The women at Mount Holyoke pride themselves on being accepting and open-minded. "
Mount Holyoke is a very diverse campus, and not one for a close minded or conservative person," writes one sophomore neuroscience major. Classes are discussion-driven and challenging, motivating students academically and creatively. "
Academics at the school are tough and some classes push you to do a lot more work than you'd expect. Class participation is heavily encouraged and oftentimes teachers will know when you are not in class," writes a senior economics major. At MHC students are encouraged to discover themselves and pursue their passions.
Professors at MHC definitely put their students to work. Students advise not falling behind on distribution requirements, as they can get backlogged. "
Unfortunately we have about a million distribution requirements… Students who take these "fun" or "interesting" classes in their first and sophomore years often have problems with distribution requirements and major requirements down the road." says a sophomore. Everyone is extremely dedicated to their studies. The exchange of ideas is encouraged and competition level is low in most classes. "
Students are not competitive with each other- they have their own pace but are always willing to help one another," shares a freshman. Beyond trying to get a good grade, students expand upon their curiosities and enjoy bouncing ideas off one another. "
Most students seem unafraid to ask questions when necessary, voice opinions, and share knowledge and insight whenever possible," writes a freshman biology major
Students at MHC come from all corners of the world. "
MHC is its own global village, with students from all walks of life," says a sophomore international relations major. Most insist that every race, culture, ethnicity or belief is accepted on campus. "
Also, if the idea of being around people who are different than you makes you uncomfortable, MHC may not be the place for you, because the student body is diverse in many ways and intolerance is... well... not tolerated!" reports a senior psychology major. Groups are divided mostly by interests, rather than racial or ethnic identity, and there’s plenty of mingling. "
Although there are distinct groups of people (the rugby team, the equestrian team, the crew team) the campus is small enough that everyone knows and intersects with most everyone else,"
writes a freshman.
MHC is stereotyped as a school with a large homosexual population. Like nearly every other issue, MHC women handle the topic of sexual orientation with respect and tolerance. "
The amount of openness towards differing backgrounds and lifestyles is, in my opinion, matched by few, if any, campuses that I have ever seen," comments a sophomore anthropology major. It seems students at Mount Holyoke care, above all else, about moving past labels and the superficial, and into a deeper understanding of their peers and the world around them.
When students feel like socializing with boys, there are a handful of coed universities just a bus ride away in Boston, Amherst, and Northampton. However many say the company of their classmates is usually what they prefer."
When I decided to come to Mount Holyoke, I thought that I would frequently take advantage of the 5 college consortium to go out and meet guys. Turns out that I had way more fun just hanging out on campus with my friends on the weekends," observes one senior.
Annual traditions are held dearly among the students. "
In addition, there are many awesome traditions including Elfing, Big Sisters, and Dis-O that promote engagements between the first years and the upper-class women," writes a sophomore psychology major. Students at Mt. Holyoke appreciate their time together and are forever bound in the MHC spirit. "
There is a lot of school pride - I meet alums who live in the area who still walk their dogs on campus, almost every car has an MHC bumper sticker and about every other person you see on campus is probably wearing some clothing item associated with the school, a dorm or a sports team," writes a sophomore biology major.
