Saoirse

Very Diverse -- to an Extent

Campus is very diverse -- one of the most diverse liberal arts colleges, in fact -- when it comes to racial make-up. We also have a high percentage of students receiving Pell Grants (about 1/3 of all students). Unfortunately, there is still tension between different groups. We've had to have several community meetings in recent years about socioeconomic conflicts on campus, especially between the "horse girls" (derisive term for upper-class students, who often bring their own horses to campus) and "financial aid kids." This is the biggest conflict on campus and tends to come up on a regular basis. As long as you keep your financial status to yourself, however, it's easier to avoid.

Politically, just about everyone on campus is towards the left. There is a strong College Republicans group, and they ARE respected, but they're not influential. Likewise, there are students who participate in religious life and are not ridiculed for it, but it's not very common.

As with most other women's colleges, the queer community is quite strong at MHC. Even if students aren't queer themselves, they tend to identify strongly with the community and work to support it. Some of the most popular events on campus are run by queer groups, including the Valentine's Day Drag Ball. There is a small percentage of intolerant students who try to distance themselves from the college's lesbian reputation, but otherwise, people are very laid back about it. We also have a number of transgender students, and they are largely accepted on campus as well.

As a piece of advice, students should step outside their own racial/ethnic groups whenever possible. Some groups have developed reputations for being completely insular, so avoid that!

Important to Consider Before Attending

Personally, the Pioneer Valley is perfect for me. I am a small-town New Englander who's used to long drives, beautiful pastures, rolling hills, country fairs, and cows, so I really appreciate everything the area has to offer. I also love that our "big" cities (Northampton and Amherst, both right up the road) aren't really big at all and are mostly just nice walking towns with lots of cute boutiques, used book stores, and sidewalk cafes. So for me, it's perfect!

But I know many students who hate the location, some even going so far as to transfer out, because they were expecting regular trips to Boston and New York, lots of clubs and bars, and other things that simply aren't realistic. You have to be comfortable with seclusion in order to be comfortable with Mount Holyoke. If you'd rather be in Boston, go to a college there; don't assume you're going to be driving out every weekend from South Hadley, because you won't be.

Since the Five Colleges (MHC, Smith, Hampshire, Amherst, and UMass) dominate the area, the attitude towards college students is great. Each of the colleges regularly interact with each other, including for social events, so you'll always be around thousands and thousands of other college students (and yes, that includes men). We call it the Happy Valley for a reason -- it's a great place to be!

Main Labs = Great; Dorm Labs = Ehh...

First of all, virtually everyone brings a laptop and printer to campus with them, so this usually isn't an issue. But if you plan to use campus computers, stick to the ones in the library and MEWS (an open lab area). They're the most reliable and also have the best printers (which you have to pay for). The dorm labs have older computers, the printers are free but horribly unreliable (usually out of ink or paper), and tend to be dominated by students staying up all night in chatrooms.

Wireless is around but spotty in areas, especially the residence halls off the Green. You'll want to plan to plug in. Also, be warned that they are very strict about bandwidth usage, so if you start downloading movies or anything else of size, expect to get a call or e-mail about it.

Best thing: LITS, our tech support, is fantastic! They're always happy to work with you and give great advice and speedy help.

Available, but Costly

Finding off-campus housing in the Pioneer Valley takes a little more work than you might expect, especially since ResLife at MHC really doesn't help you. Prices can be high, parking is a nightmare in some areas, and you might find yourself having to make a bit of a drive in order to find apartment complexes. (There is a small building almost right across from campus, but it's a townie building that's usually rented year-round by locals.) Most students do best with renting a room or an in-law apartment from a local homeowner. If you're not from the area, be prepared to keel over the first time you see your heating, electric, or water bill.

A few words of warning: Day students don't have a strong sense of community and therefore tend to be socially isolated. Most students who live off-campus are either non-traditional students with families or seniors who have a local connection and no longer feel the need to socialize on campus. Generally speaking, students should do everything they can to live on campus all four years.