Mount Holyoke College Top Questions

Mount Holyoke has familial quality and a close community feel which makes all her students feel at home, whether speaking with professors, laughing with public safety officers, or just hanging out with friends. It is in a small town, but well connected to the other schools in the five college system by way of the PVTA bus. One of the benefits of the small community within and without the college is that it draws classmates closer. Historically, Mount Holyoke has been known for the strong bonds her students form with each other, regardless of class year. Upon acceptance, the women of Mount Holyoke step into a permanent family of strong women, leaders in both private and public. The fact that two women of differing age, race, ethnicity, or gender-identification have Mount Holyoke in common bridges all of their differences. We are very proud of our school's legacy, one that we know we are becoming a part of.

The best thing about MHC is the relaxed atmosphere. Most people are really nice, and if you stay out of certain circles there is relatively little drama.

People have no idea if Mount Holyoke is a College, High School, or a Convent; almost no one has heard of this place. The nearest Starbucks is 20 minutes away. The entire campus is haunted. There are several areas in dorm buildings that are permanently sealed off because "mysterious stuff" has happened in them. The school makes too much of an effort to be accepting of everyone. In the fall semester of 2007, there was a seminar on racial stereotypes. The school decided to put people into groups based on their race. They were under the impression that this would make people feel more comfortable about opening up and expressing their opinions about racism. Personally, I don't understand how venting to people just like you is going to help. Bad Call, Mt. Holyoke. Another problem on campus is that many people want the entire campus to be "gender- neutral." Instead of using the word "Freshman" we use the terms "First-Year" or "Firstie" because we are a women's college and theoretically, there should be no men here. However, quite a few students get upset when they are called "women" because they are trans-gender and do not see themselves as women. I find this completely absurd because if someone does not want to be referred to as a woman, than SHE should not go to a women's college. Another problems is women having sex changes after they have been accepted. I find this infuriating as well. How hard is it to wait 4 years to have a sex-change? There is nothing the school can do about it because they are "accepting to everyone" and there is no real way to check if someone has male/female parts or not. Mt Holyoke is so proud about being one of the "Seven Sisters" that is still a women's college. I think the school should just get over itself and let guys in.

Mount Holyoke is a typical rich private New England college. Although it tries to paint itself as an equal sisterhood that is incredibly diverse the school falls short in many ways. On top of this many of the girls are just that... girls.

Mt. Holyoke is a school that is entirely out of date. The all-girls population can be tremendously catty and does not encourage the development of confidence in young women, as advertised. If you are not sure of yourself entering the school, there is not a demanding enough social sphere for you to grow. Mt. Holyoke will prepare you to efficiently handle more work than you ever thought possible, however it will not prepare you for any kind of debate or confrontation because the school stresses tolerance (in other words, "I don't care to consider your opinion if it differs from mine."

Mount Holyoke is a vibrant and welcoming place. The school is very focused upon diversity and inclusiveness, and does a wonderful job of making everyone feel embraced and supported. Overall, MHC combines rigorous academics (and no mistake) with a laid back social scene and and amazingly beautiful camp[us.

Mount Holyoke is a really nice school with nice small classes and a very personal environment. However, it is a bit too small which poses problems in finding classes and putting together a schedule. People are generally either proud and impressed when I tell them I go to Mount Holyoke, confused because they have never heard of it, or turned off because they assume I am very socially awkward. The surrounding town of South Hadley is quite boring and small, but if you take the free bus 30 min to either Northampton or Amherst there is a lot going on, and many many college students in this area. I love being in the five colleges and love the ability to take classes at four other institutions. I must say however, that the all women's environment is not as empowering as advertised. It allows students to stay within their comfort zones and often leads to a loss of social skills in interacting with men. The social environment at MHC is terrible, since people are much more focused on studies than human interaction.

We are a diverse community of different economic, ethnic and social backgrounds. There are students who are very involved in politics and social issues and there are those who really don't give crap. And with all of these different people tensions and arguing do arise. But, at the end of the day, we support each other full heartedly and i would safely say that all students on campus are there to achieve something great--something beyond themselves.

i love that i can go out and party on a weekend and come home to a quiet, sane campus. i also love that i can party with my friends for a weekend in my room and just have some quality girl time with them. it's also great that if you are by chance intoxicated, there is far less of a chance that you will get taken advantage of by a male at a party, so people are a lot more carefree in that respect. i spend most of my time on campus in my room and the library, and in the summer, sitting out and tanning on the green with a bunch of friends. i also go to blanchard dining hall a lot. i think mt holyoke is just the right size, but i was looking for a small school with small classes when i applied to colleges. if you want a huge class/school, this isnt for you. people are generally impressed when i say i go to mount holyoke if they've heard of it, apparently it is considered a superb college among many people. our college town is basically the village commons, across the street, but most people go to northhampton or umass when they want to really get off campus and into the real world. we do have a lot of school pride, and there are a lot of little traditions that we like to uphold every year, which is really unique. i'll always remember jterm, which i am telling every first year student to try at least ONCE in their four years. students generally complain about lack of testosterone and too much work, buuuut they know that if it came down to it they love their girl's school and the work that moho gives us is necessary.

The best thing about Mount Holyoke is the community! The professors are there to help you and help you find your way. Second best- the way they pair your passions be it sports, art, music etc. with Academics, it's not an either or situation, it's an great balanced mix. The town certainly is small, and a bit in the middle of nowhere- but Boston is an hour and a half away, and Amherst and Northampton are great!