Pioneer Valley Colleges: Day 3 Amherst College

The final day of the college tours led me to Amherst College where I would be transitioning over to my role as College Coach at College Summit for the second weekend in a row. We were very lucky that my College Summit schedule meant that we would need to go to the 9 am info session and 10 am tour because it was seriously hot.

My impression of Amherst is first influenced by the campus itself. Despite being just a few blocks from the town, there is a very tranquil feeling with large brick buildings and lots of grass. The mountain views don't hurt either, I can only imagine what it looks like in the Fall with the trees changing color. The details about Amherst are similar to other highly selective small colleges - holistic application review, a variety of very strong liberal arts majors to choose from, and a small residential student body. With less than 2,000 students this is a school that often falls off the list of many ElRo students because of the small size. But I would urge students to really think about how a school of this size may not be as small as they think. Yes, there is only one dining hall, but coming from a high school of 500 may make 1700 feel like just the right size. Amherst has no core curriculum, so students are allowed (and encouraged) to explore whatever they want without feeling obligated to study subjects they are not interested in.

My only complaint? No air conditioning in my dorm room for the College Summit workshop ;) I will say, on the upside, the dorm itself is very well maintained. It was the former gym from the turn of the century and they have framed photographs of the space from that time hanging in the hallways.

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Pioneer Valley Colleges: Day 2 Mt. Holyoke and Hampshire

The second day of our tours brought us to Mt. Holyoke and Hampshire.

Mt. Holyoke is a women's college but definitely has unique aspects that differentiate it from the other colleges in the area. Specifically in contrast to Smith, Mt. Holyoke has a more flexible housing structure (less of a 'sorting hat' atmosphere than Smith - but still the same AMAZING dorm facilities. See: Walk-in closets.) and it has a more structured curriculum (as opposed to Smith's open curriculum). Locations also differ, despite the proximity. Mt. Holyoke has a much more spread out campus in a smaller town. This contrasts with Smith's cozy feel in walking distance of the bustling Northampton. Something to really take note of is the diversity of perspectives on campus - 1 in 4 students is international and almost 30% of domestic students self identify as students of color. One of the 7 sisters, this SAT optional school was really welcoming and full of traditions. I particularly liked the class colors and mascots assigned to each incoming class, and the superstition about only walking up the library stairs on the side that your class's flag is on. If you visit be sure to check out the beech tree near the library, easily the largest living tree I've ever seen outside of the Pacific Northwest. I'm glad they changed the library expansion plans to save it from being cut down. Speaking of trees, the Mt. Holyoke seal has a palm tree on it. The hope at its founding is that it would be an oasis of knowledge. Mission accomplished.

In the afternoon we visited Hampshire College, the inspiration for the image at the top of this post. I didn't see this exact sign, but one very much like it at the entrance to the dining hall. If it doesn't make you smile then Hampshire probably isn't for you. ;)  The best way I can describe Hampshire is to say it is a place for individuals who are passionate. I found the students and staff we met to have a really unique combination of being extremely open and laid back but at the same time very interested in thinking about big ideas in a very cerebral way (and deep seeded passion). Hampshire students are known for taking the most advantage of the 5 College system - the average student has taken 8 courses on another campus. These courses supplement the hands-on discussion-based work they do on campus. There are no textbooks, students only use primary sources. There are no tests, students instead write papers. There are no grades, professors (who are addressed by first name) instead write a narrative to describe the student's achievements, areas to work on, and personalized suggestions of future courses to take. By Division III (aka senior year) the work more closely resembles the creation of a Master's level thesis. Students conduct research, or write a novel, or direct a movie, or make an invention, or found a company - ANYTHING that helps them think critically and create some type of new or original thought. In a way, I would say Hampshire could be described as the hippie* cousin of Beloit - no pretense, no judgement, just intense learning and a celebration of individuality. Don't come to Hampshire looking for quaint buildings, the campus was founded in 1970. But if it is content of knowledge that you seek, Hampshire may be exactly what the doctor ordered.

*Disclaimer: I'm not saying you need to be a hippie to fit in at Hampshire, only that that philosophy of focusing on social justice, a supportive environment and freedom of thought dominates the campus. I got the sense that everyone was welcome on campus.

Pioneer Valley Colleges: Day 1 U Mass Amherst and Smith

Before I start up with round 2 of College Summit on Thursday, I decided to add on tours to the five colleges in the Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts. I am joined by the college counselors from Millennium and the NYC iSchool (so you aren't confused when I keep saying "we"). The 5 College Consortium of U Mass-Amherst, Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire and Amherst College offer something for almost everyone. I'll give you my impressions of the schools I've seen here on the blog.

Our first stop was the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the largest of the 5 schools with about 20,000 undergraduate students. Our fabulous tour guide Colleen did a great job of handling our large tour group---a nice parallel to how U Mass Amherst is able to work with a large number of students and still get the job done well. Highlights of this campus included the Marriott hotel located on campus that offers Hospitality and Tourism students hands on internship experience without leaving the confines of the campus. They also offer an Honors program, eligible candidates typically have an A average and above a 1300 on the first two sections of the SAT. This is just one program of many that is designed to help make this huge campus feel more personal. I was really pleased with what I saw at UMass. This is a great school for a student looking for a flagship public school with tons of different academic disciplines, division I sports, and a location that is very different from New York City but not very far in terms of distance. Plus if a student did start to feel overwhelmed or like they wanted a change of scenery they can register for a class at any of the 4 other campuses (free bus service provided among all 5 locations).

Next we headed over to Smith College, a women's college located in Northampton. I found the buildings on this campus to be absolutely stunning. The school's founder stipulated that all buildings build reflect the time period in which they were constructed so there is a nice array of both historic and more modern LEED certified buildings. The campus itself does have a bit of a condensed feel, but in a homey and welcoming way. The three unique aspects of Smith, as per the information session, are: an open curriculum, the Praxis paid internship program available to all students, and the unique housing system where students find their 'home' on campus with a lot of pride coming along with it. The dorms here more closely resemble actual homes than they do standard collegiate housing (think grand pianos, wallpaper, walk in closets, etc). Smith is very clearly a place full of very confident women. They are multi-talented, articulate, and intelligent. It seems it would be a great fit for a young woman looking to change the world. Generous financial aid, the beautiful campus, and the longstanding traditions make this school a really great opportunity for any woman looking into small liberal arts colleges. Plus the town of Northampton is a short walk away and has more diverse (and delicious) food offerings than I've ever seen in such a small area. Maybe they were inspired by Smith alumna Julia Child? (She's front and center in the picture above, a photo from the Promenade Committee at Smith in 1934).

Next up: Mt. Holyoke and Hampshire

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College Summit Manhattan College

It is July which means it is time for College Summit! I'm at my first of two workshops for the summer, typing this from my extra long twin bed at Manhattan College. Tonight's banquet was full of some really powerful personal statement 'sneak peeks' and I'm impressed, as always, with the work that the peer leaders have been putting in.

At one point during tonight's event a young woman thanked her college coach for being the first person she can remember to every sit down for an hour and listen to her wants, dreams, and aspirations. These workshops are a reminder for me of the power of resilience. I am humbled, honored, and thrilled to have the opportunity to meet these dynamic, kind, strong young people with powerful stories to tell. I encourage any college graduate reading this to volunteer next year as a writing coach. You don't need to be a writer or a teacher, just have an open mind and heart and you'll be perfect for the job.

Next week I'll have an encore performance as a college coach at College Summit: Amherst Edition!

Summer Updates

Source: weheartit.com via Terry on Pinterest

Rising Seniors will be happy to know that Naviance has officially been updated to include the current cumulative GPAs and most recent June ACT and SAT scores. If you log in and see that something seems off, please email me and we'll look into it.

We also got back the AP scores and I'm excited to report that the average test scores in almost every course went up from last year - great work everyone! Special shout out to Mr. Jonas and his Stats class, where the report shows not a single score below a 3!

Stay cool out there. . .