Congrats.
And thank you for your previous message.
My D24 also accepted, but probably wonât happen if I donât win a financial aid appeal (more poor planning on my part than stinginess on the part of MHC.) 
My daughter will be giving up her spot. As an alumna this makes me sad - I could see her there so clearly, but even with the 21st Century Scholars award the price is too steep vs. comparable acceptances elsewhere. Hopefully someone can get her spot - and a nice pile of money!
Are there any parents of current MHC students/recent graduates that can give us first-hand feedback on their experience at MHC? It is currently my Dâs top choice and she has visited once (and we are planning a re-visit) but just trying to gather more info from people whose kids have attended. Thanks!
My D will be graduating this May, and Iâm happy to answer any questions you may have. I can say that she has been very happy there. She is an architectural studies major/env studies minor, did study abroad her junior year, was a student athlete, and has taken several classes at other colleges in the consortium. So let me know if you have any questions related to any of that.
It was her first choice as well and I think MHC has met or exceeded all of her expectations. I think the town of South Hadley has gotten a bit slow for her now as a senior, but she and her friends have enjoyed going out in Amherst and especially Northampton. That said, she absolutely loves the bucolic nature of the campus and that was the first thing that really caught her eye.
Again, let me know if I can answer any questions. And congrats to your D, it really is a wonderful place!
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Thank you so much for your response- all great to hear!
A few questions- how easy/hard is it to register for classes at the other colleges in the consortium, and how hard is it logistically to get to them using the PVTA?
Also, where did she study abroad and how was her experience?
Do you have any thoughts on dorms and food?
Do kids from MHC tend to go out to Amherst/Northampton regularly on weekends? Is it pretty easy to do using the bus system?
And has she had any trouble registering for classes (at MHC) and getting the classes she wants/needs?
Thanks in advance for your insight!
Ok, so class sign up at MHC can be challenging, although most intro classes have a few options and are limited to first and second year students, which helps. It gets easier as the years go on, but doesnât become stress-free until senior year. This is because students often sign up for several extra classes and then wait to see how things unfold during the add/drop period, and priority is given to seniors. It can be stressful during that wait period, but it almost always works out. My D did not have any problems getting the classes she needed for her major and minor and I think only took one class she was not happy about (but ended up liking it). That said, it is helpful to reach out to teachers on waitlisted classes and really use the advice of your advisor.
Five College signup is relatively easy online. You usually have to reach out to the professor of the class you want to take, and if there is room you show up on first day and are in. That said, it helps to be persistent. My D tried to get into a class at Amherst, was told it was full and moved on, but a friend showed up on the first day anyway and got in. So determination can help. It probably also depends on the class/major. Regarding transportation, Hampshire is relatively easy to navigate with the pvta, and the others can be as well, but I would recommend taking those classes on a day when you donât have to get back to MHC for a class right away. For example my D took a T-Th am class at Smith and then had a three hour window before her next class. But I have to say that she had a car her junior and senior years which made it much easier to deal with. If she noticed other MHC students in her class, she would offer them rides as well.
Dorms are fabulous, my D stayed in different ones every year and loved them all for various reasons. Seniors generally get singles if desired, so thatâs nice. Food is greatâŠmy kid is a foodie so this was important on her list. She said it wasnât quite as good as the food at Umass (top rated nationally!), but she really appreciated the quality. If you take classes at other colleges close to lunch time, you can eat there. She took her UMass class close to lunch!
Study abroad - MHC provides great advising on this. My D opted for a Copenhagen program and loved it. It is a little different than your traditional study abroad program, but was perfect for her. There are many, many options.
Finally, what they do for fun depends on the student. There is quite a bit going on on campus, and going to Amherst or Northampton are also common nighttime activities, (and parties at Umass as well, if interested) but certainly not every weekend. Amherst is especially easy to get to on pvta, and is my Dâs preferred mode of transportation there. There is also an active outdoors club which provides fun weekend activities.
Lmk if I can be of any more help, good luck with the decision!
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Thank you so much for your detailed response! This is all extremely helpful and I will pass on to my daughter 
My daughter is a current junior. Happy to answer specific questions. It was her top choice coming out of high school and she has loved her experience so far.
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My daughter is in her first year and has had a positive experience. She was well matched with a roommate, has enjoyed all of her professors so far, and overall seems happy. There were maybe two classes she couldnât get into that she wanted but both were âthat would be interestingâ classes and not âneed to takeâ classes, so she can try again in the future. She at first was waitlisted for a chem class that she needed as a prerequisite for future science classes (bio major), but they ended up adding an extra section so all was good.
The food is good but there is only one cafeteria that can get very crowded esp. at lunchtime. She says breakfast is always pretty empty but she has to time lunch carefully. She hasnât taken any classes at the other colleges yet so canât speak to that, but she does go to a special interest club at U Mass once a week and has been welcome there.
Hope this helps!
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Thank you for your thoughts!
My daughter was accepted for January start and not at all feasible financial aid package (we had run the calculator on their website and there is a difference of about 20k). Sadly it is definitely off of our list.
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Before you cross it off your list you should reach out to the financial aid office. They may be able to bridge that gap - or come closer to it. $20k is a big difference from the NPC. I have friends who had successfully appealed.
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I just pulled out an atlas so D24 and I could get a better picture of where the 5 colleges in the consortium are and she said, âWell that doesnât look like the middle of nowhere.â
Then she said, âWhew! I thought they meant âmiddle of nowhereâ like Molt (pop 597) or something!â I guess middle of nowhere is all relative when you live in Montana.
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I just had to look up Molt. Whoa 
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I sent an email to explain our disappointment in the large disparity between the NPC results and their offer and they never replied.
Iâm so sorry to hear that! Did you email her assigned admissions counselor? You should feel free to follow up if you donât hear back. I hope your daughter gets the consideration she deserves!
I sent the email to admissions but it was not to her specific counselor. Itâs been a week without a response; 20k is probably too big of a gap to make a dent in. The NPC was at the top of our budget so even if they gave us 15k more, we would not be able to afford it.
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D24 and I visited MHC on Monday. I think the visit cemented it as her top choice. (Mine, too.) They gave her a nice FA package, but she still asked me to appeal it as another school gave her a full ride. I sent an email to her SFS Counselor, so fingers are crossed. Frankly though, I think itâs a sure thing for her whether they come back with more money or not.
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You need to email the Financial Aid office, not admissions. On the letter that came with her FA award, her Financial Services Counselor should be listed. Use that person.
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