The academics at Smith is amazing and above average. The professors are for the most part very helpful and if you don't understand something they are usually available during office hours or after lecture. Even though Smith has relatively small classroom sizes, it can still be intimidating to raise your hand. Don't be afraid to ask for help though because most professors are willing to listen and help. However, be aware that there are some professors that will look down upon you and talk to you degradingly. I truly recommend planning your classes and professors out ahead of time before you register for classes. One tip is to go on ratemyprofessors.com and look at the professors' reviews. This will save you a lot of time and a lot of these reviews are accurate. There are so many resources at Smith, for such a small school. There's the Jacobsen Writing Center if you want your essay corrected (and it's totally free), there's the Career Development Office if you are having a mid-college crisis, there's the Quantitative Learning Center and Burton Hall for student tutors that will go out of their ways to help you on your homework and studying for tests and quizzes, and there's more! You're definitely at a disadvantage if you don't make use of these valuable resources. Professors often hold study sessions or Q&A sessions to clear up any material that wasn't as clear during class. Students here truly engage in the class material and aren't afraid to ask questions. You will almost always walk out of a classroom learning something new and hopefully, you will be challenged here as well!
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
I really think college is what you make out of it. You can be depressed all the time because you're far from home and you don't have your old high school buddies. Or, you can look at the bright side and enjoy the amazing things that are happening at this school. Northampton is a small, quirky, interesting town. There isn't much to do, but you can always find a place to eat or a few cafes. There's also an urban outfitters and CVS nearby, but that's about it, unless you like hippy clothing or items. Faces is also a cool shop to visit when you are in Northampton. It's a good place to buy posters or other furniture items. One thing that I really enjoyed was Smith To Do every Friday. Every Friday, there is a craft room where you can make something. It's different each Friday. Once I made a scarf and another time I learned how to make origami. It's also a good time to socialize and just relax from a long week. The pond is also a good place to visit or the Botanic Garden. This is a place where you can relax, or you can go kayaking with your friends. Another thing is Friday Tea. This is awesome! We have tea, cookies, and other sweets along with cheese every Friday. It's a good time to relax and get to know your housemates. I didn't have the chance to go to a lot of parties at Smith, but I did go to some. They aren't amazing and if you're going just to see boys, it may not be the best idea since they are mostly shady, but it's fun if you're going to dance with your girls. They have a lot of fun themes as well that you can dress up for. Each houses have cute events as well such as First Year Prom, Senior Banquet, etc. Overall, I really enjoy being here. I thought that I would miss having boys around, and I slightly do, but it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would!
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Since this is a private school, it is pretty pricey. However, Smith is known to give general financial aid and there are programs like STRIDE and AEMES that give out scholarships (used to replace work-study) to a certain number of scholars for two years. Most of my friends said that this was one of their biggest driving factors in coming to Smith. The food is sometimes questionable. No doubt, the food is better than a lot of the other campus dining foods. We also have many dining options like vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and kosher. The food is not always great and the dining hours are not flexible. Sometimes, I question whether the food is worth the money. However, if you look at everything else, it may be more understandable. Smith has houses, not dorms. The houses are for the most part gorgeous and the rooms are bigger than most dorm rooms. We usually get to pick the rooms through a lottery system so it is fair. There are three main divisions: Elm Street, Green Street, and the Quad. Each of these divisions have its ups and downs. I have to say though, many of my friends are jealous of the big room I have compared to the dorm rooms that they live in. Yes, the cost is high, but what you get in return is overall worth it. Don't forget to apply for financial aid though!
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
-Request for an interview with an alumni through the Smith.edu site. It was eye-opening and very worth my time.
-Come to Discovery Weekend! It is a great time to make friends and also figure out whether or not Smith is for you! I think Discovery Weekend won me over. My host was also amazing and so kind! The people at Smith are generally helpful and very nice.
-Don't get tricked by the food they offer you at Discovery Weekend. Most of the food is not as good as what they serve during Discovery Weekend.
-APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID!
-Request for a tour around the school
-Sit in one or two of the classes at Smith!
-Figure out which area you want to live in and where you want to stay away from
-Go to Club Fair/Rush where all the clubs come out and advertise for you to join their club. Try to join a smaller club so you can run for a position
-Don't forget to hit the gym once in a while because Freshman 15 comes fast!
-Do not ignore the great resources you have such as the Career Development Office! They even offer to skype with you to discuss your plans!
-If you're pre-med we have a pre-health lunchbag every Friday. Be sure to contact the pre-health advisor to be added on Moodle to this lunchbag group!
Which types of students will excel at your college?
-Lesbians/Bisexual/ETC
-People who aren't obsessed over boys
-Passionate about voicing their opinions
-Diligent, hardworking students
-Students that aren't easily depressed if they're from the west coast or if they're international students
-Hipsters, 'Green' people
-ANYONE! Even though there's not as much diversity as the school says there is, it's still a very accepting environment to be in. Just be yourself and people will accept you
The academics at Smith is amazing and above average. The professors are for the most part very helpful and if you don't understand something they are usually available during office hours or after lecture. Even though Smith has relatively small classroom sizes, it can still be intimidating to raise your hand. Don't be afraid to ask for help though because most professors are willing to listen and help. However, be aware that there are some professors that will look down upon you and talk to you degradingly. I truly recommend planning your classes and professors out ahead of time before you register for classes. One tip is to go on ratemyprofessors.com and look at the professors' reviews. This will save you a lot of time and a lot of these reviews are accurate. There are so many resources at Smith, for such a small school. There's the Jacobsen Writing Center if you want your essay corrected (and it's totally free), there's the Career Development Office if you are having a mid-college crisis, there's the Quantitative Learning Center and Burton Hall for student tutors that will go out of their ways to help you on your homework and studying for tests and quizzes, and there's more! You're definitely at a disadvantage if you don't make use of these valuable resources. Professors often hold study sessions or Q&A sessions to clear up any material that wasn't as clear during class. Students here truly engage in the class material and aren't afraid to ask questions. You will almost always walk out of a classroom learning something new and hopefully, you will be challenged here as well!
I really think college is what you make out of it. You can be depressed all the time because you're far from home and you don't have your old high school buddies. Or, you can look at the bright side and enjoy the amazing things that are happening at this school. Northampton is a small, quirky, interesting town. There isn't much to do, but you can always find a place to eat or a few cafes. There's also an urban outfitters and CVS nearby, but that's about it, unless you like hippy clothing or items. Faces is also a cool shop to visit when you are in Northampton. It's a good place to buy posters or other furniture items. One thing that I really enjoyed was Smith To Do every Friday. Every Friday, there is a craft room where you can make something. It's different each Friday. Once I made a scarf and another time I learned how to make origami. It's also a good time to socialize and just relax from a long week. The pond is also a good place to visit or the Botanic Garden. This is a place where you can relax, or you can go kayaking with your friends. Another thing is Friday Tea. This is awesome! We have tea, cookies, and other sweets along with cheese every Friday. It's a good time to relax and get to know your housemates. I didn't have the chance to go to a lot of parties at Smith, but I did go to some. They aren't amazing and if you're going just to see boys, it may not be the best idea since they are mostly shady, but it's fun if you're going to dance with your girls. They have a lot of fun themes as well that you can dress up for. Each houses have cute events as well such as First Year Prom, Senior Banquet, etc. Overall, I really enjoy being here. I thought that I would miss having boys around, and I slightly do, but it doesn't bother me as much as I thought it would!
Since this is a private school, it is pretty pricey. However, Smith is known to give general financial aid and there are programs like STRIDE and AEMES that give out scholarships (used to replace work-study) to a certain number of scholars for two years. Most of my friends said that this was one of their biggest driving factors in coming to Smith. The food is sometimes questionable. No doubt, the food is better than a lot of the other campus dining foods. We also have many dining options like vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, and kosher. The food is not always great and the dining hours are not flexible. Sometimes, I question whether the food is worth the money. However, if you look at everything else, it may be more understandable. Smith has houses, not dorms. The houses are for the most part gorgeous and the rooms are bigger than most dorm rooms. We usually get to pick the rooms through a lottery system so it is fair. There are three main divisions: Elm Street, Green Street, and the Quad. Each of these divisions have its ups and downs. I have to say though, many of my friends are jealous of the big room I have compared to the dorm rooms that they live in. Yes, the cost is high, but what you get in return is overall worth it. Don't forget to apply for financial aid though!
-Request for an interview with an alumni through the Smith.edu site. It was eye-opening and very worth my time. -Come to Discovery Weekend! It is a great time to make friends and also figure out whether or not Smith is for you! I think Discovery Weekend won me over. My host was also amazing and so kind! The people at Smith are generally helpful and very nice. -Don't get tricked by the food they offer you at Discovery Weekend. Most of the food is not as good as what they serve during Discovery Weekend. -APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID! -Request for a tour around the school -Sit in one or two of the classes at Smith! -Figure out which area you want to live in and where you want to stay away from -Go to Club Fair/Rush where all the clubs come out and advertise for you to join their club. Try to join a smaller club so you can run for a position -Don't forget to hit the gym once in a while because Freshman 15 comes fast! -Do not ignore the great resources you have such as the Career Development Office! They even offer to skype with you to discuss your plans! -If you're pre-med we have a pre-health lunchbag every Friday. Be sure to contact the pre-health advisor to be added on Moodle to this lunchbag group!
-Lesbians/Bisexual/ETC -People who aren't obsessed over boys -Passionate about voicing their opinions -Diligent, hardworking students -Students that aren't easily depressed if they're from the west coast or if they're international students -Hipsters, 'Green' people -ANYONE! Even though there's not as much diversity as the school says there is, it's still a very accepting environment to be in. Just be yourself and people will accept you