won’t, I know you don’t care). MHC happens to be the one schools that seems to have dodged pretty much all of those downsides. But… I get it, you don’t think a college with an all female student body could possibly be up to the high academic standards you have. Sheesh.</p>
<p>No college in the northeast is a “slam dunk”. Altho admit rates may be similar on paper, the quality of students and scores are ususally signifiacntly higher. MHC, Bard and Skidmore require minimum of 680 plus SAT scores on all sections.</p>
<p>@ricck1, I think the OP was referring specifically to Hartwick as a slam dunk, not to all of the other schools mentioned.</p>
<p>My daughter insisted she would never consider a women’s college. We attended a Colleges That Change Lives college fair this summer, and spent quite a bit of time talking to many different admissions officers. Afterwards, when I asked my daughter which school she was most impressed with/interested in, I was shocked to hear her say Agnes Scott, a women’s college in Atlanta. The admissions officer was somehow able to explain, much better than I, the many benefits of a women’s college. We are visiting ASC next week, so we will see what she thinks after actually spending time on campus. </p>
<p>Glad your daughter is visiting MHC. Going to a Seven Sisters college was one of the absolute best decisions of my life (I chose it over Cornell and others). But your D will be able to decide for herself what is the right fit, of course. </p>
<p>Also, about Westminster, my point was that it is strange they don’t have a political science major because virtually every LAC does, while the neuroscience major is offered at relatively few LACs. Of course I get the difference between the two sciences!!! </p>
<p>I agree with you about neuroscience. It’s a relatively unusual undergraduate degree, while political science is commonplace at most LACs. </p>
<p>My wife wants her to visit Smith since we will be “in the neighborhood”, but she’s been doing some research and thinks that the atmosphere at Smith is too “hardcore”.</p>
<p>Agnes Scott is a good school. I did not mean to be condescending with my neuroscience comment. Sorry if I came across that way. </p>
<p>Yes. I was referring only to Hartwick. </p>
<p>Oh no problem @LuxLake. Did you get to visit Earlham? I am curious about that school. I love the Quaker philosophy and what it adds to a college community. We are visiting Guilford on our trip to the south. </p>
<p>Never said that a women’s college could not have an intellectually vibrant atmosphere. I DID say that colleges that are not household words, such as many in the College That Change Lives group, are also intellectually vibrant and offer good educations.</p>
<p>What I said was that Ivies and what I will continue to call the seven sisters, are NOT the only colleges that provide superb educations and exciting learning environments. </p>
<p>That is all. </p>
<p>Actually, intparent, I would be interested in reading about the differences that you perceive among the seven sisters. How has NHC dodged the “downsides” in your opinion?</p>
<p>^Me too.</p>
<p>I actually think these discussions about schools that fit kids who are not 4.0 kids are really helpful. There are a lot of kids with less than perfect records who are looking for an academically challenging and intellectually vibrant atmosphere. And there are a ton of schools that can be right for these kids. And if we drop a little of the defensiveness and judgment these can be really productive discussions!</p>
<p>I agree LeftofPisa! </p>
<p>I want to add, questioning a particular type of college - or ultimately deciding that it is not a good fit for you, does not mean that it’s a bad or worthless college. No one knows this better than I do. </p>
<p>I have a son who is really thriving at Marlboro College. He loves the intense but unconventional academic atmosphere. It’s not a college that I would ever .think of for myself. The woods? On a mountain? Making up your own Plan of Concentration? Defending a thesis at as an undergrad? Just NO! But it’s a perfect fit for our son. We are excited about Marlboro. However, I’d never think of saying that it’s the right choice for every student because it was the right choice for our son. </p>