Mount Holyoke vs. Smith (academics, social scene)

staceyneil
Thu, 30 Oct 2014 13:34:01 +0000

You know, I really think this is a situation where your gut feeling and “fit” are most important. My daughter applied to MHC, Smith, and Wellesley, but MHC was her top pick BY FAR. She just felt like she’d “found her people” there. I was quite surprised to hear you say that the students in the classes you sat in on were less engaged… I wonder if it was just those particular classes. My D has had the exact opposite experience: she is always talking about how wonderfully passionate people are and how even a conversation about something mundane or inane will turn into an intellectual conversation -philosphical or scientific or something- more often than not. She was really turned off by the non-intellectual, unengaged students she found at some other small LACs we visited, and chose MHC specifically for that reason… so obviously impressions can be different. She is also absolutely in love with the campus, so again- personal opinion. If Smith’s campus is the one that does it for you, then that is terrific!

As far as there being more opportunities at Smith, I do not think that’s accurate. For one thing, MHC shares a career portal thing (can’t remember what its called… where firms look for graduates?) with Smith AND Amherst College. For another, as you seem to have noticed, MHC profs are very accessible and very invested in their students. My daughter already had an unofficial mentor after her first 2 days of school (this is copied from another thread so forgive me if you already read it!): She had been reading about the professors and was really excited about one particular Bio professor who seemed to have a very similar passion for bio -from a naturalist/evolutionary/field observation viewpoint- as herself (not that the bio department in general is like that - it is also very strong for pre-med). She hoped to one day be able to take a class with him. She was thrilled when she got into his Bio 101 class. Then she found out he was also her freshman academic advisor. The first day of class, they hung out for a while after class discussing the evolution of Trilliums and her passion and theories about specific insects. They have already been talking about internships in her field. He gave her the keys to the locked biology lab rooms where the upperclassmen do their entomology research. She spends a lot of her free time in there, looking at slides of insects prepared by students in the 1800’s. She has a whole research area of her own in there now, just a few weeks into freshman year, and frequently meets outside of class with the professor. Looking back on my own college experience, this just seems so wonderful and lucky. She has immediately connected with a professor who shares her passion, is more than willing to spend time with her, and is already helping her pursue her career path. WOW.

My daughter DOES spend a LOT of time on homework. At this point, it is mostly reading and 3-4 page papers. But lots of them. But I think you are going to find that is the case at any high-quality school. The key may be to get some help managing your work, perfectionism, etc. I know that MHC has resources for that sort of thing (help managing workload stress) and I would imagine Smith does as well…

My D and her friends do find plenty of time to socialize and relax. They go into Northampton and Amherst and sometimes to the Holyoke Mall. They go to parties at Amherst and UMass, and are planning to go to Hampshire Halloween. My D’s friends sometimes go to study in the Amherst library (I think partially to meet boys!) My D is definitely a geeky introvert, too, and she needs a lot of time to herself to “recharge”, so she does not go out as much as some of the girls in her group of close friends do, but the opportunities are there. I’m sure it also depends on the friends you find. But the MHC social scene seems very friendly and welcoming.

You mentioned M&Cs in a somewhat derogatory way (summer camp?) but to me that tradition illustrates a well-balanced approach. Rather than non-stop studying all night, students are encouraged to take a break and connect with friends for a bit before going back to homework. To me, that seems a health approach :)

I agree with momneeds2no: apply to both. If accepted at both, go spend another overnight at each again and sit in on classes again. Also, the FA they offer you may help you make the decision! Good luck- I am sure you will do well and love either one. They are both absolutely wonderful schools!