Mount Holyoke College was the first institution in the all-female Seven Sisters league. Today, Mount Holyoke women still receive a broad liberal arts education in the suburban setting of South Hadley, Mass., but have more opportunities to travel. Mount Holyoke is one of five colleges within 12 miles, and students can take courses and attend events at each. A free bus service transports students between Mount Holyoke, Amherst College, Hampshire College, Smith Collegeand the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. Through the schools membership in the Twelve College Exchange Program, Mount Holyoke women can study at one of 11 other schools, including DartmouthCollege and VassarCollege, for one or two semesters.Unlike many other schools, Mount Holyoke does not require students to send in SAT scores when they apply. The school does not have a Greek system, but students can choose from more than 150 clubs and organizations. At Mount Holyoke, a residential college, all student must live on campus. Juniors and seniors with a compelling reason to move off campus must apply and be approved. One perk of life in the residence halls: Through a tradition known as Elfing, first-year students receive a weeks worth of gifts from an anonymous sophomore. More than 70 percent of students find employment on campus, and all freshmen who qualify for work study must work at least one shift in the dining halls. On the sports fields, the Mount Holyoke Lyons compete in the NCAA Division III New England Womens and Mens Athletic Conference. The sports teams get their name from school founder Mary Lyon, and the mascot is a costumed lion named Paws. Mount Holyoke women can also get a workout outdoors, as the college is near to skiing, hiking and biking options. For a road trip, Boston is an hour and a half away by car.There are multiple opportunities to gain real-world experience as a Mount Holyoke student. Students can complete internships in the summer or during January Term, a several-week break for students to get work experience, network or take a noncredit course. The school works in conjunction with Smith College to provide career fairs for students.At any time, Mount Holyoke students can peruse the online database of alumnae contact information for help or networking. Especially notable alumnae include poet Emily Dickinson, U.S. Representative Nita Lowey and former White House Deputy Chief of Staff Mona Sutphen.

Worcester, Mass., is the second-largest city in New England and a booming college town to boot. The College of the Holy Cross is one of more than a dozen institutions in the area, so students have a variety of dining, nightlife and outdoor options. Boston, another thriving college town, is 45 miles away. On the Holy Cross campus, students can choose from more than 100 clubs and organizations in which to get involved. There is no Greek system at the Jesuit institution. All freshmen must live on campus and must participate in the Montserrat program, which clusters together small groups of first-year students who take the same classes, live in the same themed residence areas and engage in group activities. About 90 percent of students live on campus. A quarter of students play varsity sports in the NCAA Division I Patriot League. The costumed school mascot is known as the Crusader, the same name the sports teams take. Students can elect to study for a semester in another country, at another school or in Washington, D.C.As the nations only Jesuit institution solely for undergraduates, Holy Cross offers spiritual activities and retreats throughout the school year. The student body is predominantly Catholic, but all faiths are welcome. The College of the Holy Cross is one of 13 schools in the Worcester Consortium. As such, Holy Cross students can take classes at other schools and often receive discounted tickets to events around the city. Notable alumni include "Hardball" host Chris Matthews; Jon Favreau, former director of speechwriting for President Obama; and, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.