Hi prospies! I’m a current first year at Smith and remember stalking the CC forums of the schools I was applying to around this time last year, and of course know it’s so stressful! So, first of all, just know-- you will be fine, and hopefully end up where you’re meant to be. I personally hope it is Smith!
I decided to make this AMA to get some of your questions answered about the application/admissions process and what life at Smith has been like so far in the past eleven weeks since I moved in. Of course, as a first year I am not an expert, but I can hopefully give some helpful perspective from someone who was going through the same process as you less than a year ago.
So, ask away!
Hi!
Could you tell me a little bit about what your experience has been like moving and adjusting to life at Smith?
I’m considering applying ED2 to Smith 
In terms of the application/ admission process I do also have one question. My SAT score is a 1360 which I believe is just above the 25th percentile but well below the average. Do you have any suggestions about whether I should or shouldn’t submit this score?
Thanks!
Hello, I’m so happy you’re applying to Smith!
Moving/adjusting to Smith has actually been relatively easy, and I love living there (I say this while at home for break right now and I really miss it)! I think this largely has to do with the fact that we live in houses, as it feels much more home-y than I believe a regular dorm would, which is the whole point! I am from Massachusetts which I am sure has made my adjustment easier, as the physical and cultural climates are very similar to where I’m from, but my friends from farther away seem to be doing well too. The biggest adjustments for me have been living with a roommate (I have anxiety and have actually just gone through ODS to get accommodations, so I’ll be moving to a single room in my house next semester which will make things even better for me!), planning out when to eat because Smith’s dining hours are pretty limited, and making new friends. But, I have managed all of these things and overall am extremely happy to be at a school which I think truly emphasizes a welcoming and helpful atmosphere for first years. Your experience may vary with your high school background, but I went to a good public school and had no problem adjusting to the workload. Of course, it is a lot more than in high school, but is absolutely manageable (this was one of my main concerns going in).
In regards to Smith’s test-optional policy, I may be a little less helpful. Smith was the only test-optional school I applied to (and I applied RD), so I tried really hard to get good scores for the rest of my apps and thought I might as well send them to Smith (33 ACT score, equal to a 1500 SAT and above 75th percentile at Smith). From what I understand, if you are not extremely happy with your scores because they would not make your application look better or they aren’t consistent with the quality of the rest of your application or representative of you, I wouldn’t submit them. Smith is test-optional, so use that if you want to! Your scores are below average for Smith specifically, so I would consider it. Good luck!!
Thank you so much for your help! It’s so great to hear from someone at Smith, and I’m so glad to hear about all the positive experiences you have had so far. Will definitely come back to this thread if I have any other questions!
@junior018 When my Smithie applied, we were advised by the admissions office to not submit any SAT score lower than a 1400. Scores in the 25th percentile are mostly for special cases (some athletes, URMs, legacies, etc.) so unless you’re one of those, I’d opt to not send them. Good luck!
Hi! My daughter is thinking of applying but is worried that because Smith is a woman’s college, it would be hard to have a social life that includes members of the opposite sex as well as female friends. Do you have any insights you can share? Thank you.
Hello, I’m happy to hear your daughter is considering Smith! That was also a big concern of mine when I was making my decision of where to attend, but ultimately I’m so glad I did not let it stop me from coming here. I am not too much of a party person myself, but I am well aware of how popular it is for Smithies to go to the coed schools in the consortium, especially UMass and Amherst, on the weekends. This is especially easy to do since Smith doesn’t have many parties, so if you want to go out, there will always be a ton of people going with you on the free PVTA buses! The 5C consortium also makes it easy for your daughter to take a class at a different school to get more of a traditional coed experience or attend events being held at different campuses. Overall, the colleges are much more tight-knit than I expected and many people have friends at multiple schools. My boyfriend goes to UMass, and this is actually pretty common; you will see Smithies’ cis male friends on campus pretty often either hanging out or for classes.
More personally, it really, genuinely does not feel that different to be at a women’s college without cis men. The point of Smith is to empower women inside and outside of the classroom, and that has absolutely been my experience already!
Hi! Thanks you so much for this thread!
I’ve already applied to Smith RD and the more I read about it, the more I convince myself that Smith is my first choice!! Only issue- wayyy out of my price range. My family makes enough to not qualify for federal aid (nor most likely any university level need based aid), but too little to pay for a $70k school. I’m kind of banking on a merit scholarship. My scores/gpa are well above Smith’s averages and I’m involved in community and leadership roles, but there is nothing particularly unique or special on my application that might make me a contender for a major scholarship. Does just plain-above-average have a shot at a merit scholarship? Also, how flexible/easy to work with is Smith when it comes to general financing, in your experience?
Thanks so much! (and thanks for the response to my earlier thread!)
Hi, I was actually in the same position as you-- enough to not qualify for aid and above-average stats, but I did not receive any merit aid from Smith (absolutely doesn’t mean you won’t, though). Smith is generally quite stingy with their merit aid, and since all students are automatically considered for it and only at the time of admission you can’t exactly “help” yourself get a better chance at it past what your stats, etc. already show at this point. The most common merit aid scholarship awarded is STRIDE, which is still only given to about 50 Smithies per year. However, I am sure you have a chance because your stats are above average, considering what I know about a few people who got them (i.e. they didn’t make some groundbreaking scientific discovery or something like that). Personally, I spent some time applying to outside scholarships to try to chip away at the cost. As for general financing, if I am being completely honest: my parents both have experience paying for college in the most frugal/cost-effective way possible, so they have helped me navigate the process to the point where I’m probably not too useful in giving advice. I am sure there are a ton of other people who have more knowledge on this than I do. Either way, I hope my response was helpful!
Link to the merit aid page if you haven’t seen it yet: https://www.smith.edu/admission-aid/financial-aid/first-year/merit
Hi, when did you first find out your house/roommate? Do you have any input on preferred house or whether you would like a single?
Hello! Unfortunately Smith doesn’t send out housing/roommate assignments until pretty late compared to other schools-- this year it was July 31st. When I submitted my housing form in April, they give you very little space (~200 characters) for any special requests/comments. In this box I said that I really love Chapin House, and that Tyler was my second choice. You also have to add your preference for a single or double. If you really want a single, write that in your comments, and they will put you in whatever house has the most singles (King/Scales, etc.) If you really want a specific house, make sure they know your house choice is your priority instead. I wanted a single, but I wanted to live in Chapin more (it doesn’t have many singles), so I focused my comment on how much I wanted the house. Many of the first years I know were either placed in their first or second choice house, and if not they were in the area of campus they requested-- I got my first choice. Smith is very, very good about fulfilling requests, so if you feel strongly about a certain house, area, single/double/suite, use that comment space.
Thanks, that helps. My impression from the tour is that your house is one of the major peer groups you experience, so it seems really important to choose your house. Do people frequently change houses?
Your house is definitely one of your main communities, but you will be involved in many others too. I have a lot of friends within my house, especially on my floor, and I am sure that number will grow over the years. However, I also just happen to have 4 close friends who all live in a different house, and it’s not a problem at all. I believe the figure is that around 50% of Smithies will switch houses at some point, and from my experience, it seems to mostly happen in the first semester of your first year if you do decide to. I do not think many people move more than once.