A strange fishbowl bubble of alternate culture, mostly students from Massachusetts and New England, seriously I'm one of about five students in my class from west of the Rockies. Very warm and friendly, just large enough to find a nice close circle of friends and acquaintances. Stellar professors, ineffectual administration, lots of acronyms.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Like many many schools, the profs are fantastic, the adjuncts are so-so, the staff are angels, and the administration is middling-terrible. Many of my classmates (and I myself) have been burned by misleading or straight-up dishonest course catalog information. There is no 4+1 MA/MFA in Children's Lit. I repeat: there is none.
Talk to your department heads, talk to the head of the school of management or nursing if that's your program, talk to actual professors who have advised students like you through their programs. I guarantee they will know what is and is not possible for you. Academic advisors are kind of hit-and-miss; I got a good one but I've heard some unfortunate stories from other students. When in doubt, talk to your department head.
Also, do not be afraid to make yourself a nuisance. Follow up with your advisor, follow up on your paperwork, follow up on everything. Whichever school you end up at, college is a system that you work best by engaging.
Do you find there’s enough academic rigor at your school?
Your mileage may vary. Our biggest programs are School of Management, School of Nursing, Communications, and SLIS (library & information science). I came to Simmons under the impression that it was a good school for English and Music, and ended up defecting to Communications and Music with an English minor.
In the year I've been here, my professors have been fantastic. The adjuncts (we do have adjuncts, no matter what the pamphlets tell you, mostly for FYS and as substitutes for profs on sabbatical) range from so-so to pretty bad. But I felt consistently challenged by my professors and engaged with my peers, and the course material is usually pretty darn cool.
Describe the dorm life at your college.
A-mazing. I lived on the Arts Floor my first year, we were pretty close (at times we had to be - blizzard cabin fever is not fun). Wherever you end up going to school, I highly recommend living in a theme community for your first year - it's a great icebreaker. Be aware: the gossip mill is pretty relentless, but I've found it's in the spirit of checking up on each other and making sure we're all ok. If you think a women's-only college environment will diminish the presence of relationship drama, think again: there is a thriving LGBTQ community here and many students date both outside and inside the Simmons community. Facilities may vary depending on your hall - I lived in Morse this last year, which was sort of a trial-by-fire rite-of-passage experience. I loved the people, but the building itself is not stellar. Do not underestimate the power of the box fan on move-in weekend: South Hall is the only residence hall that has air-conditioning. The rest of us get to suffer.
Describe the food and dining at your college.
Our service people are saints. They stayed with us through all three of our blizzards, and are very kind and friendly. The food is middling-ok, you can usually find at least something edible and in the range of balanced. However, we are supplied by a large corporation and mistakes do happen. It's very hard to resist the temptation to eat pizza all day every day, since it's the one reliably delicious option. But once you get over that mental hurdle, it's not super hard to eat healthy. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free mileage may vary though. Our staff aren't super good at labeling things.
The baked goods at Common Grounds, however, are fantastic. I could live on those double-chocolate muffins.
What’s there to do for fun at your college?
Boston! It's right there. We're a T ride away from Newbury Street, Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, and the North End. If you have work-study, absolutely ABSOLUTELY get a job at a local nonprofit through the Scott/Ross Center - it's good work experience and often will get you out of the college bubble and into real neighborhoods in Boston. You meet pretty cool people too :) There are clubs and orgs you can join through the Colleges of the Fenway consortium, and also a long tradition of Simmons students attending parties at other schools (Tufts, Northeastern is literally around the corner, etc) if that's your scene.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
I wish our music department was larger than one prof (he's awesome, but he's just one guy, there's only so much he can do), but there are some cool cross-enrollment options with the New England Conservatory, and music is not the major I plan to make a living with. TBH if you're majoring in one of the big programs I mentioned above, you're getting the best deal - that's where the college's energy is focused and that's where its reputation and industry connections are strongest. We have a Music major, for example, but it just won't have the same strength as, say, a music major from St. Olaf or Juilliard.
In fact, do this with every college you plan to apply to: take their course catalog and flip through it to see which majors have the largest amount of course offerings. Just go by the numbers. This is a pretty reliable guide to which majors are strongest at the school. I wish I had thought to do this when I was applying and making final admissions decisions.
Another major factor, of course, is financial aid: the application fee was waived when I applied and I was fortunate to receive a considerable academic scholarship and grant funding. Simmons was the least expensive of my out-of-state college options. In my conversations I've gathered that many students here receive pretty good financial aid, but of course this will vary depending on your academics, your financial circumstances and where else you apply.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Socially conscious nursing/management/comm/ed/CS students, athletes. Our CS BA/Library Science Masters dual degree program is really good, I've got friends in it who are loving it.
LGBTQIA students also have a huuuuuuuge representation on campus. I think SWAG (Sexuality, Women & Gender) is actually a more powerful org than student council now in terms of member population and social influence on campus. Our FYS (First-Year Seminar) program introduces all incoming students to sexuality & gender lingo, and is trying (bless them, they're trying) to instill in us a habit of introducing ourselves with pronouns (Hi my name is X and I use she/her/hers for example).
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There's some cool stuff happening here. Connections Carnival is held in both the fall and spring, so don't worry if you miss it the first time around. You can also join clubs and orgs at other colleges of the Fenway - I'm in the chapel choir at Emmanuel next door, and I started learning capoeira through our sports center.
Are you involved in any clubs or activities?
There is none. This is honestly part of what attracted me to Simmons.
How would you describe campus safety? Do you feel safe on campus?
I have felt one hundred percent safe one hundred percent of the time I've been on campus here. Campus Safety is on duty day and night - I was woken up by them at like four in the morning when they came to talk to my neighbors after a fight. Also we've got a pocket-sized two-campus arrangement, so there aren't any shady semi-hidden spots or creepy shortcuts. We literally live down the block from five different hospitals, and while the ambulance sirens at all hours get old, this is probably the best place in the world to get sick or injured. Medical professionals abound. We also don't lose power during blizzards, as I can attest. Our campus police just got an accreditation of some kind. Seriously, this is a pretty good school to choose if you/your parents are worried about moving to a big city.
A strange fishbowl bubble of alternate culture, mostly students from Massachusetts and New England, seriously I'm one of about five students in my class from west of the Rockies. Very warm and friendly, just large enough to find a nice close circle of friends and acquaintances. Stellar professors, ineffectual administration, lots of acronyms.
Like many many schools, the profs are fantastic, the adjuncts are so-so, the staff are angels, and the administration is middling-terrible. Many of my classmates (and I myself) have been burned by misleading or straight-up dishonest course catalog information. There is no 4+1 MA/MFA in Children's Lit. I repeat: there is none. Talk to your department heads, talk to the head of the school of management or nursing if that's your program, talk to actual professors who have advised students like you through their programs. I guarantee they will know what is and is not possible for you. Academic advisors are kind of hit-and-miss; I got a good one but I've heard some unfortunate stories from other students. When in doubt, talk to your department head. Also, do not be afraid to make yourself a nuisance. Follow up with your advisor, follow up on your paperwork, follow up on everything. Whichever school you end up at, college is a system that you work best by engaging.
Your mileage may vary. Our biggest programs are School of Management, School of Nursing, Communications, and SLIS (library & information science). I came to Simmons under the impression that it was a good school for English and Music, and ended up defecting to Communications and Music with an English minor. In the year I've been here, my professors have been fantastic. The adjuncts (we do have adjuncts, no matter what the pamphlets tell you, mostly for FYS and as substitutes for profs on sabbatical) range from so-so to pretty bad. But I felt consistently challenged by my professors and engaged with my peers, and the course material is usually pretty darn cool.
A-mazing. I lived on the Arts Floor my first year, we were pretty close (at times we had to be - blizzard cabin fever is not fun). Wherever you end up going to school, I highly recommend living in a theme community for your first year - it's a great icebreaker. Be aware: the gossip mill is pretty relentless, but I've found it's in the spirit of checking up on each other and making sure we're all ok. If you think a women's-only college environment will diminish the presence of relationship drama, think again: there is a thriving LGBTQ community here and many students date both outside and inside the Simmons community. Facilities may vary depending on your hall - I lived in Morse this last year, which was sort of a trial-by-fire rite-of-passage experience. I loved the people, but the building itself is not stellar. Do not underestimate the power of the box fan on move-in weekend: South Hall is the only residence hall that has air-conditioning. The rest of us get to suffer.
Our service people are saints. They stayed with us through all three of our blizzards, and are very kind and friendly. The food is middling-ok, you can usually find at least something edible and in the range of balanced. However, we are supplied by a large corporation and mistakes do happen. It's very hard to resist the temptation to eat pizza all day every day, since it's the one reliably delicious option. But once you get over that mental hurdle, it's not super hard to eat healthy. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free mileage may vary though. Our staff aren't super good at labeling things. The baked goods at Common Grounds, however, are fantastic. I could live on those double-chocolate muffins.
Boston! It's right there. We're a T ride away from Newbury Street, Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, and the North End. If you have work-study, absolutely ABSOLUTELY get a job at a local nonprofit through the Scott/Ross Center - it's good work experience and often will get you out of the college bubble and into real neighborhoods in Boston. You meet pretty cool people too :) There are clubs and orgs you can join through the Colleges of the Fenway consortium, and also a long tradition of Simmons students attending parties at other schools (Tufts, Northeastern is literally around the corner, etc) if that's your scene.
I wish our music department was larger than one prof (he's awesome, but he's just one guy, there's only so much he can do), but there are some cool cross-enrollment options with the New England Conservatory, and music is not the major I plan to make a living with. TBH if you're majoring in one of the big programs I mentioned above, you're getting the best deal - that's where the college's energy is focused and that's where its reputation and industry connections are strongest. We have a Music major, for example, but it just won't have the same strength as, say, a music major from St. Olaf or Juilliard. In fact, do this with every college you plan to apply to: take their course catalog and flip through it to see which majors have the largest amount of course offerings. Just go by the numbers. This is a pretty reliable guide to which majors are strongest at the school. I wish I had thought to do this when I was applying and making final admissions decisions. Another major factor, of course, is financial aid: the application fee was waived when I applied and I was fortunate to receive a considerable academic scholarship and grant funding. Simmons was the least expensive of my out-of-state college options. In my conversations I've gathered that many students here receive pretty good financial aid, but of course this will vary depending on your academics, your financial circumstances and where else you apply.
Socially conscious nursing/management/comm/ed/CS students, athletes. Our CS BA/Library Science Masters dual degree program is really good, I've got friends in it who are loving it. LGBTQIA students also have a huuuuuuuge representation on campus. I think SWAG (Sexuality, Women & Gender) is actually a more powerful org than student council now in terms of member population and social influence on campus. Our FYS (First-Year Seminar) program introduces all incoming students to sexuality & gender lingo, and is trying (bless them, they're trying) to instill in us a habit of introducing ourselves with pronouns (Hi my name is X and I use she/her/hers for example).
There's some cool stuff happening here. Connections Carnival is held in both the fall and spring, so don't worry if you miss it the first time around. You can also join clubs and orgs at other colleges of the Fenway - I'm in the chapel choir at Emmanuel next door, and I started learning capoeira through our sports center.
There is none. This is honestly part of what attracted me to Simmons.
I have felt one hundred percent safe one hundred percent of the time I've been on campus here. Campus Safety is on duty day and night - I was woken up by them at like four in the morning when they came to talk to my neighbors after a fight. Also we've got a pocket-sized two-campus arrangement, so there aren't any shady semi-hidden spots or creepy shortcuts. We literally live down the block from five different hospitals, and while the ambulance sirens at all hours get old, this is probably the best place in the world to get sick or injured. Medical professionals abound. We also don't lose power during blizzards, as I can attest. Our campus police just got an accreditation of some kind. Seriously, this is a pretty good school to choose if you/your parents are worried about moving to a big city.