Smith's academics are definitely high-quality. Your classes will most likely be on the smaller side (especially in the humanities--there will be some larger lecture courses in the sciences, but then there are smaller labs and discussions), most professors are easily accessible through office hours, and there's a wealth of support in the form of the Jacobsen Writing Center (which has people who will help you revise your papers), the Quantitative Learning Center (provides support in economics, stats, and other applied forms of math), peer tutoring, etc. Classes at Smith are hard work, but definitely worth it. There will definitely be professors you like and don't like, and classes you love and hate, but part of the process of being a student is figuring that out. If you are willing to put in the effort and sometimes take a little initiative and ask for help if you need it, you will do fine here.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
In the sake of full disclosure, I just really love Smith (and, no, I don't work in the admissions office, so I'm being completely honest here). The campus has a great sense of community. Most people here are pretty friendly, open, and have a variety of interests. You live in a house instead of a dormitory, and the size and style of each house varies, but most houses have a distinct sense of community and special traditions. (For example, my house is on the smaller side with about 70 residents, and we like to do things such as bake in our kitchen, watch certain TV shows in the living room, go apple-picking on Mountain Day, etc.). There's also a lot of different dining options, so if you're a vegetarian, vegan, or just don't like monotony, there's bound to be something on campus you can eat. In terms of student organizations, there are quite a few. If there isn't one that matches your hobby, interest, or cause, you can write up a charter and form a new one. There's a really nice athletic center (all the exercise machines are specifically designed to be comfortable for women!) and also a variety of club and varsity sports, and occasional intramurals where houses form teams and compete against each other (like dodgeball, soccer, and basketball). And, if you get bored on campus, you can always walk downtown to Northampton (aka NoHo) and window-shop, or visit Forbes Library (which is not part of the school), or take the bus to another 5-College School. No school is perfect, but if you're willing to put yourself out there, try something new, meet some new people, and make the most out of what's available, it can be a really fun place to be.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
Smith is expensive, not gonna lie. However, for what you pay (or earn in scholarships and aid), there's quite a bit available. The meal plan is basically an unlimited three meals a day, so you can eat as much as you want (not always a good thing...it's easy to overeat if you're not careful) in any dining hall. You can even go to multiple dining halls during one mealtime--and it's all covered by your room and board. Houses are pretty nice compared to the average college dorm. You can take up to five academic classes per semester (though most people don't take more than four classes at once), and there are a lot of one-credit exercise classes that you can do, which are also absolutely free because they're covered in your tuition. Besides access to four libraries on campus (plus the ability to use your card at any of the 5-College libraries) and the athletic center, you also can use your OneCard to take the bus to any other 5-College school completely free (this is covered by the SGA in your student activities fee). You can take classes at these other schools, join a club there, etc. There's also a 2,000 Praxis internship stipend available to every single student so that you can go get a cool internship sometime during your four years (usually around sophomore year) and be able to afford not getting paid. Basically, Smith has a ton of stuff available to you at little to no extra cost. It's just up to you to take advantage of it.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
-Visit if you can. You'll learn a lot about the campus if you can just walk around by yourself, away from tour groups.
-Talk to current students. Most Smithies will tell you everything they like and don't like about the school--we're very opinionated.
-Smith has a fairly sizeable and visible LGBTQ population. Sometimes the school does not emphasize this in their admissions propaganda, but it's definitely true and something to be aware of. We take treating everyone with respect very seriously here.
-Smith also has a lot of liberals and moderates-- but that doesn't mean that conservatives aren't welcome. Some of us like having someone to argue with. ;)
-Some Smith students are men. We have transpeople on campus, and graduate students who are men.
-Just because you go to a women's school does NOT mean you won't ever see men. Guys from other schools take classes here, people from town are on campus, there are male teachers, etc.
-Some Smithies are non-traditional aged students called Ada Comstock Scholars. They're pretty cool, and bring a unique perspective to whatever they do. Some of them live on campus, and some life off-campus.
-Explore NoHo. It's pretty cool.
-If you go to Herrell's Ice Cream in NoHo on your birthday, and show them valid ID to prove it really is your birthday, you can get a free sundae. I highly recommend doing this.
-There are four housing areas on campus: the Quad, Elm Street, Center Campus, and Green Street. Each has it's own advantages and drawbacks, and certain stereotypes. However, stereotypes are not that accurate, and all of them are nice places to live. Also, housing will probably place you somewhere you'll like, 9 times out of 10.
-If you like Smith, apply! We're now test-optional in our admissions policy, so even if your test scores aren't great, if you're a motivated student, go for it!
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Women/female-bodied, motivated, academically curious, interested in the sciences, interested in women's studies, opinionated, bold, passionate, driven, eclectic.
Smith's academics are definitely high-quality. Your classes will most likely be on the smaller side (especially in the humanities--there will be some larger lecture courses in the sciences, but then there are smaller labs and discussions), most professors are easily accessible through office hours, and there's a wealth of support in the form of the Jacobsen Writing Center (which has people who will help you revise your papers), the Quantitative Learning Center (provides support in economics, stats, and other applied forms of math), peer tutoring, etc. Classes at Smith are hard work, but definitely worth it. There will definitely be professors you like and don't like, and classes you love and hate, but part of the process of being a student is figuring that out. If you are willing to put in the effort and sometimes take a little initiative and ask for help if you need it, you will do fine here.
In the sake of full disclosure, I just really love Smith (and, no, I don't work in the admissions office, so I'm being completely honest here). The campus has a great sense of community. Most people here are pretty friendly, open, and have a variety of interests. You live in a house instead of a dormitory, and the size and style of each house varies, but most houses have a distinct sense of community and special traditions. (For example, my house is on the smaller side with about 70 residents, and we like to do things such as bake in our kitchen, watch certain TV shows in the living room, go apple-picking on Mountain Day, etc.). There's also a lot of different dining options, so if you're a vegetarian, vegan, or just don't like monotony, there's bound to be something on campus you can eat. In terms of student organizations, there are quite a few. If there isn't one that matches your hobby, interest, or cause, you can write up a charter and form a new one. There's a really nice athletic center (all the exercise machines are specifically designed to be comfortable for women!) and also a variety of club and varsity sports, and occasional intramurals where houses form teams and compete against each other (like dodgeball, soccer, and basketball). And, if you get bored on campus, you can always walk downtown to Northampton (aka NoHo) and window-shop, or visit Forbes Library (which is not part of the school), or take the bus to another 5-College School. No school is perfect, but if you're willing to put yourself out there, try something new, meet some new people, and make the most out of what's available, it can be a really fun place to be.
Smith is expensive, not gonna lie. However, for what you pay (or earn in scholarships and aid), there's quite a bit available. The meal plan is basically an unlimited three meals a day, so you can eat as much as you want (not always a good thing...it's easy to overeat if you're not careful) in any dining hall. You can even go to multiple dining halls during one mealtime--and it's all covered by your room and board. Houses are pretty nice compared to the average college dorm. You can take up to five academic classes per semester (though most people don't take more than four classes at once), and there are a lot of one-credit exercise classes that you can do, which are also absolutely free because they're covered in your tuition. Besides access to four libraries on campus (plus the ability to use your card at any of the 5-College libraries) and the athletic center, you also can use your OneCard to take the bus to any other 5-College school completely free (this is covered by the SGA in your student activities fee). You can take classes at these other schools, join a club there, etc. There's also a 2,000 Praxis internship stipend available to every single student so that you can go get a cool internship sometime during your four years (usually around sophomore year) and be able to afford not getting paid. Basically, Smith has a ton of stuff available to you at little to no extra cost. It's just up to you to take advantage of it.
-Visit if you can. You'll learn a lot about the campus if you can just walk around by yourself, away from tour groups. -Talk to current students. Most Smithies will tell you everything they like and don't like about the school--we're very opinionated. -Smith has a fairly sizeable and visible LGBTQ population. Sometimes the school does not emphasize this in their admissions propaganda, but it's definitely true and something to be aware of. We take treating everyone with respect very seriously here. -Smith also has a lot of liberals and moderates-- but that doesn't mean that conservatives aren't welcome. Some of us like having someone to argue with. ;) -Some Smith students are men. We have transpeople on campus, and graduate students who are men. -Just because you go to a women's school does NOT mean you won't ever see men. Guys from other schools take classes here, people from town are on campus, there are male teachers, etc. -Some Smithies are non-traditional aged students called Ada Comstock Scholars. They're pretty cool, and bring a unique perspective to whatever they do. Some of them live on campus, and some life off-campus. -Explore NoHo. It's pretty cool. -If you go to Herrell's Ice Cream in NoHo on your birthday, and show them valid ID to prove it really is your birthday, you can get a free sundae. I highly recommend doing this. -There are four housing areas on campus: the Quad, Elm Street, Center Campus, and Green Street. Each has it's own advantages and drawbacks, and certain stereotypes. However, stereotypes are not that accurate, and all of them are nice places to live. Also, housing will probably place you somewhere you'll like, 9 times out of 10. -If you like Smith, apply! We're now test-optional in our admissions policy, so even if your test scores aren't great, if you're a motivated student, go for it!
Women/female-bodied, motivated, academically curious, interested in the sciences, interested in women's studies, opinionated, bold, passionate, driven, eclectic.