Smith College

Statistics

Scholarships & Financial Aid

Rankings & Lists

Students Say - Academics
Smith College isn't for everyone. You have to be a woman to get in, for one, and a highly accomplished one at that-Smith is among the nation's most selective undergraduate institutions. More important still is a capacity for self-direction; Smith has an open curriculum ("no core requirements"), which means students "can make our schedules however we like, leaving lots of freedom to take interesting classes outside our majors." Those who thrive here are those who are "tired of being told that I needed to take things I wasn't interested in. I like being trusted with my own education, and Smith gave me that option," but students needing structure may find the freedom a bit overwhelming. Fortunately, Smith offers undergrads plenty of support; "Both the administration and the faculty at Smith are very invested in the success of students. It is very easy to get support and find someone to help navigate not only your academic career at Smith but also the continuation of a liberal arts education in the real world through internships, jobs, summer experiences, and other programs offered in conjunction with Smith." Students also enjoy "almost limitless resources in terms of libraries, funding, etc., all easily accessible," all in a "small community" setting; "From financial aid officers who've 'found' extra funds to professors who think of an internship you might be interested in, it really seems like every- one here is willing to go the extra mile for students."

Students Say - Campus Life
Smith's unique housing system-students live in smaller houses rather than dorms-is a much-cherished tradition. Students crow that the system "provides for a strong campus community including friendly rivalries and close friendships. Your house is your lifeline, especially during the first few weeks of school." "Strong self-government within each household" reinforces Smith's academic emphasis on independence. Campus life "provides a variety of activities every night to keep their students entertained, including "great sports teams" and "an organization or group for just about everybody." Hometown Northampton "is a lively town with fun bars, restaurants, and theaters" and is surprisingly active given its size (approximately 30,000). Further opportunities arise from Smith's participation in the Five College Consortium; "Any event on any of the five campuses (Hampshire, UMass Amherst, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, and Smith) is open to all five college's students. Students are able to take classes at all the colleges, join clubs at all the colleges, get into parties at all colleges, and attend any performance or event at any of the colleges. Because of this, you can easily be involved in a wide variety of social engagements (e.g. frat parties at UMass, theater performances at Hampshire, or a night in your living room with housemates at Smith)."

Students Say - Student Body
Smith fosters "an accepting and intellectual atmosphere" where "students actually enjoy their studies and happily talk about class work outside of class." The women here tend to be "overachievers...who take advantage of the many things Smith has to offer and tend to be constantly busy trying to manage school work and multiple extracurriculars. Smithies are always involved." As an elite school, Smith can attract students "from vastly different backgrounds who thus bring those differences with them to the Smith community," thereby exposing students "to people of different race, religion, socio-economic, cultural, social, gender, [and] sexual backgrounds" whom they might elsewhere not have encountered; undergrads appreciate the opportunity. The student body has a well-earned reputation for being "very open about and accepting of all types of sexual orientation, with active GLBTQ and transgender communities." They also tend to be "very environmentally aware and active," and "the large majority of students are liberal or very liberal politically."

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