Academic Support Services

By nature, Mount Holyoke's ambitious and independent-minded students like to challenge themselves. They love to try new things, and they expect to succeed. To this end, Mount Holyoke's academic advising and support services encourage intellectual growth while providing a rock-solid base of skills and knowledge.

Academic Advising
Speaking, Arguing, and Writing Program
Support for Students with Learning Disabilities
Preparing for a Medical Degree

Academic Advising
All new Mount Holyoke students are assigned a faculty advisor, who can offer guidance about selecting courses and creating an academic plan. Based on your interests and goals, your advisor will help you choose from a range of academic options and connect you with department chairs and other faculty members for additional advice.

Upon choosing a major during your sophomore year, you'll get a new advisor in your major or interdisciplinary department. In addition to offering advice about the major, advisors offer valuable counsel about Five College study, other off-campus study options, and preparation for graduate and professional school.

Speaking, Arguing, and Writing Program
The Speaking, Arguing, and Writing Program (SAW) helps students improve their writing and communication skills. In addition to workshops designed to boost skills like critical reading or outlining a paper, SAW offers one-on-one sessions to discuss specific assignments.

The key ingredient to SAW's success is the participation of trained students as mentors (assigned to a specific course) and assistants (working at the SAW facilities in Porter Hall).

SAW's resources include a mediated classroom studio for planning oral presentations and an extensive library of support materials.

Support for Students with Learning Disabilities
Mount Holyoke College is committed to supporting students with learning disabilities and attention deficit disorder. Through one-on-one meetings, a support group, and an advanced assistive technology lab, students are encouraged to move toward independence by more fully understanding their strengths and challenges, developing better academic skills, and gaining confidence in their own self-advocacy.

Prospective students with learning disabilities and/or attention deficit disorder are invited to contact the Associate Dean for Learning Skills in the Office of Learning Skills. For information about services for students with motor, visual, or hearing impairments and other special needs, contact the Office of Disability Services.

Preparing for a Medical Degree
Premedical studies can seem especially complex. The field of health sciences is broad, and students must plan their coursework carefully to meet the requirements for applying to medical, dental, or veterinary school. A student should discuss her interest in medicine with her advisor as early as possible. Sophomore year, students can request a Health Professions Advisor (in addition to an academic advisor) to help with choosing a specific field, planning course work, and applying to graduate programs.

Premed students typically seek out clinical or research internships through the Pre-Health Programs office. Past students have completed internships at Massachusetts General Hospital, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School, and the National Institutes of Health. More about health professions...