{"id":759,"date":"2022-11-04T08:56:53","date_gmt":"2022-11-04T12:56:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/onward\/?p=759"},"modified":"2022-11-04T08:56:53","modified_gmt":"2022-11-04T12:56:53","slug":"college-visit-the-five-college-consortium","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.easternmennonite.org\/onward\/2022\/11\/04\/college-visit-the-five-college-consortium\/","title":{"rendered":"College Visit: The Five College Consortium"},"content":{"rendered":"

College visits are my favorite.<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, not really. I\u2019d pick snorkeling in the Caribbean or eating soup in a British pub or a few other things over college visits . . . BUT, I still think visiting colleges is one of the best parts of my job. It\u2019s so much fun to see different campuses and to try to get a sense of the personality of each. As I walk around and enjoy the architecture, read bulletin boards, and listen to student guides talk about their experiences, I enjoy thinking about my own students and who would be a good fit.<\/span><\/p>\n

Interested in visiting vicariously? Follow EMHS College Counseling on Instagram<\/a> or Facebook<\/a>. I post images and observations from all my college visits.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

In mid-October, I had the privilege of joining a counselor tour of the Five College Consortium in Massachusetts. There are several college consortiums in the country (Baltimore Collegetown Network and the Claremont Colleges, for example), but the Five Colleges is the oldest and most well-established.<\/span><\/p>\n

The consortium is made up of Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, and Smith colleges, and UMass Amherst. These schools all reside within a 20ish-minute radius in scenic western Massachusetts, and they have a unique relationship with one another. Students at any of the colleges may take courses at any other and those courses and grades will translate directly into the home college\u2019s transcript. Students can also participate in clubs, athletics, and other extracurriculars on other campuses. There is a free bus service between the colleges, downtown areas, and shopping malls. They even have a meal exchange program, so if a student is on another campus over a mealtime, they can eat there.<\/span><\/p>\n

I talked to several students who regularly take advantage of the opportunities the consortium offers. One loved the tight-knit community and academic flexibility of Mount Holyoke but decided that they wanted a major that Mount Holyoke didn\u2019t offer (sports psychology, I think). The student is making it work by taking several classes at UMass Amherst. Another student is a theater major and was able to land roles in productions on several other campuses, enhancing her resume and broadening her experience. Another student wanted to study a language his college didn\u2019t offer (every year, more than 40 languages are taught across the campuses).<\/span><\/p>\n

Each college definitely had its own unique feel. Here\u2019s a quick snapshot of my two-day whirlwind tour:<\/span><\/p>\n

Mount Holyoke: \"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n