<p>Smith seems like a cool college but I'm not sure about going to an all girls school. The thing is, I know its close to Amherst and UMass and Hampshire, so it can't be that isolated from any guys, right? Any comments on this?</p>
<p>You can search old threads and find many answers to your question. You can check all the women's colleges, and particularly Mt. Holyoke and Smith, both in the consortium you mention.</p>
<p>Agreed. This is a common concern with prospective students and there are lots of responses on the board already that cover this. </p>
<p>Just remember that colleges are not convents, so you won't be isolated. Evaluate Smith like you would every other school, come and visit and see if you like the vibe, read up on its academic offerings and so on.</p>
<p>Oh, and if you do come to visit, remember that Smith (and other similar colleges) are women's colleges, not all girls schools. ;-)</p>
<p>^^^ I love that!</p>
<p>Certainly check the earlier threads - - but, in a nutshell, although Smith is by no means isolated (students from the other 4 colleges often socialzie in Noho), it takes more effort (ie: taking courses or attending parties off-campus) to meet guys than it would at a coed school.</p>
<p>You dont really live without men at a womans college, unless you choose to.</p>
<p>Smith is part of a 5-college consortium (with Amherst, Hampshire, Mt. Holyoke and Univ of Mass). You can take classes at any. There is a free shuttle bus to get to classes and activities at the other campuses. </p>
<p>You can meet men in classes (5-college consortium), clubs, projects, organizations, social events, etc, though it takes a little more effort than if a bunch of guys were living in your dorm at a coed school. Its nice to be able to focus on academics and work during the week (without distraction), and then socialize on the weekends.</p>
<p>My daughter is a junior and a hetrosexual. I think she would tell you that if you really want to meet men don't don't go to Smith. But, if you're interested in a great education, then check it out.</p>
<p>Women's colleges are great for some people and terrible for many others. I went to one many years ago and hated it although it did provide me with a fine education. I did not encourage my own daughter to consider a women's college and she would not have done so. She's very happy now at a small coed LAC. The quality of education at women's colleges is often excellent, but social life is part of college too. The idea that it's easy to meet men because there are other colleges nearby is, in my view, very misleading. It's just not the same when you travel to a party, then travel back to your school at the end of the evening (or even worse, have to spend the night in some random fraternity or house). You meet men in a party setting only and rarely interact in natural settings like classes, clubs or in dining halls. Again, some women thrive in that setting but in all honesty most don't, from what women graduates have told me over the years. I would encourage anyone who has doubts to listen carefully to what their instincts are telling them.</p>
<p>I cannot speak from personal experience, but I can say that Barnard is not described by the above post. Classes are coed and the other side of Broadway is not a great distance!</p>
<p>My D spent most of her time freshman year in a guy's dorm from Jewish Theological Seminary and has many male friends. She has dated and is now going to DC is a coed group sponsored by one of her classes.</p>
<p>Meeting men at Smith is a pain but it's doable. My D was pragmatic, figuring that between her "away" programs and work & graduate school, there was plenty of time for men. She also said, "Dad, I don't have time for a serious relationship anyway." Which can make a parent feel one way or the other depending on how that's parsed.</p>
<p>Meeting men at Smith is, by no means, "easy." OTOH, one is not limted to meeting them at frat parties, as sailfish suggests in post #9. </p>
<p>As other posters have noted, one can meet men in more natural settings - - classes, clubs, dining halls - - but one has to put the effort into taking the bus to one of the other campuses. How much of a pain this is depends on the individual student's schedule and tolerance for frustration, the class/activity, the bus schedule and how much she wants to interact with guys.</p>
<p>Many Smith students don't bother to make the effort b/c they arrive with steady boyfriends, or meet guys other ways (during the summer, through friends, etc.). Others choose to focus on their studies. Still others, make the effort, with varying degrees of "success." </p>
<p>Certainly Barnard (and Scripps) are unique among the remaining women's colleges. None of the others has a coed school (or schools, plural, in the case of Scripps) so nearby.</p>
<p>That said, one should remember that attending at coed school does not gaurantee a young woman any particular quantity or quality of male interaction. D has plenty of friends at coed schools who aren't just not-dating, but who feel left out of the entire dating scene. (D's friends report this to be increasingly true as the number and % of men at coed schools continues to dip.)</p>
<p>Finally, I would not agree that, "some women thrive in that setting but in all honesty most don't." Perhaps sailfish and the alumnae she referenced place more value on the social aspect of college than the women's college alumnae who thrived.</p>
<p>@SmithyandProud: :o yeah, you're right...:p sorry bout that</p>
<p>and thanks everyone for your input. Yeah, sorry, I wasn't really clear. I didn't mean I want to go to college just to find a boyfriend or anything. Obviously I want to go to learn. Social life is great, and a big aspect, but I'm going for an education, not a giant four year party/orgy. Lol I'd go to a party school otherwise :D </p>
<p>I was just asking because quite honestly I don't like hanging around girls all the time. I have many guy friends, and sometimes I prefer the company of guys, and if there would be little chance of finding friendships with guys (relatively easily) I might not like the college much...</p>
<p>Anyway, from what you all are saying, its not easy, but not impossible. I'll check it out more though. I'm visiting in a week or two, and so if I really like everything else, I'll apply there since meeting guys isn't really a top priority -Its not like I dont get along with girls.</p>
<p>Thanks again :)</p>
<p>Reflecting on my previous comments it is not really accurate to say that most women do not thrive at women's colleges. In fact many, if not most, do thrive. It is more accurate to say that a great many women students and graduates ultimately feel that they missed out on a lot. I certainly feel that way despite having benefitted from a fine education that led to excellent graduate programs and a very successful professional career--and I'm aware that my success may have been jump-started or fast-forwarded by those years of relatively cloistered academic focus. I find a lot of defensiveness about women's colleges on these threads and perhaps that says it all. Wasn't there some famous quote about protesting too much?</p>
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Reflecting on my previous comments it is not really accurate to say that most women do not thrive at women's colleges. In fact many, if not most, do thrive. It is more accurate to say that a great many women students and graduates ultimately feel that they missed out on a lot.
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<p>I don't see how your rephrased statement has changed from your original. I know a lot of people who aren't exactly happy about the difficulties in meeting men, but these are limitations they understood when they chose to attend Smith, or any other women's college w/out nearby co-ed schools. May I ask where you get this "great number of women" from? </p>
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I find a lot of defensiveness about women's colleges on these threads and perhaps that says it all. Wasn't there some famous quote about protesting too much?
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<p>There is a lot of disagreement with what you stated. Disagreement =/= defensiveness.</p>
<p>I guess to sailfish I would say that I don't feel like I missed out on anything. My experience was different than most, certainly, but I wouldn't say I missed out.</p>
<p>And to CaptainJack, I'm glad you're coming to visit. Don't assume that because you have a lot of guy friends you'll be miserable here, but don't take it as a given that you'll be comfortable either. When you arrive, try to pay attention to how you feel on campus, is it weird? Is it what you imagined? Be honest with yourself. Maybe the environment will be great for you, maybe it won't. Only you can tell for sure.</p>