Mills College located in Oakland used to be a all women's college but merged with northeastern to become co-Ed in 2022 We stopped by Mills College on a Sunday morning and campus was closed but we were still able to go in after checking with the security guard on front. The campus was very quiet and pretty. All the buildings looked historical and is well keep. There were a lot of security guards driving around campus which made me feel very secure. The campus is huge, so we just drove around in a car so they we can see the whole campus. We also stopped by their dining hall and it was empty but clean. However, the bathrooms had some dead bugs and live bugs crawling around. The staff were very friendly and answer our questions. read more

Mills College - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Oakland, California

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Not a fan of this "college." I was lucky enough to transfer away from it. Mediocre academically, nonexistent extracurriculars, piss poor social scene, and they will bleed you for all they can take you for financially. The conversion to a co-ed offshoot of Northeastern has just added bureaucratic incoherence to its pre-existing problems, and Mills has basically sold out the one thing it had going for it: its legacy as a women's college. I don't even know why they bother keeping that joke of a school open. Steer clear. read more

Mills College is a small college in Oakland, California. I attended my cousin's wedding reception at the Student Union here. The campus - at least the parts I saw - was beautiful. I'd never heard of Mills College before this wedding, but one of my other cousins (also from California), who accompanied us to this wedding, had. The college was founded in 1852 and the student body is only about 1,300 students. The undergraduate program is women-only and the graduate program is all-gender. This is a progressive college. They explicitly welcome transgender students. As someone who comes from the South, I have to admit I was a bit taken aback by the "All Gender" restroom at the Student Union. When I opened the door, I hesitated a little because only women just happened to be at the sinks at that moment. I'm not used to that and I almost felt like I walked into the wrong restroom. The stall doors were nice and tall (down to the floor and almost as high as the ceiling) for added privacy. There was a bucket next to the sinks with feminine products, baby wipes, Neosporin, Tums, and more. This was a Saturday evening reception. We arrived on campus between 5:00 and 5:30pm and street-parked along the large circle in between Mills Hall (a large, gorgeous, European-style building) and a stately-looking clock tower. The circle was big and filled with lush, green grass. It was a short walk from the circle to the Student Union which is located on the backside of Mills Hall. In between the two buildings is more well-maintained greenspace. Cocktail hour took place on the Student Union's covered patio and the paved area in front. I guesstimate there were about 120 to 130 guests at the reception. According to Mills' website (https://inside.mills.edu/administration/administrative_offices/college_events/meeting_rooms.php), the Student Union can accommodate up to 150 people at $1,750 per day. Space on the patio, where both the beer-and-wine (and sweet tea and lemonade) bar and cotton candy machine were located, did get a bit cramped and it was difficult for people, including the hors d'oeuvres servers, to get around at times. However, the actual dinner and dancing reception space was fine. Some of the finger foods included croquettes and skewered shrimp. At $1,750 per day, the Student Union is an absolute steal. What an amazing rental fee. The event space inside had a very simple, elegant setup. The building itself has a somewhat old and historic feel to it. There were about a dozen 10-person circular tables, a dance floor, guestbook and card station, DJ, and photo booth (and fireplace; unused). The sound system worked well -- La La Land and Thai pop played loud and clear over the speakers. Ambient/mood and dance lighting worked to good effect. Catering was provided by Nora Spanish Catering (you can read my review of Nora here: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nora-spanish-catering-berkeley). Nora had a dinner station set up on the side of the building, in a little courtyard area, with three pans of paella, two of which were humongous, and salads and sides. This station was staffed. The outdoor space was also used for the cake station. My cousin provided trendy Hamilton-themed cupcakes in lieu of traditional wedding cake. The outdoor space had some manicured landscaping (plants, bushes, trees) which made for a nice "natural" backdrop for photos. All in all, I enjoyed my time at Mills College. It was a fun and pleasant evening and I do recommend this place if you're looking for an affordable and effective venue for an event. read more

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A cousin of mine was teaching at Mills College and he was kind enough to give me a tour of the campus. Nestled on the hillside of Oakland, Mills College is full of beautiful and historical architecture. One of the buildings that really stood out was the Mills Hall, in all white and reminded me of those old British estates. Mills Hall, styled after the Second Empire architecture in Europe, is apparently haunted with reported ghost sighting. It was one of the oldest structures which was built in 1871 and housed the entire college. The campus is really not very big and has varied changes in elevations which offers a lovely stroll. It is wonderfully landscaped with a wide breadth of flora and fauna as well as large trees that apparently have been around for longer than most of the people alive. It's not too far from the Oakland Zoo and there are lots of great dining options around. The Mills students are very fortunate to get their education is such a diverse, yet lovely environment. read more

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Mills' policies and their incompetent staff = de facto discrimination against Neurodivergent students. M Center staff are slow, lazy and give off serious DMV/Post-Office vibes. Expect dirty looks if they have to lay down their ham sandwich to help you deal with all the obnoxious bureaucratic red tape the Administration throws up. And even then, it's a 50/50 chance that they will not process your paperwork on time, correctly, or even at all! Mills presented themselves as an ideal place for someone with my disabilities to get the individual attention and accommodations necessary for success - but that couldn't be farther from the truth! After my first suicide attempt, I was hospitalized right before graduation. Professors and Admin assured my family that "everything would be taken care of" and not to worry, but THEY ARE LIARS! After my recovery, I was barred from completing the .5 unit online Information Literacy Course, my only remaining degree requirement. Mills effectively ransomed my degree: I would have had to re-enroll and pay them a $5,000 fee before being allowed to register for their stupid half-hour online course. Even worse: soon thereafter Mills sent my student loans into default, while still not letting me complete that ludicrous class! Several years of homelessness and a few more suicide attempts followed. Only after much degrading begging and even more administrative BS did Mills finally re-admit me. Needless to say, all of this work constituted a daunting, gargantuan, nearly impossible task for someone like myself who suffers from Executive Dysfunction, a Brain Injury, etc. And unfortunately this was too little, too late: no happy endings here! Because Mills sent my loans into default while simultaneously withholding my degree, I am now permanently ineligible for further financial aid and won't be able to get the master's degree I'd originally planned on. Oh and my credit is ruined. I still to this day am harassed by debt collection agencies hired by Mills College. But their campus is pretty! LOL just don't look at Ege Hall; it's highly flammable and almost certainly not up to code. No wonder they conveniently excluded it from my campus tour. read more

Today I had the miss fortune of coming to campus to inquire about pool hours. I'm an avid swimmer who lives close to campus and wanted to be part of the community. As I made my way to the pool front desk at 8:30am on Feb 10th, the lady working behind the desk sees me and starts yelling at me "put on your mask" I tried to ask her question from a distance or see if she had an extra mask.. I was not heard or acknowledge as a human being ... I was yelled at and yelled at until I had to just walk away... ( please note: other people walking around campus outside did not have mask on.. my question, would they have been yelled at?? From my experience people who are stickler for the rules usually make exceptions for their "friends" or people in their tribe! Regardless, as a local resident of Oakland I will no longer be attempting to access or swim at Mill College! It was just a rude and disgusting experience that I never... ever want to relive!! read more

This school might be the right pick for you if you're passionate about social justice, inclusion and intersectionality, and want a quote on quote "safe enough" place to attend college. If your family is willing to support you through college, then definitely go for it! If you don't have a child and you want to go to Mills, then you will fit right in. If you are a person of color, specifically coming from a working class or poor background, then you are probably going to have a hell of a time. Racist/classist/transphobic things may or may not be said directly to you, and you will feel the tension in the air. Mills has a beautiful campus and attracts people the moment upon arrival. Many people have good intentions, however I had a pretty bad experience at this College. I transferred in, and had little to no guidance from the faculty. I did 2.5 years at community college, and was pretty much clueless well into my first year at Mills. The child care program is a joke. Parents take out loans to put their kids in care at Mills. As a single mom, I felt like I was left in the cold and supported so much better at Peralta Community College. In my opinion, Mills is anti-feminism. Isn't the road to having "women in positions of power" having accessible childcare????!!! Idiots! read more

Attending a two session course on Saturdays is what brought me to Mills. I live in Oakland and had no idea this beautiful campus was here. The layout is sprawling with various buildings, looked dog friendly, and has security at the gate. The room where our class was is light and bright with beautiful outdoor views and tons of windows. The place was clean and nicely decked out with moving black boards and good projection. Outside was a quiet oasis. Would definitely take another educational course here. read more

Mills College is an all women's college. Most classes have about a 1:17 teacher to student ratio. The campus is beautiful, full of eucalyptus trees and lots of other nice greenery. The students are friendly with each other. There's a strong academic integrity. And the faculty and staff are more than accommodating. They care. A lot of them go out of their way to make sure students are going on the right path. Very supportive professors. Mills also has a strong sense of social justice. Go cyclones! read more

Mills College - A nice part of campus that has a lot of greenery. - Colleges & Universities Near Me - Oakland, California

I had some excellent professors here however, the dean sexually harassed me and told me that I wouldn't graduate if I didn't have sex with him. As a result, despite the fact that I had cancer and did all the work for all of my classes and passed them, was dropped from an internship three days before the graduation date and dropped from the program. I then went on to dance at Deja Vu Centerfolds. I went from school teacher to stripper overnight. I think that if you want a Deja Vu Centerfolds career, try Mills College first. You may need to have sex with a Dean or two but then, you can be an MFA, an MBA, a teacher, a computer scientist, etc. You just need to launch your career with sleeping your way to the top. read more

Cancelled my major and didn't tell me for months. Starting all over at my local community college. FYI: I was in constant contact with the professor who oversaw my major. They cancelled it in the spring of 2017 and I found out through a friend in the summer of 2017. Once I confronted this professor they admitted they didn't have the major anymore. read more

I'm graduating from this venerable institution tomorrow morning, and it's inventory time. This should really be a 3.5 star review, by the way. Pros: The professors are absolutely wonderful. All of them are willing to give one-on-one assistance, and most of them schedule their office hours liberally and encourage walk-ins. I have never known a Mills professor to pass off teaching and grading duties wholesale to their TAs. With a few exceptions, the work load in most classes is neither laughably easy nor sadistically difficult, and most professors are both clear about class requirements and flexible if issues arise. Mills also has a wonderful library full of treasures, staffed by some of the friendliest and coolest people you will ever meet. uh... Prons: The social scene at Mills can be simultaneously wonderfully wonderful and deeply annoying. Almost everybody has a great freshwoman (yes, that's what we call it) year, full of activities and shared classes and kumbayah* bonding moments. The "single rooms for all" dorm arrangements effectively subdue the issues that arise when women are asked to share each others' space for eight months out of the year, and petty drama is relatively uncommon. Fun activities on campus available to all are rare, however, and with transportation options limited it is easy to get stuck on campus for weeks on end. Occasionally the politically homogeneous atmosphere on campus can get tiresome, even for those who share the liberal beliefs of the masses. It's hard to have a meaningful political dialogue when everybody agrees. While the old buildings on campus are lovely, some of them are not up to ADA standards and a few are outright firetraps. A few areas around campus have been allowed to decay into a state of shameful decrepitude, although the construction projects that have been proposed recently should result in some improvements on that front. Cons: Mills is growing very very rapidly, and the infrastructure of the school has yet to catch up. The campus bureaucracy is notoriously incompetent. A good portion of the documents that are processed by the M Center are misplaced or misinterpreted by the data entry staff, and most Mills students can expect to have a drawn-out and unpleasant interaction with their unfriendly desk monkeys at least once a year. The quality of our Public Safety services has definitely improved over the years, but on the whole they are often slow to respond and are bad at dealing with novel situations - animal control issues in particular. *use of term trademark Dr. Kirsten Saxton read more

I could write a fairly long novel about my memories of working, teaching and being a graduate student (second Master's Degree) over the years at Mills College. Here, I'll try to make it a brief set of chapter summaries. I *could* write very detailed chapters about things like being locked out of my office building during the "Better Dead Then Coed" strike while undergraduate students were chanting "Warren Go to Hell, man!" Warren Hellman was then the Chairman of the Board who had made the announcement about going coed who then (in the media) looked like a deer caught in the headlights over the scandal since the graduate student programs were already historically coed and musicians like Dave Brubeck were among the alumni. I remember standing in a doorway of my friends' Mills campus graduate student apartment as the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake roared and shook us about like peas in a drum while little resident kids sailing around on roller skates were knocked, no floored to the ground in the driveway below us. That apartment complex was subsequently condemned after the earthquake. I remember teaching English to female university students from all over the world. The Japanese students carefully and sincerely introduced to me to their lovely cuisine and culture. The Venezuelan students taught me how to dance the Merengue. I walked on water because I introduced an older contingent of Russian Jewish immigrant students to sing along with Rod Dibble as they happily swilled vodka at The Alley piano bar. I remember working as a technical writer for a Math and Computer Science Professor who lived all week in her very messy office since she didn't want to commute every day from Half Moon Bay. She was the "Balzac" of the campus walking around chain-smoking, talking to herself, only ever wearing an odd assortment of nightgowns, kaftans and muumuu's. So many feared her; I thought she was amazing. I remember having a brilliant graduate advisor who went from the first name of "Richard" to "Susan" during my graduate student stint because he felt that he was truly trapped in the body of a lesbian and needed the major sex change operation. I observed it in phases and his teen-aged daughters appeared to be doing okay with the process. Yet, many of my lesbian colleagues and friends felt as though his former wife was far more attractive then her current gal, but hey, who was I to judge? Maybe he really does define "Millsbians." Who the hell knows. I had another dear computer professor who was a consultant who also got paid by companies to "hack" into their computer systems to see how hacker -proof they really were. He taught me how information is simply "out there to be found" with a very ironic wink. I recall hearing far more anti-straight and anti-white off-color jokes then the typically racial/sexually themed politically incorrect then I'd heard anywhere else. I could go on and on nostalgically but I did also want to offer up some more useful information that hiring employers might want to know. If you hire a Mills graduate, you will most likely already be hiring someone with some fairly decent above entry-level administrative skills. I know this after years of observing various departments about campus and seeing how many typical campus administration groups functioned. The hired professional staff would leisurely show up on Monday morning talking mostly all day about what they did last weekend or about friends and family or the occasional juicy campus gossip. Many of these groups brought in food to share daily through these conversations. Wednesday, the conversations would then switch to about what plans they had for the next weekend. A typical observer would wonder how any work ever got done and even more importantly, how was it done efficiently? There was no secret to this. It did get done and often not only efficiently but also creatively by work-study students! These were the real drones behind the scenes paying off huge student loans. Despite all of that extra work where many students toiled, Mills has churned out some amazing brilliant graduates. Some of the biggies: Jade Snow Wong, Barbara Lee, Elizabeth Murray, Renel Brooks-Moon, Laura Stemple...but the diverse list goes on: http://www.mills.edu/alumnae/graduates.php So, if you ever feel inclined to ask me as so many do, "Isn't that a girls' school?" I could only offer up endlessly colorful amounts of dissent in my answer. read more

MILLS COLLEGE: HOME OF THE MILLSBIAN (From the Urban Dictionary) Millsbian: 1) One who attends the all-women's school Mills College located in Oakland, California. The large lesbian populaton leads one who is straight, or does not narrowly define her sexuality to be stuck in the strange sexual-limbo... known as being a "millsbian." Chick A: "Damn! She's hella fine!" Chick B: "You've been at Mills too long. Millsbian." 2) A woman who dates / sleeps with / 'experiments' with other women while attending Mills College, but reverts to heterosexuality once entering the Real World. Hey, I didn't know she was gay! Nah, she's just a millsbian. ...nice to know some things never change. =P read more

I spent three years of my life at this school. I did not have a life changing experience. I did not decide that I hated men or changed my sexual preference. But I liked it. The art department really kicks ass here. Oh...and no offense, but there are some girls here who are so fucked up and mean. I'm sorry that I'm not a lesbian and I'm friends with dudes and I'm not a militant feminist....but there's no need to be bitchy to me! read more

It's hard to sum up four years of higher education in a yelp review so I will try with a haiku: eucalyptus smells like perpetual stress and bad tea shop coffee read more

The Best College on the planet! As an alumni, I can tell you the mission to create leaders, social thinkers, and support women to impact the world is engrained into the curriculum and the atmosphere. The coursework is extremely challenging and the small class size encourages participation and competency. The campus is beautiful as well. Go Cyclones! read more

Campus life could be GREATLY improved. Professors in the Education Department were not as knowledgeable as or helpful as they should have been. For the money you spend, I do not recommend this institution. Go to Stanford instead. read more

Spent many a night at Orchard Meadow with my ex,and it was best described as strange,but true. Students from very wealthy families and very poor,all attending the same classes and living together Memories are of students from Olney Hall,having an out call service and myself and ex sitting in a large dining facility in Orchard Meadow,while the residents pass around a candle singing Good Bye to the Eucalyptus. Neat tradition,in that whoever the candle stops at,is getting married. My ex gave me many a dirty look hoping that she would be next. No pressure there,NOT. Unfortunately,there were some man haters on campus. I was with my ex and 2 of her friends at the Mills campus coffee shop,when for no reason at all,two Millsbians started reading aloud,some feminist propaganda about men exploiting women with there feet upon the neck of womankind. I am the only guy in there and they made sure I heard it loud and clear. My ex wanted to punch them out,but what would be the point? An ivy league type oasis in one of the worst ghetto's in America,located within walking distance from where all those Oakland PDO's were killed a few years ago. All in all ,mostly good memories. read more

Mills has a nice campus and all of the instructors I've worked with are very friendly and approachable. Being a male graduate student at this school is not really a problem and I haven't noticed any antagonism towards men on campus. You will probably feel a little conspicuous as the only man in a room full of women sometimes, but most people are very friendly. My main issue with Mills is the college's (over?)use of split level classes wherein both grad students and undergrads can enroll. I'm finding that these classes really treat the graduate instruction as an afterthought and no real pedagogical distinction is made between grads and undergrads. Grads write longer papers but the subject matter and the depth of the intellectual discourse is the same. Mills is not a cheap place to go to school; I already have an undergraduate education and I want to feel that I'm not investing in a second one. read more

I only spent 3 semesters there, but they were my last semesters in college. This was an interesting place to spend that time in my life. Maybe I've spent too much time in snobby educational institutions, but I was really amazed at the breadth of levels of intelligence there---it was a mix of some of the most brilliant and also most moronic people I've ever met. It was also a mix of some of the best and worst classes I've taken in college. The pluses: electronic and computer music classes, Jewish and Christian literary relations senior seminar, the beautiful campus. The minuses: the social scene (especially as a transfer), the required English major classes. Look for music performances (open to the public) at Mills--Meredith Monk and other cool composers like to give intimate performances there every once in a while. I would recommend the student performances, but unless you're a student of electronic/computer music yourself, it would probably come across as boring and possibly narcissistic. read more

I received my M.A. in English Literature from Mills College in 2006. The experience was worth every penny. The Chapel is one of my favorite places in the world. I was in a wedding there in 2008; gorgeous! Nature, light, organ, peace. Beautiful. I continue to draw on Mills as a resource and harvest students for job placements for my clients. Mills fosters amazing people who tend to be excellent employees. read more

This is a review on the Art Gallery on Campus. Worth visiting and seeing the exhibits, well executed alumni and students alike. I just hope whomever works there isn't starving away because the tuition is like really high. Beautiful campus with historic buildings everywhere and most everyone there is so nice. Saw the Bloomberg Exhibit which covered the post-impressionist era and met a relative of Virgina Woolf who spoke. I thought the way the exhibits were handle was very nice. Very informative as well. read more

First - Friday L., you made me laugh out loud. Gotta give my alma mater five stars (umm, one for each decade I'll be paying back my student loans...? j/k!). Oh, fires of wisdom are still burning thanks to Mills. I still get nostalgic driving down tree-lined Richards Road. Re: places to have sex, wouldn't the graveyard (where the founders are buried) be kind of a good place? Finally, if you must have sex in the Clock Tower, keep in mind it rings every 15 minutes. :) read more

Very beautiful campus! I came here the other day for a musical concert and greatly appreciated how green this campus is. Not only do they have a variety of trees and patches of grass everywhere, but the buildings are really nice too. The music building was gorgeous inside. The restrooms are very clean and new. They even have water efficient toilets. read more

Mills is a beautiful, idyllic campus with many welcoming and friendly faces. There are some excellent staff members there who will go out of their way to help you succeed. Unfortunately, the staff members paid to do their jobs in the Registrar's office, Student Accounts, etc. have entirely dropped the ball this year. Virtually every student has genuine complaints about false charges, charges based on factors none of us were told about ahead of time, etc. Trying to work with these individual offices is near to impossible. A truly professionally run campus would never keep staff on who continually and profoundly mess up the exact jobs they're paid to do. The school purports to care about social justice, but for the most part is stuck in the 60s definition of what that means--race, class, sexuality, and gender are considered to be marginalized communities, but most people do not even try to understand disability, for example, as a site of injustice. The conversations about justice and oppression are stale and tend towards the repetitive, and no authority is encouraging a deeper analysis. Attending an all woman's college is pretty cool, but that element is rarely discussed, if ever. If you're hoping that Mills will be an entirely feminist space to discuss rape culture and patriarchy, think again--you'll have trouble finding anyone who can even define these terms. I've attended colleges where most people had at least one concern with the school, but I've never attended a school where every single person absolutely hated some aspect. There is a tremendous amount of vitriol among the student body about constantly being milked for money in increasingly unfair ways, and that translates to an atmosphere of doom and gloom. It's hard to be happy when everyone around you is suffering, yet any solution is a long way off. Moreover, Mills is in awful financial straits, so many important services are being cut. There is currently one person doing the work of five in the disability services office, and most of the therapists working on campus are actually therapists-in-training who really don't know what they're doing and are not qualified to deal with problems beyond homesickness or stressful classes. This school seduces students with a package that is perfectly authentic: caring professors, small class sizes, a focus on a liberal arts education, a historically all women's school. Problem is, the school hasn't got the basics down. Until they do, I wouldn't recommend attending. read more

I've been here for 2 years for my Master's program and it was the BEST experience of my life. I'm so glad that my Emotional Support Animal was able to join me in the dorms as well. I lived on campus for my 2 years here with my dog and we have LOVED IT. Thank you MILLS for this opportunity. Now if only I didn't owe $125K in student loan debt...........but I suppose that's the price you pay for a private grad school education here. Was it worth it? Perhaps. One may never know...... read more

Mills College is not safe. It is located in East Oakland far away from any Mass Transit... except for some disgusting buss lines that snake through East Oakland and take forever to get anywhere. There are regularly police helicopters flying around nearby because of robberies at gun point, car chases, police shootings, etc... If you want to be serious about your major and work late... good luck walking home. In the two years I lived near campus (2009-2011) there were a handful of shootings, some with fatalities right by the back gate. My sense of Mills is that it is a place for very rich parents to send their daughters and keep them away from the evils of the world at large. They pay the exorbitant dorm room fees for them so that they live on campus for 4 years in isolation. If you have a car be prepared to drive a lot. This is a commuter school. You will not receive a college experience like that of Stanford or UC Berkeley or even S.F. State because there is no college community surrounding the school. It is truly isolated. Most of the staff and professors also commute from long distances. The result is a tense, unsettling feeling that hardly lends itself to an inspirational college experience. read more

Mills is where I feel at home! As a student, I have a different take on the campus, but what I'll review here is the private women's college appeal to visitors seeking recreation: Though I wouldn't recommend having sex in the three locations that Friday L. recommended, you might consider: The Greek theater behind the music building, or, somewhere off the walking path that can be accessed from the parking lot to the right of the entrance, just inside the gate. I don't recommend passing by the security guard, especially if you have a car--you should stop here, tell him you are a member of the community or a prospective student, and get yourself registered with a parking pass. There are several fields, sculptures, and water features/fountains on Mills, most of which you will spot on your drive into the heart of campus. There are MANY places for an excellent game of frisbee! And don't miss the Art Museum--it's small, but high quality, and just the architecture alone is worth coming for. read more

I just wanted to say that Mills IS close to some cute shops and a supermarket; up in the Laurel which is about a 5 minute walk away!! Otherwise, this is a lady-- excuse me-- women's college in the old school sense of the word. The campus is gorgeous and you're going to want a cup of tea within about 5 minutes of sitting down in Mills Hall. Mills has been running on the coattails of the diversity trend since day one however, so don't think you're going to be polishing a piano or any other home ec like activities. It's a good (tinytinytiny) school. Be prepared to say, "I go to Mills" and people to go "Oh...where is that?" read more

A cool school up in the cuts. I went to a few plays there and I really like the feeling of the campus. A girl I dated was a Mills College student and she got kicked off the campus before she could graduate. I later found out....that she was insane...lol. A genius, but very insane, lol. read more

This review is for Mills as a conference center. Pros: The main conference room was very airy with high vaulted ceilings and numerous windows. The catering was thoughtful and semi-nutritious, and the containers for taking home leftovers was a nice touch. Parking was easy. The front gate guard was friendly and helpful - without prompting. Happy graffiti in the woman's restroom (presumably masking more salacious inscriptions). Neutral: Price. Not ADA - though the flight of stairs wasn't a big problem for our group. Cons: The occasional passing plane drowned out conversations in the main room. Some folks found the chairs to be too hard for a full day's sitting. The restrooms lacked sufficient ventilation to whisk away unpleasant odors. The secondary conference room down the hall had a confusing locked sign on the door. The phone system (for the folks attending via conference call) wasn't fully functional. Net: I would have another conference here - but I'm going to check out the downtown Oakland commercial options first. read more

not nearly enough diversity. my first two semesters at mills, i was one of the only latinas in the english department (and, contrary to popular ignorance, latina/os are interested in studying literature that extends in manifold directions other than your typical ethnic studies lens, though i do appreciate culturally rich text). many brilliant, well-read young women. in terms of striking a valuable equilibrium between vicariously living through text and authentic life experience, your criticalness will suffer. kind like when someone said "wetback" in one of my classes and some women had the audacity (and really, sheer niaviety and self-inflicted living in my own white worldness) to not comprehend how and why, upon hearing the pejorative used, jumped out of my desk and executed a firm and disgusted "what the fuck did you just say..." after this outbreak of ignorance, i felt compelled to demystify that being from los angeles, a landscape that kisses the mexican border (though california, utah, nevada, texas, and colorado were usurped from mexico in 1848) the term "wetback" is not only rude, classist and prejudice but also, incorrect; an ironic antithesis of a "historical term", as "we wetbacks" did not cross the border but, in fact, the border crossed us, ie was forcibly purloined by u.s. intervention, coff, i mean imperialism... ) right, so now that ive given my critique from a "culturally sensitive/aware microscope" i will say that the professors, namely professor edwards, cadey and tom were fucking off the chain. they made it possible for me to use the words "calendrical" and "undercurrent of...." with the ease and fluidity of a kid from east l.a. with something to prove. to herself. oh, and to the girl who said mills was in a "gangster" neighborhood you should closely examine your level of experiences with "gangsters" and "gangster neighborhoods" before you feel entitled enough to comment on a subject i bet you know little about. signing off (not) a "gangster" from east l.a., love read more

I love being a grad student at a large university, but man oh MAN do I miss Mills (graduated in January). The campus is beautiful. There is a shuttle bus during the school year from UC Berkeley and Rockridge BART (it works most of the time). The professors are amazing. The classes are small, the work is challenging, and if you do your undergrad here you are totally ready for grad school, no problem. Even as an alum you still get to use the gym, which is nice if you are lacking in funds and don't want your body to fall apart while you try and find a job. I read more

My daughter started going to Mills as a transfer student. I love this school for her. It is a serious school and not a party school. They are so supportive and the history is wonderful. She is thriving here ,next year she will be going to France as an exchange student . My daughter and I are very happy with her decision to go to Mills College. read more

Had my wedding and reception here. Wonderful staff. There were some small hiccups that were handled well. I would definitely recommend using them for event space, weddings, etc. What a great job and what a great campus! read more

Mills College is a place where you can be yourself as well as grow into something amazing. I am about to start my 2nd year at Mills in the fall and I cannot wait to go back to learn and create. Mills College isn't the biggest school but the community and sisterhood is huge. This historically Women's college has changed my view on life in just one year of attendance. There are some downsides at times when it comes to communicating with advisors about classes and credits but I mean no school is perfect when it comes to that. I have created so many friendships in such a little time here at Mills and I cannot wait what the future has in store for me while attending Mills. read more

I'm coming in as a transfer from Southern California. I got an incredible financial aid package and the M Center has been nothing but truly, TRULY helpful. They have seriously done everything in the power to help me go to their school. They make me feel like I am an actual human being -- imagine that! A friend of mine told me that the people in administration don't know what they're doing, but they MUST know -- they've been helping me every step of the way! What an incredible opportunity for me, having come from an immigrant family with no background in higher education. The professors are awesome so far too. This place rules. STEP OFF, HATERS -- too bad you didn't have the gpa to get into Berkeley or the money to go to NYU or something. Psh. read more

EDIT: Somehow my review was hacked and indicated I liked to have sex in the commuter lounge and backstage in the theater. I just wanted to point out how that SOUNDS awesome, but alas it just isn't true. I lived off campus with my boyfriend (now husband) and we didn't need to fornicate in a sleep room of a commuter lounge for transfer students that I did not have keys to (the non-transfer students have a different lounge, yes that's right two places for commuter students to go). Mills was very supportive of my decision to live off campus, unlike many colleges who don't allow it, that is worth pointing out here. Secondly, and sadly, the theater program was cut during my 2nd year at Mills, so I've never actually been backstage in the theater. Our rogue group "The Mills College Players" performed elsewhere on campus. Which brings me to a second point about how awesome Mills is...you can start nearly any club you want with complete support as long as you are organized! :) read more

I actually just came to Mills for a work seminar that I was photographing. It's a very beautiful campus, which has to be very nice for the students and faculty. read more