I majored in economics and mathematics at Mount Holyoke College, one of the Seven Sisters Colleges.
This International Women’s Day
, as a Mount Holyoke alumna, I would like to honor the legacy and traditions of the Seven Sisters colleges. What significance do these colleges have in today’s predominantly co-educational world? Living up to the vision of the college founders in the 1800s and juggling life and work in the modern interconnected world is a balancing act!
The Mount Holyoke campus is beautiful and historical. We often compared it to Hogwarts. Mount Holyoke lies within a five-college consortium that is interconnected: Mount Holyoke, Amherst College, Smith College, the University of Massachusetts, and Hampshire College. Students are free to take classes at any of the other colleges within the consortium. In this way, several of the Seven Sisters provide access to their wonderful campuses along with the facilities of other prestigious connected colleges.
Through my days on campus, it never actually struck me that I was enrolled in an all-women’s college. It was simply an organic environment connecting ambitious people to network and help each other realize their goals. The friendships we made along the way have endured the test of time and have become a support system for all aspects of life.
Campus life was electric and vibrant. The experience was a blend of strong traditions from the 1800s and cutting-edge Wall Street aspirants and global tech interns. The sciences are very strong at Mount Holyoke. It was common to discuss neuroscience research over dinner.
Women’s colleges are known for their long-lasting alumnae networks. It is easy to connect with alumnae established in the professions you want to pursue, especially so, because they are heavily involved in recruiting, mentoring, and coaching. We return to Mount Holyoke for reunions every few years, and it is always a wonderful walk down memory lane.
The Seven Sisters colleges are prestigious, rigorous, and cosmopolitan hubs, known for their beautiful campuses, dorms, and extraordinary dining facilities. These all-women’s liberal arts colleges are particularly well known for their strengths in politics, developmental economics, finance, and the sciences.
And if you are a fan, just putting it out there that Hillary Clinton graduated from Wellesley – one of the Seven Sisters colleges!
1. The Seven Sisters colleges are Barnard (partnered with Columbia University), Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Vassar (now coeducational), and Wellesley Colleges. (Radcliffe College joined Harvard University in 1999.)
Author: Aruna Luthra
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