Send your normal kid to MH and you will get back a monster in 4 years. plus we have a $150,000 bill. read more

Mt Holyoke College - oldest womens college in the US. Fabulous campus. In the same area as Smith, Amherst, Hampshire College, U Mass Amherst. They have a terrific exchange program so you can take classes at any of them. It's a small school, perhaps 500 per class. Many go abroad for Junior year. It has a diverse student body, both across the US and the world. read more

Mount Holyoke College - Colleges & Universities Near Me - South Hadley, Massachusetts

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My wife and I drove there to see the fall colors of New England. MHC has a very big, beautiful campus.

I so regret my interactions with this school. I'm a single father with a bisexual mostly lesbian daughter. I did not want her to fall into the well of loneliness a lot of people do in similar situations. So I was very open to her being here, and the campus is beautiful. I was worried she'd lose her tolerance for men in general as a result, and this fear ended up being more than realized. As basically the only man in her life who was the outlet for the men are predators preachings? Me who was paying for it financially, and soon it turns out emotionally as well. Anyway, three years after graduation she's realized men are human beings again. I hate this place though! read more

#65/2016 We were unloading the U-Haul bringing in all my sister's stuff and uh, "Where'd she go?" Sweaty and dirty after dragging her steamer trunk and tons of boxes up the stairs to her "temp double" room at Pearson's, we finally stumbled upon her: At a tea for the President, my sister looking perfect and graceful in a navy blue gabardine pencil skirt, heels, silk blouse and pearls. Everyone was dressed up, looking cool as cucumbers. Dirty and annoyed, I wiped perspiration and a wet strand of hair off my forehead, laughed and said, "Ha ha ha, I'm glad *I'm* not going here!" (I really wasn't the tea and equestrian type. I was headed for Fordham, UVA or Middlebury to learn Farsi and go to museums). Not so fast. My parents footing the bill wanted both their girls going to MHC. There wasn't much of a campus life (I rolled my eyes at the caravans of boys from Harvard, Princeton, Yale and Dartmouth who'd descend every weekend in this artificial way to socialize) but I didn't care about that. I was there for a purpose, to learn. I threw myself into studies. I was either in the chem lab, at the college radio station spinning records or reading 6 or 8 novels a week in my dorm room for English and French lit classes, churning out papers. Classes were small, often 15-20 women at a long oblong table. The largest class was about 75 at a "weeder" Organic chemistry class, the chem program being the second-ranked undergraduate chemistry program in the country behind MIT. Garrett Goodyear, Peter Viereck, Joseph Brodsky, Shirley Chisholm, John Irving- these are the professors who taught at Mount Holyoke. I took for granted lots of schools had luminaries like that- wrong. You might have Kissinger "teaching" at Georgetown but he would make one brief appearance and let the TA teach the class. These amazing people actually taught at Mount Holyoke (writer John Irving was booted for sexual harassment before I got there). The campus is beautiful, the professors are top-notch. You'll get a fine education and appreciate it much more when you're older. You'll poke fun at the nutty things like required PE (they are not kidding about PE credits needed to graduate and yes, my canoe class was taught by a former Olympic athlete) and institutions like milk 'n' cookies every night. But, you'll be the first in line when they open the kitchen doors at 10pm for a study snack. You'll also get tired of people asking if you took a swim in the lady pond (no) or if there are a lot of lesbians on campus (yes). You won't know many of your classmates' names because all the professors address the students as "Miss [surname] so you'll laugh when you run into someone and say, "Hello Miss Grasso!" "Well, hello Miss O'Hara! Did you finish the paper on King Lear?" Surrounded by some of the most intelligent and driven women in the world (Mount Holyoke has an extremely diverse student body from 100+ countries), it was humbling but made you run even harder to achieve. I never worked so hard academically and the campus' isolation and elitism were sometimes suffocating. For my mental well-being and interests, I set a goal to escape for junior year abroad and took off for Paris; it saved me. But in typical Mount Holyoke fashion, I got credit for courses I took at the Sorbonne but the grades weren't factored into my GPA- really? You can also take classes at any of the 4 area colleges including Amherst, (fellow Seven Sister) Smith, Hampshire or UMass. My sister practically lived at Amherst; I took a couple classes at UMass. I like Mount Holyoke for many reasons. I dislike its profile and reputation still aren't as high as other colleges and universities like Yale and Harvard but that is slowly changing for the better. I appreciate I had the good fortune of getting my undergraduate degree at Mount Holyoke and I recommend it for high-achieving women who want to make a mark on the world and challenge themselves. read more

A great educational and social experience so far for my daughter. Financial aid is another story. If you make too much money to get "need-based" financial aid and too little to be able to afford it, you're in trouble. If you're in this position and you have another child in college, expect your family contribution to double once the other kid graduates. Paying for college is like buying a pig in a poke. The pricing is unethical. This is how the college financial situation works in the USA, but colleges can and some do choose to keep costs from rising year to year for upper middle class kids. Do NOT expect a break at Mount Holyoke, and do not expect them to be clear from the beginning about what you can expect to pay in the future. Also, another unforunate Mount Holyoke policy: don't bother telling your daughter to work for outside scholarships. If she gets them, Mount Holyoke will simply raise the amount of money that the family is responsible for. read more

The only bad thing about MHC is that people have never heard of it outside of certain circles, which is a shame because it's one of the most amazing schools on the planet. If you are considering an ivy education but aren't sure if you'll like a big university then you should seriously consider MHC. It is a top tier college and with that comes rigor. They say that getting into Harvard is harder than graduating there but MHC will PUSH you academically and you will leave feeling prepared for your masters from your top pick school. Most of my friends here went on to pursue their masters at their top pick -the best universities for their field. However, I will admit that the biggest flaw with the MHC alumna is their inability to rake in the dough: most grads go into policy/government or nonprofits. Meaning we are game changers but not able to really change the market place. It's my goal to change that! We need some mohos who can REALLY bring home the bacon, which is what I hope to do. Also, if you are involved in student government MHC has the most established student government out of the seven sisters. read more

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I thought Mt. Holyoke had the most beautiful out of ALL five of the campuses in the consortium, the best idyllic natural setting and the most stunning buildings. Although I only took one class there throughout my undergraduate studies (I attended Hampshire and took off-campus classes at UMass, Amherst & Smith mainly) I used to go to the campus constantly to use the Williston library, because it was a beautiful Gothic building (and compared to Hampshire's library), it was a BLISSFULLY quiet place to study. I also would frequently visit the Mt. Holyoke College Museum of Art (a VERY Hampshire-esque and modern brutalist style brick and concrete building, looking very much like all of Hampshire's buildings), and being a NYC native, I LOVE Museums. I'd also attend theater performances at the Rooke Theater, because I really liked the intimacy of that space. I directed a Mt. Holyoke student in my Division III production at Hampshire (she was my one Mt. Holyoke cast member) and she was an absolute sweetheart and a pleasure to work with. Overall, I wish I had taken more classes at Mt. Holyoke because it was really a stunning and bucolic campus. Culturally speaking though, Hampshire, Smith & UMass were more my kinds of "places" and I felt like Amherst & Mt. Holyoke were more synergistic and connected with each other than Mt. Holyoke and Hampshire were. Smith & Hampshire had a far more connected campus culture, and of the two I vibed more and collaborated most with Smith students. Just how it worked out for me. I did meet some cool Mt. Holyoke Lesbians at five-college LGBTQ events though. read more

This is an amazing institution, it has changed my life. I graduated over a decade ago and it has opened so many doors for me, educated me, given me courage to follow my voice and stand strong amidst challenges. Was I hesitant to attend an all women's college? Yes. But classes are coed in some cases, we often had Amherst/Hampshire and Umass students taking classes with us. Some of my best friends to this day are from MHC (I'm talking about friendships since 2008). Financial aid was generous and gave me an opportunity to pursue a life very different from what I had. Campus staff knew me by name, everyone was protected and felt like a family. Very safe place. You could also take classes in other colleges in the area that are 20 min away. Regardless of where you go for college, there will be challenging times and things you don't like about the school, your classmates etc (I've been to 2 colleges, I transferred to MHC), bottom like is what you make of it. I don't regret going there and it's up to you to build the future you want to have. I've realized all my dreams since and it did take a lot of work but determination and following my voice is what MHC helped solidify in me. Good luck :) read more

Minimal space for creativity, or for interdisciplinary studies. Neither is this a place for intellectual stimulation or curiosity, amongst very grade-oriented students who only care about getting a job, & who pretend they're confident, smart, & got their lives all sorted, while often broken inside in many ways. Professors don't guide you to your interests here, especially if your interests are interdisciplinary; ambiguity makes most of them uncomfortable. Creativity, or their movement for change ? Limited. An alum asked President Pasquerella about creative outlets for students, & other alums present sensed that she clearly did not understand that question, & only talked about the museum ... Myopic visions. Plenty of false advertising, which I fell for .. . Diversity: MHC gives much financial aid to students from Pakistan, China, Nepal & other countries, to market their diverse culture. While diverse in countries, the students they choose are very similar, & culture aside, all one of a kind. Grade oriented, often afraid to ask what they truly want in life (one girl even said, no one's ever asked me that before), & fake friendliness. . Special major: discouraged if it's not career-oriented. In more than 2 years, the Special major dean never saw a student design a major that's geared towards intellectual pursuits. Professors often unnecessarily stoke students' sense of intelligence, in discussions that are clearly bland, & with facts students state with a false sense of superiority that's already widely known in other schools. Classes seldom encourage you to do independent papers & seek out your specific interests, they are designed in the old-fashioned way of 'lecture, try to discuss, regurgitate, write essays, exams'. I did extensive research for all my classes, & professors, & asked seniors for their favorites, to little avail. Accommodation & food: if you're the independent sort, or with dietary issues .. avoid coming here. all $13,000 from the financial aid package is taken away if you choose to cook, or live off campus. No negotiation. I tried many times, to be greeted with a cold-hearted & icy 'No' by their head of financial services. I did email the president, since I literally got food comas & a painful belly from the lousy unhealthy food, which affected my work, & that was ignored. Other colleges simply shave $2000 off your financial aid package. Prettiness of campus wears off .. it's like a Ralph Lauren ad that confines nature to its own notion of beauty. The one merit of this school: part of the Five Colleges consortium. read more

Located in sleepy South Hadley, Mount Holyoke College is one of the oldest all women's colleges in the US and is also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Mt. Holyoke's campus is quite pretty, with most of its academic buildings and dorms built in a Gothic style. The student population is smaller (2,100) than neighoring Smith (2,800). Many Mt. Holyoke students take classes at the other colleges in the Five College Consortium- Amherst, UMass-Amherst, Hampshire, and Smith. Mt. Holyoke is for a woman who is serious about her academics and doesn't mind living in a quieter part of the Pioneer Valley. That isn't to say you can't have fun at Mt. Holyoke, but its location sets it far away from the surrounding towns and colleges. read more

Mount Holyoke campus is beautiful, dorms are under-maintained. Administration could care less about students. Research and personal gain, are more important than student success. Faculty not supportive unless you are the best in the class. Classes are larger than advertised, and TA's are not helpful. Students are very competitive. College constantly asks for donations. read more

XD I can't believe we can review colleges here! (Hi Lauren, I am a moho too, but I didn't yelp until after graduation. As you can see: I am quite the old turtle in the e-ages~) I cannot "sell" MHC to you college-bounds out there. Do take full advantages of visiting the school and talk with anyone on campus when you can. I chose to attend here like "dating a type of guy that you never dated before," haha. Of course there's ups and downs throughout the 4 years, but there's always a helpful friend when you are down at MHC (always, even if you might felt none can help you in the beginning). Friendships at MHC do last long, I have to admit. There's always something surprising to learn here, and you get to do things that you probably never can do once you graduated. If you are open enough and wants mental challenges that last a lifetime, seriously consider this place one of your choices. Now for the fun part: You can almost always bump into Jo-Jo (current Prez of the college) on Sunday mornings when you take the Upper Lake sidewalk. She's usually there with her dog (wobbling a bit but mighty fine indeed ;P). read more

Weird campus, bad location, students remind me of perky squirrels. Great screenprinting facilities.

Sorry, but I can't let the smithie have the only review of MHC. So let's be clear - Mount Holyoke was the *first* women's college in the country and continues to be one of the finest places in the world to receive an education. The campus has been called the most beautiful in the nation, the student body is among the most diverse (half of the student body is either a woman of color or international student), and five alumnae have been featured on US stamps. How many schools can say that? The town of South Hadley is lovely and being a member of the Five College Consortium certainly enriches campus life. So if you are thinking about a women's college, don't be fooled by any imitations. We're the real thing, baby! read more

There' s no place like mohome. Beautiful campus, amazing people, a great academic program are only a few of its many wonderful attributes.

Disclaimer: I am actually a Hampshire student that takes a whole lot of classes at this fine school. Now, I love Hampshire. I wouldn't transfer for the world. But as of right now, my next semester has three Mt. Holyoke classes in it. This semester, two. Last semester, one. By the time I graduate, I might as well buy the bumper sticker! But seriously: I love this school. The classes are wondeful, comprehensive, and varied. The students are intelligent and likable. The campus is physically beautiful, especially, that library (seriousy, Mt Holyoke girls--take a look at MY campus and realize how lucky y'all are!). Just a wondeful place. If I had to transfer, it'd be to here. If you're looking at this school already...well, I'd also point you towards my own teensy, underfunded school, but Mt. H would be a FINE choice. I hope to take many, many more classes there in the future! read more

I love working at Mt Holyoke College. The administration is supportive and helpful. The students are kind and gentle. The college itself is beautiful. read more

I was torn between a 2 and 3 star rating. Let's start with the positives - relaxing campus, nice library, there are many seminars that you can take even beginning in the freshman year. You can make friends for life, and finally, the health, housekeeping, food and security situation is in very good order. Let's finish with the negatives - mixed academics, faculty included - some classes and professors were very good and some were lousy. The reading selections should have been more interesting. I was not into required gym credits, even though I like being active, I prefer to do all this when I want to and not as a requirement for graduation. read more

Beware of 1 Star reviews from people who have NO knowledge, NO connection, and only a 2 minute video's worth of exposure to this wonderful school! Very proud to have graduated and to have a daughter who also graduated from here. Mount Holyoke provided us both with an excellent well-rounded education and lifelong friendships with an extremely diverse group of people. Simply the best! read more

See below. The other reviewers summed it up. Except I don't really understand the one star review. I would think this college campus can make anyone feel romantic... read more

Mount Holyoke College - you have my eternal love and appreciation. The staff is professional and friendly, efficient and kind. The professors are true scholars who are passionate about their fields and a great inspiration to all who share curiosity and embrace challenge. A great place to study, challenge yourself, find opportunities suitable to your goals, grow as a woman and make lasting friendships with all that surrounds you. You have the power to make the best of it! read more