Academics: Smith vs. Mt. Holyoke vs. Wellesley?

ajlangs
Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:46:26 +0000

As the title suggest, I’m interested in a comparison of academics at Smith, MHC, and Wellesley. I realize that, for the most part, anyone who answers this will only have indepth knowledge of one of these schools, so I’m cross-posing this at all three schools. However, I’d love to hear an assessment not only of your own school but also what you think of the other two, however biased that may be.

To get more specific: I’m interested primarily in the humanities, although I’m pretty undecided beyond that. Although I plan on trying a lot of different types of classes, if I had to guess, I’d say that at this point, I’ll probably end up in the English and Poli Sci/Gov departments. I’m also interested in pursuing a language, although I’m not sure if I’ll continue with my high school French or try something new.

I’d love to hear about specific departments, the rigor of your classes, accessibility of professors, and so on. What classes/professors have you particularly enjoyed or disliked? Have the majority of your classes/professors been good? Are there any cons to an education at any of theses institutions, any particular problems you’ve run into? I’m really interested in researching/working on projects with faculty members; I know Smith has some programs, like the Kahn Institute, that are set up to facilitate such interactions in your junior and senior year. Do MHC and Wellesley have anything similar?