Jesse

Mount Holyoke is a small college in a small town. The college is the oldest women's college in the world, and it is a Seven Sister institution. It is also part of a Five College Consortium, which includes Hampshire College, Smith College, Amherst College, and the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. The College has strong academics and a tight-knit student body. This was my first choice college, and I cannot see myself anywhere else.

At Mount Holyoke, learning does not only occur in the classroom. One of my favorite aspects of this place is that students teach each other. Rarely is this group learning condescending or cut-throat. Students have no problem helping one another with homework or projects. In addition to informal learning, there are several resources for tutoring. The science and math departments have a tutoring program called PLUMS, and, for writing projects and presentations, there is the Speaking, Arguing, and Writing (SAW) center. There is a lot of work, and it is really important to consider your skills as a student when you register for classes in order to avoid being overwhelmed. Furthermore, professors really care about students' progress. All of the professors I've had encourage students to come to office hours. They are open to questions, they make you reexamine your beliefs and knowledge, and they are generally brilliant people. Mount Holyoke has amazing academic strengths: small classes, amazing support resources, opportunities for connecting academic findings to the community, a strong alumnae association, and stellar study abroad programs, just to name a few.

The student population is mostly white. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and it's not uncommon for a small liberal arts college. The admissions staff does, however, try to bring in people from different backgrounds. The problem is, according to some people, that the College claims students of color and international students as an achievement, and they lump everyone together. As a student of color, I felt that I would have a lot of resources and support, and I have not been proven wrong. The administration does really listen to concerns. There are cultural houses on campus and cultural events. Many faculty of color are often willing to take students under their wings (although there aren't that many of them). All in all, though Mount Holyoke is good at recruiting people from lots of different backgrounds, there should be more of an emphasis of inclusion within the student community. If there were, the admissions staff would not have to try as hard. I have not heard of any serious racial incidents on campus, mostly just little misunderstandings. Most Mount Holyoke students are from the Northeast. A few, certainly not the majority, come from wealthy backgrounds. Some of them got here on merit, I'm sure, but others are not that bright and there is a consensus that they were accepted because their parents paid the entire cost of admission. Most people here get some sort of financial aid. Unfortunately, not many people here are from working-class backgrounds. That's probably partly because MHC is no longer a need-blind school. That being said, most people I know are happy with financial aid. Students are generally very nice to each other. Unfortunately, there is a lot of self segregation, but this phenomenon does not always occur on racial lines. Some people just realize they have common interests and they bond. Groups don't tend to be super exclusive, though. Students do generally care about a lot of different causes. Unfortunately, sometimes they don't make the effort to support those causes. Worse still, they join causes and don't make connections between similar groups. Not everyone is aware of every issue, and, honestly, you can't expect everyone to be. As far as LGBT culture on campus goes, there is a consensus that sexuality is fluid. There are some people who don't even bother to define it. Not everyone on campus is queer, though. They're a minority on campus, but they're very visible.

When I was reading reviews as a prospective student, a lot of people were saying that there's nothing to do here, that South Hadley is How Sadley. My experience has been completely the opposite. How much you enjoy yourself here seems to be dependent on what your expectations are and how you personally define social life. As for me, I find that there are so many things to do any given week on campus. I'm not really a party person, but there are parties on campus every few weeks, and there are constantly parties at other colleges in the area (accessible via the free bus system). MHC is well known for Las Vegas Night in the fall, and Drag Ball in the spring. The latter is soooooo much fun. There are constantly speakers, student-run events, student organization meetings, and shows on campus. If, for some reason, none of this interests you, there are a world of events in the Five College consortium. The cultural shows and events are particularly exciting. The only one I got to attend was African Caribbean night, but there are also Korea night, Hawaii night, Chican@ week, and VariAsians, for example. If you're into sports, there are plenty of opportunities to play! We have common sports such as basketball, tennis, and soccer, but we also have rugby, ultimate frisbee, squash, and horseback riding. There's even a group that's trying to make quidditch official. As a Division III college, sports are not the priority of most students. They're just for fun. Plenty of women's colleges are known for their traditions, and Mount Holyoke is no exception. A common theme with many of them is that they involve reflecting on youth while preparing to move forward in life. Milk and Cookies (M&Cs) is one example. It's essentially snack time. Every school night, there are snacks set out in the dining halls or kitchens. The selections change every night, and they include cupcakes, granola bars, tortilla chips, fresh fruit, and, of course, cookies. Mountain Day is another good one. It's a surprise holiday. One day in the fall, the clock tower chimes more times than it should. That is the signal that classes are cancelled for the day! There are buses that periodically travel to Mount Holyoke (the mountain, not the school, of course)! You climb the mountain, and when you get to the top, the president of the college is waiting with ice cream! The Big Sister/Little Sister tradition is my favorite. Members of the junior class and the first year class get paired up to be sisters. This is not a formal or enforced tradition at all. You can decide who your sisters are on your own, or you can ask the junior class representatives to pick one for you. The relationship can be as deep or as shallow as you make it. I chose my own. I technically have two big sisters, but I consider all of my close friends to be family at this point. All in all, deciding what to do can sometimes be a challenge, and sometimes I have too much work to do anyway. But if there's something in which I'm particularly interested, I'll take a break from my work to enjoy myself!

Some common assumptions about women's colleges in general are that everyone is gay, that the few straight girls here are starving for male attention, that we're afraid of men, and that we're all militant feminists.

I doubt that LGBT students represent more than 25% of the student body. And, while you could probably find a few examples of each of the other assumptions, they are not the case for the overwhelming majority of campus. Honestly, about the last one, I wish more people on this campus cared about feminism.

The decision to attend a women's college is a really personal decision. Some people don't care that MHC is single sex, others have been at single-sex schools all their lives, and still others are boy crazy and seem confused that boys don't flock here every weekend. I like being at a women's college because this experience has helped me to become friendlier, wiser, and more confident. Not everyone likes Mount Holyoke or any other women's college for the same reasons. Women's colleges are not for everyone. Personally, I love it. I don't hate men, either, by the way. I happen to be straight. Ultimately, Mount Holyoke is a place where you can explore your personality and your interests. You will be challenged, and, though it may be stressful, you will be proud of the skills you have gained. Whether you pick Mount Holyoke or not, I have some advice. Pick a college or university that you think is best for you. Not your parents, your grandparents, or your siblings. And PLEASE do not pick a school because of its ranking, and don't make your decision completely on the basis of prestige. Ranking systems are very furtive, and they are often not good assessments of a college or university. Do your homework and consult multiple sources! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me: ayoola@mac.com. And no, I don't work for admissions.