<p>Why would you recommend a young woman apply to a women's college and why MH? What did you come away with that you do not think you would have gained at a coed college? How did MH differ from your first impressions? THX</p>
<p>Mount Holyoke was my daughter's first choice, a fact her dad and I didn't even know until much later, when she explain to us why she preferred it over the other coed colleges and the university that accepted her. A graduate of a co-ed high school, she had carefully gone over the academic programs and liked what she read. She didn't look at it as a "woman's college," but for what it is — a good school. The interview clinched it; her interviewer didn't focus on her weaknesses but drew out the subjects she excelled in. </p>
<p>My daughter said, "If they teach like they interview, then this is school I'd like to go to."</p>
<p>This news report on MH gives a few glimpses into "Why MH?" </p>
<p>I have posted it in another thread as well, but seemed to fit here too.</p>
<p>Although my daughter applied to co-ed schools as well as MHC, it was her first choice from the day she visited it. There's something there that appeals to some women.</p>
<p>I graduated from MHC in 1972 ( but my D chose a coed school.) For me MHC was special because of the sense of community and sisterhood extending across all four classes, faculty and student role models of competent, accomplished and independent women. the beautiful campus. the dedication to liberal arts learning for its own sake, the balance between anachronism and modernity. I feel privileged to have had this unique experience of an ivory tower that, nevertheless, prepared me both personally and academically to live "the life of the mind" in the real world.</p>
<p>Pyewacket,
Great analysis of the MHC experience ! I graduated in 1981 and could not agree more. I still smile when I think back at my MHC experience. It was the best and most meaningful four years of my life. It shaped who I am today as a woman, mom of two boys, wife and part-time judicial magistrate. A liberal arts experience is unbeatable in preparing students to go out into the world and MHC offers one of the best.</p>
<p>You can visit womenscolleges.org for a list of many of the reasons why I picked a women's college.</p>
<p>Other things...I love the international perspective MHC has. We're required to take at least one course that's multicultural in nature and there's SUCH an emphasis on foreign language, study abroad, and global internships here. Students get money all the time to go on special trips and learning experiences, including within the U.S.</p>
<p>I love our location. Unlike Smith, which was my other top choice, we're removed enough so that the surrounding area isn't a distraction, but we're also close enough that it's only a free bus ride away. Our campus is so stunning and it really seems like it was designed with learning in mind.</p>
<p>We tend to have more traditions than most women's colleges and they really do help to bind us together. Everyone has a lot of class pride and cares about the college.</p>
<p>I love the way we're taught here. Most courses are seminar-style and professors actually encourage you to take risks and mess up a little because you learn better that way. The grading definitely isn't "easy," but a lot less emphasis is put on testing and scores. Since our courses are so ridiculously small -- my largest class this semester is 12 students -- they really get to know you and what you've been learning and doing, rather than just looking at the grades they've assigned you and averaging them out.</p>
<p>Campus life is crazy active. We have 160 student orgs and everyone's involved with at least one. They help you learn better by keeping you more engaged.</p>
<p>I think MamaBO is definitely correct when she says they focus more on building your strengths here. The thinking is that, by doing that, you'll get better in your weak areas more naturally, and it definitely seems to be true.</p>
<p>I'm sure I'll think of other things to say. :)</p>
<p>Interesting to read how members of the classes of 1972, 1981, and 2011 all hit on some of the same themes--we really are a family with continuity and tradition--international emphasis has grown over the last 20 years, but good foreign language teaching and the presence of "foreign fellows" and international students were already an enhancement in my day.</p>
<p>could someone elaborate on the student body at MHC? types of girls who go to MHC, whats a social scene like, etc.?</p>
<p>My daughter has interviews with Harvard, Yale, U Penn, and Standford. Unfortunately she is not admitted to anyone of them due to insufficient of ECs, although she is 1% top in writing SAT, 1% top in science ACT. Her high school classmates have lower grade and less smart than her can go to TUFTS, UC Berkeley. Her safety school is Mount Holyoke. She was very upset about going to Mount Holyoke. Her complain was MHC is an all female college and will lack of regular college life with boys. Also she said the campus was in the middle of nowhere will make her sick. I don’t know what to say.</p>
<p>MHC has a beautiful campus and many cultural and social activities are arranged for and by the students. It is connected by bus with 4 other colleges : Amherst, Hampshire and the University of Massachusetts–there are also men at all these schools and activities you can participate in. Boston is two hours away by bus or car ( it is not hard to find a lift) and you can easily go for a day in a “big city”.</p>
<p>But if your daughter is serious about her academic education, she will find that Mount Holyoke courses keep her very busy–there is not so much free time for a busy social life. There is a January term which you can spend off campus and, of course, 3 months in the summer when it is possible to do an internship in Boston, New York or elsewhere. Another option to make life more exciting is to spend your junior year abroad ( that’s what I did! I left MHC for a year in Edinburgh, Scotland and that’s also where I met my husband).</p>
<p>My other daughter will go to Mount Holyoke as well, a Umass Amherst 2012, was accepted as a transfer. Unlike her younger sister I mentioned before, she can’t wait to get to Moho ASAP. The only problem she has now is there is only 2 years left for her which is a kind of insufficient time. She has basically no life at UMass, all she has done is to take course, fight for A grade, and join some interest clubs. I never seen her so desperate in her life. At Umass, she could not get into Calculus 2 because there is no room, she have to take Calculus 3. She did not want to take Calculus 1 because she has learned it at high school. I found out that her HW scores 98 out of 100, not bad. But when she received her final grade. It is only a C-. She told me her teacher is a foreign graduate student, who has great accent. She has to push the class according to a fast pace as set. Besides the class took place in a small classroom without window at the evening time. I could understand why she scores a C-. As a college professor, I knew she is not bad in learning Calculus 3. All she need is a little more time and concern from the professor. Unfortunately many courses at Umass, especially Math are run by graduate students. Many of them are not qualify to teach. Not just the grade that I am concern about here, it is the way of education that Umass supply, for example Calculus 3, is a totally failure. A good professor is supposed to enlighten the passion of a student, not just to brief about the subject. Unfortunately the teacher who my daughter encounter is not even a professor, how could I expect her to find passion in Math or science in the future? </p>
<p>When she was notified she was accepted by Moho, everyone could feel the joy radiated from her. As a dad I am so happy as well. I wish I could be part of the college if I am 30 years early and if Moho accepts man. Well, I am tracking every single thing about Moho each day so I could help my elder daughter get as much as she could.</p>
<p>No offense, 888sale, but why do you expect that your daughter’s passion should be in math and science? I suspect from your posts that you might be Asian. Forgive me for guessing. I work for a company in the medical science field, and I meet so many young Asian recruits whose parents drilled math and science into them as the only important subjects. Some of these young people wish their parents had been as eager for them to study the humanities, or at least allowed them to. They feel trapped by math and science and wish they could work in Organizational Learning or Human Resources.</p>
<p>Also, attending an LAC does not mean your daughter won’t occasionally experience filled classes in her areas of interest. That said, nothing beats taking all of your classes from the actual professors instead of TAs. That’s my major criticism of state universities.</p>
<p>That is alright. Most people just think only Asian can study science and math. I came from Russia and my kids are born here. As a matter of fact, there are many Asian in Russia. Hope there is no problem.</p>
<p>When does MHC usually answer for ED1?</p>