<p>Can anyone here tell me about Smith Admissions? I've heard they are unpredictable and are seeking an eclectic mix, not necessarily all super stars...</p>
<p>Um, what do you mean by eclectic? Academically? Extra curic.ally? Economically? Racially? </p>
<p>Can you be more specific about your concerns?</p>
<p>I suspect for "eclectic" one should better read "holistic." The answer to that one is "Yes."</p>
<p>The results are certainly an eclectic bunch and I think Admissions can sometimes see past test scores and even grades to see the potential for someone who will thrive at Smith.</p>
<p>One of D's housemates with whom I had dinner the other night is a Religion major. Something prompted me to mention an aspect of a short story I'm about to start writing and one thing led to another and before I knew it, we were discussing the dynamics driving the naval rivalry between Great Britain and Germany in the Edwardian period, along with the strategic miscalculation of the Kaiser in terms of <em>type</em> of fleet the Germans were building. She was remarkably well informed, on a very detailed level...not something (on this subject) you'd expect from the typical Religion major. </p>
<p>The other Smithies I met this trip were pretty impressive too.</p>
<p>Look. There is no mystery as to whom they want - they broadcast it right on the website: "Heady, Nervy, Intellectually Exciting." The only "mystery" is that they determine who gets in.</p>
<p>"I've heard they are unpredictable and are seeking an eclectic mix, not necessarily all super stars..."</p>
<p>The only thing that makes them seem unpredictable is an order from the president's office to majorly de-emphasize SAT scores (after a study that found that, at Smith, there were not predictive of academic performance, and worked against the college's historic commitment to economic diversity). I suspect if you simply blocked out any knowledge of SAT scores, you'd find that Smith is not particularly unpredictable at all.</p>