<p>I got accepted at Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Dartmouth, Williams, Wellesley, and Mt Holyoke. I have been visiting all of the schools except Dartmouth and Williams. Although I like Mt Holyoke and Wellesley a lot, I wonder if I should go H P or Y instead. Any reason why I should prefer Mt Holyoke?</p>
<p>harvard (10 chars)</p>
<p>You should go where your gut tells you. Chances are, since you've visited many of these schools already, there had to be at least one where you could "see yourself" where you felt goose-bumps creep up your spine when you stepped on the campus etc. They're all great schools, and you would probably do well at any of them but in the end you'll probably find that one place will pull at your heart strings a little more than the rest. And that, is the one you should go to.</p>
<p>Dartmouth and Williams are most like Mount Holyoke in terms of campus community. </p>
<p>Personally, I have a soft spot for both Dartmouth and Princeton, so I would recommend one of those, but you may want something more urban like Harvard or Yale.</p>
<p>I love Mount Holyoke....the community is the best one I've seen, and I felt accepted immediately when I visited this weekend. But, then again, for the longest time I wanted to go to Yale (which rejected me) then Wellesley, oddly enough. The thing that did it was the overnight. It's all about the vibe you get. Good luck!</p>
<p>Are you definitely attending, americangypsy? The community is the best I've seen too. I felt very accepted, and I felt as if everyone else could also feel accepted. It just felt like home to me. The girls were amazing, the campus was amazing, the staff was amazing, the sense of community was amazing, and the overall academics were amazing too (sat in on a class).</p>
<p>When my D did her overnight in Sept. '05 the first thing she said to me when I picked her up was "I found my home for the next 4 years!"</p>
<p>I've been watching her since, as she wrote her essays, completed her applications, did her follow-ups. She applied ED and was deferred to RD. She assumed that was a "polite" rejection. She was disappointed, but responded with additional material, and a gentle note reminding them that MHC was still her first choice and would remain so.</p>
<p>To our delight she was accepted and yes, she will be attending.</p>
<p>I completely understand the finding "home" and I hope every college freshman finds it. As a parent it makes me feel really happy to know my kid has "found home" even if it is 3000 miles away!</p>
<p>emmared, I sent in my deposit today. I'm so excited! :)</p>
<p>JustaMom, my daughter found the same thing - but at Smith. I know exactly how thrilled you are that your d. has found a place that will both challenge her and embrace her.</p>
<p>It's important for CCers to realize that one student's perfect school is not another's. I've seen so many "This school or that school?" threads where people have responded purely on the basis of prestige that I've begun to wonder if many students realize how important it is to be excited about a college. </p>
<p>Even though sending a Smith deposit yesterday took me out of the running to be an MHC Mom, I am pleased to see those here who have opted for MHC.</p>
<p>Momwaitingfornew: what's nice about the Smith, MHC, acceptance is the 5 college consortium. So these 2 students (our D's) may possibly find themselves in a class together during their college career.</p>
<p>I fully agree about the "this one VS that one" posts. The whole concept of "prestige" creeps me out when it's kids talking about their lives! </p>
<p>My kid's a peace-loving hippie, and I'd have been thrilled wherever she chose, or didn't, if that was her choice.</p>
<p>I agree with the previous sentiments; though my daughter will probably choose another woman's LAC, I think all these options are wonderful, and decisions should not rest on whether a certain college is a few places above or below on the US News list.</p>
<p>FWIW, my son is graduated from an Ivy..he enjoyed his experience, but know what? The most challenging courses he took were at a nearby women's LAC! - He said the courses were more demanding because the seminars were small and the profs really knew who you were. He too agrees that a women's LAC would be a great experience for his sister, maybe better than his Ivy, where people competed like maniacs for grades, and half the time you didnt have to show up for class, just read the material and take the test. He said "I learned mostly on my own, just reading the books" except for the small seminars. </p>
<p>The connections he made were great though, and he feels these kind of connections will be great at any one of the "sister" schools.</p>
<p>If you go to Mount Holyoke, you can kiss your social life goodbye, unless you're willing to devote all of your time to heading out to Amherst to actually see members of the opposite sex. It's been an extremely difficult adjustment for me to make, and I didn't even care about boys or my social life in high school.</p>
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If you go to Mount Holyoke, you can kiss your social life goodbye, unless you're willing to devote all of your time to heading out to Amherst to actually see members of the opposite sex. It's been an extremely difficult adjustment for me to make, and I didn't even care about boys or my social life in high school.
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<p>Despite the lack of guys and the complete isolation, has it been a decent experience? I realize that the question is difficult to answer, but you seem depressed... well, that's what I gathered from reading some of your posts here. Are you considering transferring or are you happy enough there? </p>
<p>I've deposited and I'm pretty sure it's what I want in a college (minus the lack of guys... that will be the hard part), but your posts are a bit intimidating.</p>
<p>It's a myth that Mount Holyoke is "isolated"...yes, it's in South Hadley, but you're in Massachusetts, less than a half hour away from one of its biggest cities. Plus, there are continual shuttles to Amherst and Northampton and the other colleges...but maybe I'm used to driving twenty minutes everywhere, being from a small New England town myself.</p>
<p>To emmared 718: Actually, yes, I've put in transfer applications elsewhere. I'm sorry if my posts have been intimidating--I'm just trying to get out there the stuff that the Admissions Office wouldn't dare tell you. Mount Holyoke's freshman retention rate is so low that they don't even want to publish it (I believe it's around 60%). A lot of girls I know have left already. If you can stick it out in a little town full of super intense girls, then more power to you. The professors here are top-notch, and you'll receive a great education. But if you're looking for the quintessential college experience, you won't find that here.</p>
<p>To americangypsy: I hope you're not talking about Springfield, because that place is SKETCHY!</p>
<p>Amherst is pretty fun, though, and so is Northampton. If you go to Noho, be sure to visit Faces. It's an awesome novelty shop. Don't go to Amherst late at night though, without some friends. It's amazing how many boisterous, loud, and drunk guys occupy the bars even on weekdays. And that's kind of disappointing...</p>
<p>shupafry as a parent of an incoming first year, I have to ask you, why did YOU choose MHC? You seem so down on it, and yet at some point in your choice-making it was "right" so...</p>
<p>And as far as first year retention, your figure is way off, less than 5% don't go back (by the way, it's the same at Harvard). That's mighty small. </p>
<p>I feel sad that YOUR experience has been less than positive, and I hope you're not trolling with the hope of scaring first years. </p>
<p>Everyone gets from their experience what they put into it.</p>
<p>shupafry- 60% retention?? I don't think so! I'm the mom of a current first year at Mt. Holyoke and I asked her recently if she knows many girls who plan to tranfer, her response "one", that includes the students in her classes, her hall, and the crew team. Collegeboard.com lists the retention rate at 94%.
I too wonder why you decided to attend MHC? Did you visit first? </p>
<p>My daughter has found Mt. Holyoke to be a wonderful caring community of young women. She has a social life (when time permits) and does not feel at all isolated.I'm sorry you have had such a different experience. Please be sensitive to the fact posting, just days after deposits were sent, with such negative opinions, is not doing anything but causing undo worry for incomming first years.</p>
<p>That may be the case with the girls your daughter knows. Sorry if I got my statistics mixed up, but everyone I know around here seems to agree on that figure?</p>
<p>As for me, I chose Mount Holyoke because they gave me a hefty scholarship.</p>
<p>Of course I came here hoping for the best. Don't be so quick to judge. Like I said, I want to present both sides of the coin to new students. I've learned to live here, but I'm just not very satisfied.</p>
<p>And yes, I did visit during the summer after my junior year, and I really loved the atmosphere. Once I got here, though, things changed.</p>
<p>I'm sorry if I scared anyone. I wasn't aware that all of you had just put in deposits. I don't keep track with freshman admissions anymore, since I only have to think about the transfer admission timeline.</p>
<p>Like I said, it's a good school, but there's some bad things about it, too. If you want to go ahead and pin it on me, saying that I'm just not putting enough into it, then fine. I'm deeply involved in the community, I have great friends, and I have an excellent GPA. I just don't like it.</p>
<p>To all incomming firstyears</p>
<p>For me, MHC was a perfect fit, small, very diverse, and more challenging than high school. Though I didn't make friends right away and the work load was a little more stressful than high school, every other firstyear is going through the same thing. Get involved, join a club or sport (or club sport!) that you're passionate about or find new passions. Joining a club sport has given me an oportunity to meet new people interested in the same sport, a relaxed environment as a break from studies, and an entirely different social network from the one that I had previous. I'm sad that summer is coming not only because I'll miss the campus and its atmosphere but I'll also miss my roommate, who I consider one of my best friends. (Yes, CrewMom, you can tell her that ;) )</p>
<p>Despite what has been said, there is a social life here, smaller than others, but it's here, if that's what you're looking for. It's personally not what I was looking for and therefore I wasn't at all disapointed. And if the one on campus doesn't satisfy, then the buses between colleges run regularly, Northampton is a lot of fun, I haven't made it out to Amherst yet.</p>
<p>I'm sorry you're unhappy here, shupafry, and I hope you find what your'e looking for at wherever you end up, but please be considerate of those are considering MHC as their choice in colleges, and also of those who go here and love it.</p>