Mount Holyoke College Top Questions

Every school has every stereotype in some sense. We do have a larger than average "out" LGBT population, but it isn't the majority of the school at all. We are politically active and many are super serious about academics, and I'm guessing the slutty stereotype comes from guys who come to campus on the weekend and tell stories to their friends (whether they're true or not). I'd say we're an intelligent lot :)

To the first, yes, mostly. There are always a few exceptions. At first, I didn't think so, but I was really underestimating the percentage of students that identifies as something other than completely straight.

Well - Mount Holyoke students are exceptionally smart and committed young women and we do have a significant number of students identifying as LBQ etc., but as with all stereotypes, this one is definitely too narrow. AND Mount Holyoke students are definitely not guy-crazy :)

Nope! There are many openly lesbian and bisexual women. It is highly advisable that all applicants and students are acceptable of this. I would say that almost everyone is. There are a select few exceptions, but do not fret! There are always are those select few are a little bit different. MHC takes pride in each other's differences and I love that!

Not for the majority of the student body.

Yes and no, it is really a mix of people, but people assume that we are just a bunch of smart yet sexually-confused girls. There are more straight women here. Smith is really the school that is "gay". We have a large population of straight girls who are just like co-ed university girls. The real key is to be open-minded and learn to accept and understand others, even if they are different from you. It's a great learning experience.

Although the girls at Mount Holyoke are very smart they care and can have fun. Not all of us are lesbians but we do accept that way of life.

To some extent yes, but we are a very diverse campus and no stereotype can fit all the members of our community.

Yes and no. Many of the students of Mount Holyoke question their sexuality at some point and nearly just as many experiment. A number of these are termed "LUGs" - lesbian until graduation. These are girls who come in, lose sight of men (easy to do), and decide that for the next four years, a female significant other is just fine. Upon graduation they immediately revert to men. Others continue through life as lesbian or bi, and still others never turn from their original identity as straight.

Not at all. While there is an active gay/bisexual community, it is not an overwhelming factor. There are many people who chose the school because it has good academics and it met their needs in some way.

To some extent. If, on a tour or at a formal school-sponsored event, someone asks about the sexuality tenancies, an answer like this is often given: "it's not that our school has more homosexual and trans-gender students, it is just more obvious here because we are such an open-minded and accepting group of women." In all honesty, there are probably just as many, if not more, homosexual and trans-gender students as heterosexual As far as intellect goes, I would say that the majority of the students fall into one of these two categories 1) Not naturally smart but hard workers 2) Naturally smart but are slackers I came to the school expecting motivated intelligent people but it seems that many people think that they are smarter than they really are. Furthermore, the really smart people don't seem to care about their work because they know that they test well and will end up getting good grades anyway.

Yes.

There is an ounce of truth in each stereotype, but the large picture shows a slightly different story. When Las Vegas Night comes to campus, every third Moho can be seen running around the green in her underwear, and oftentimes Mohos will escape to Amherst College on the weekends for a one-time fling. Most though, are more conservative and careful when it comes to experiencing new relationships. While Mohos undergo great pressure to succeed in their classes, they have a great knack for balancing workload with a mix of other activities, always keeping busy with a slew of well-rounded projects. They're some of the most studious people you'll ever meet, but you wouldn't know it by the amount of socializing they do. If you talk to anyone in the five-college area about the general warmth of the campus, they'll tell you they've never heard anything nice about Mount Holyoke students. Mohos can seem a bit indifferent and even cold at first, and you might find it hard to latch on to some friends, but once you get past those first few awkward weeks, it's easy to find your niche. Lastly, you can definitely expect a lot of activism on this campus, and many Mohos are so passionate about being open-minded and intellectual that you may get your tongue cut off if you don't choose your words carefully enough.

Unfortunately, these stereotypes are nearly dead-on. You cannot escape Mt. Holyoke's gay community, and if you're at any kind of cooed function, the straight women cannot control themselves.

Many MHC students are willing to explore their sexuality. However, I would say that this is due to MHC's openness and the safety of the environment, and that very few students of "easy" or just looking for a one night stand. As for the second, we do care about our work, as we must, because the school is very challenging. However, I don't know any students who don't occasionally let down their hair and forget about work for an evening of fun with the girls.

Well, there is a much larger percentage of gay women at Mount Holyoke than is found at a typical co-educational institution. Also, there defiantly a large percentage of socially awkward girls who go here because they do not feel comfortable around men. Many of the women are feminists and are very strong willed- but most are not as intelligent as they think they are.

I believe that every stereotype has a grain of truth but these of course do not at all represent the whole student body. There are tree huggers as well as hummers. There are Lesbians as well as homophobic students. We do not necessarily have an overwhelming homosexual population, it's just that because we are an all womens campus, they can express their sexuallity with more comfort. And we are very into our studies and we are not a party school. But Amherst is right down the street. And we are not all socially akward and afraid of boys at all!

Nooo...I go off campus all the time to see boys, and I met my current boyfriend while at school. I'm always going to amazing parties on campus and off with my friends and at other schools, and though there is an open gay population on campus, there are plenty of straight people for us to party with.

No! I came to Mount Holyoke yes as a rider, but extremely academically oriented. I wanted a school that would have a high level of academics as well as a riding program of the same caliber. I have found that at Mount Holyoke, both the academics are challenging especially in the Sciences, Politics and Languages and the Riding team is one of the top teams in the nation with equally intelligent team members.

For the most part, no, but there are always those girls that really just perpetuate it.