You’re probably aware that when visiting colleges it’s good to visit a chunk at a time. Luckily, areas often have clusters of schools near them to make visiting easier. You can even make a fun road trip out of it. Take advantage of this opportunity to visit campuses not just for information on academics but to learn about campus culture and dine and hang out the way locals do. Use our guide to plan your Western Mass roadtrip!
Why Western Massachusetts?
Western Massachusetts is home to the Five College Consortium. The Five College Consortium is a group of schools in an area of western Massachusetts known as the Pioneer Valley. It comprises Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, and University of Massachusetts Amherst. The five colleges operate both as independent schools as well as mutually dependent institutions. The consortium was created with a mission to support long-term cooperation that benefits the faculty, staff, and students of the five colleges.
Undergraduates can take courses on the other campuses, at no additional cost, for full course credit. Grades from classes taken at other Five College Consortium campuses will transfer automatically to one’s home campus and will appear on their transcript.
Hampshire College recently announced their plans to close their doors at the end of the Fall 2026 semester, but the other universities in the consortium still plan to continue operating as per usual.
When to Go
If you want to witness New England foliage at its peak, fall (ideally October) is the time to go. However, if your school schedule does not permit you to visit Western Massachusetts in October, no worries. New England is pretty in the spring and summer too, although July and August temperatures may leave you sweating. Visiting during the school year always has its benefits, as you’d be able to talk to current students, get a sense of campus life, and maybe sit in on a class.
How to Get There
Amherst College, UMass Amherst, and Hampshire College are all located in Amherst, Massachusetts. Smith is in Northampton, while Mount Holyoke is in South Hadley. All three towns are 15-20 minutes from each other by car, and students can easily access each of the five campuses via a free shuttle.
If you’re driving from within New England, Western Massachusetts is an easy drive. If you’re located in other parts of the Northeast, you can take the Amtrak—perhaps the Vermonter or the Valley Flyer—which makes stops at Springfield, Holyoke, and Northampton. If you’re flying from further out, you could fly to Bradley Airport, which is located near Hartford, CT, and Springfield, MA.
What to Do On Campus
If school is in session, you may want to sit in on a class and experience what life might be like as a student at one of these schools. When students enroll at one of the five colleges in the Consortium, they automatically become a member of the consortium community and gain access to the other four colleges in a variety of ways.
The Five College Consortium is made up of a mix of small liberal arts colleges and one large public research university (UMass Amherst). Beyond their association through the Consortium, these five colleges differ in academic structure, and each of them brings a unique approach to college education.
At Amherst, students don’t have to take a specific number of courses in their major—and can feel free to explore as many departments as they want. According to this student blog “Ranking Campus Buildings Based on Vibes Alone,” there are quite a few buildings on campus that elicit poetic feelings, so check those out!
UMass is a bigger campus than Amherst College, with 12 schools within the university, including a College of Engineering, College of Information & Computer Sciences, and College of Nursing. The Fine Arts Center often has interesting exhibits, while the W.E.B. Dubois building has thirty, that’s right 30(!) floors.
Mount Holyoke, a historically women’s college, has distribution requirements that are designed to acquaint students with knowledge in a wide array of disciplines as well as encourage them to explore fields that are new to them. What makes the school’s on-campus experience unique is the option to stay in Living-Learning Communities (LLCs) instead of residence halls. LLCs prioritize building friendships and exploring students’ passions with a cohort of other students who share their interests or identity. On campus, you can check out the famous sculpture by Dale Chihuly at the Williston Memorial Library. You could take a loop around the Upper and Lower Lakes or visit the serene Wa-shin-an Japanese Garden, which is open for regular hours for anyone to visit. It’s a great spot to meditate, sketch, read, or just sit and enjoy the space. Other noteworthy on-campus sites include the Abbey Memorial Chapel, home to a nineteenth-century Skinner organ.
Smith College is the other women’s college in the consortium. 96% of Smith students live on campus in “houses,” which range in population from 10 to 100. The house system enables students to create a sense of community and family while living at Smith. On campus, you can spend time in the Smith Botanical Garden and Lyman Conservatory (where many weddings and proposals have taken place) or stop by the Smith College Museum of Art.
What to Do in the Area
Western Massachusetts offers plenty to do for high school and college-age folks. Start at Amherst, where you can visit the Mead Art Museum, the Emily Dickinson Museum and the Amherst College Natural History Museum. Amherst is also home to the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art and the National Yiddish Book Center. You can also sit and read while sipping a latte at Amherst Coffee or catch a movie at Amherst Cinema.
Head over to South Hadley next. Stop by Buttery Brook Park, where you can play golf or have a picnic. Explore the Town Commons, which acts as the center of South Hadley. By the commons, you can stop by and get a meal at The Yarde Tavern, Sok’s, or Kiao Wan Thai. After lunch, board the Lady Bea Boat Rides out of Brunelle’s Marina and enjoy a ride down the Connecticut River. If you’re a museum fan you’ll find a unique collection of artifacts and architecture at the Skinner Museum, or preserved prehistoric footprints at the nearby Nash’s Dinosaur Track Quarry. Finally, McRay’s Farm is the stop if you’re in the mood for homemade ice cream, a petting zoo, mini-golf, and seasonal amusement rides.
End your trip at downtown Northampton, where shops, bookstores, concert halls, and restaurants with a variety of cuisines await you. On Main Street you can enjoy Middle Eastern food at Pita Pockets, pick up a new novel at Broadside Bookshop, or buy souvenirs at Thornes Marketplace. If you’re there on a weekend, the town regularly hosts food festivals, parades, and other community events, so keep an eye out for those.
So, what are you waiting for? Grab a physical map and start planning in vintage roadtrip style or, of course, there’s always the trusty Notes app for your checklist needs. Happy visiting!
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