<p>Hi. I'm a new poster though have been looking at CC for a while. Gotta choose between these colleges. Happy to have great choices, but don't know what to do. Goal was small LAC with great profs, interested students, sense of community, school spirit. Might want to major in bio, might want to try crew. Fairly conservative but open-minded.<br>
I think all these colleges fit my goal, so now I'm stuck! Would appreciate insights and advice. Am posting in the Smith page since this seems to be a very active page with many posters with lots of experience at Smith and elsewhere (which kind of makes me like Smith!)</p>
<p>Forgot to mention that financially they all come out about equally for me.
Thanks in advance for any advice!</p>
<p>My first question out of the box: Have you visited/attended Open Campuses/done overnights/sat in on classes at any or all of these colleges? Any conclusions from these experiences? I think academically Bates and Smith are probably the strongest of the group. It’s good that financially they’re all the same, you can really decide what school you want.</p>
<p>Visited all of them, but not during open houses, just day visits on my own (and no overnights). Also sat in classes at all of them – all were quite good. Definitely got a good “gut” feel at Bates. Seemed very inclusive and welcoming. But there was a lot I liked about the other colleges too, so I don’t know if my gut is very meaningful (and it was kind of early in my decision-making process).</p>
<p>So you’ve only been to these schools once? Are you able to go again? If you’ve been following the various CC forums on these schools, are there any impressions that stand out to you about them? Obviously the significant difference between Smith and the other LACs is women vs. coed. Other than Smith has a large CC forum following, what attracts you to Smith?</p>
<p>Yes, just visited once. Am on West coast so that’s all I could do.
Smith’s house system, traditions, great science and art history (another interest of mine), and the fact that all the opportunities / resources are focused on women (sports, internships, whatever), really attracted me. Oh yes, and the really good academics and reputation. Frankly, I’m surprised I got in.
There’s not much on CC on these other colleges – but the Food for Thought thread on Smith really caught my attention. I don’t know what to think. I did not see what the OP saw on his/her visit, but it absolutely reflects the reputation that Smith has out here.</p>
<p>Please, don’t let the Food for Thought thread be the deciding factor. :(</p>
<p>When D announced she was going to Smith, people I hardly knew would sidle up to me, look around, then say in a low voice, “You know, there are a lot of lesbians there.”</p>
<p>It got to the point where I wanted to print up a card that said:</p>
<p>We know.
She’s not.
It’s not a problem.
She’s going.</p>
<p>And I’ll make a heavy wager and give odds that there’s a lot less unwanted sexual overtures at Smith than there are at most co-ed institutions.</p>
<p>Yes, Smith is 20-30 percent lesbian. And so?</p>
<p>God forbid that people who aren’t straight feel comfortable enough with their sexuality that they can be who they are the same way any straight person is.</p>
<p>LACluster, it is difficult to assess what Cncndparent really saw, and without knowing that, to know how you would feel in the same circumstances. I can imagine your confusion. Yes, Smith does have a reputation for having gays (and you can see from MomWaitingForNew’s lists, Smith is not the only school with gays). It was also a concern of my straight daughter who is now a sophomore; my daughter’s not especially flashy or loud, she’s somewhat reserved although our family is politically on the left, but she wondered if she’d fit in. She ADORES Smith for all the reasons you mentioned above as well as her wonderful, supportive friendships with both straights and gays. I’m quite sure the friendships she’s making now will be her friends for life. I don’t mean to put you on the spot, but I’m guessing you live in LA which is a pretty accepting area of the country; do you have any friends who are gays? You don’t have to answer my question, but I’m wondering if it would be helpful to reflect on your experiences so far and think about your comfort level. In your reflection, you should take into account that gays, like straights, come in all sizes and shapes, some are really out-there and some are low-key. If that’s been your experience so far, then that’s what Smith is like.</p>
<p>I have to add, that my daughter who is a sophomore at Smith was hit on by both girls and guys in HIGH SCHOOL. </p>
<p>It is part of the world we live in now, not the exclusive domain of Smith (or any other school).</p>
<p>Hahaha! TD! I wish I could have had that card! I got a lot of the same questions when I decided to go to Smith, except from people who had a) attended Smith or b) knew something about Smith. People who didn’t really know anything about Smith just usually went “Oh. You know. There are a lot of lesbians there.” </p>
<p>You should really read all of the Food for Thought thread (maybe you already did, so apologies if that sounds rude), not just Cncrndparent’s remarks, which were pretty outrageous and not at all reflective of what any of the other folks that went to Open Campus seemed to see (nor reflective of my four years at Smith). You might note where we discuss the on campus survey they took three years ago, which showed that 13% of the respondents identified as lesbian, which is 60% fewer gay students than Yale. I don’t say this to say “It’s not that gay!” as if having gay students is a bad thing, but just to put things into perspective. For whatever reason people seem to blow one portion of Smith way out of proportion. </p>
<p>Also, there’s a thread from a few days ago asking for perspectives from parents of gay Smith students, and one of the responders (a gay Smith student) said that what she liked best about Smith was how much her being gay really didn’t matter or affect anything. I think that about sums it up. Smith is a place where lots of people (even straight, traditional conservatives! We have those too!) can find acceptance and find that there personal identities, political persuasions, etc. are just often not that big a deal. What matters is who you are, whether you’re engaged and interested in the world, if you have a passion for learning and making a difference too. </p>
<p>As TD said in the other thread, it definitely will help a lot if you’re gay-friendly, because you will see gay people on campus doing things that straight people do. That includes holding hands, kissing, and maybe discussing their sex life with their friends (though they won’t be doing it on a megaphone. I mean would YOU discuss your sex life for everyone to hear?). If you have a roommate who is gay, she may at one point want to have sex (not with you, but with somebody she is interested in who is also gay). If you have a roommate who is straight, the same thing may happen. This is why it’s important to talk to your roommate about how you guys are going to handle visitors so everyone is on the same page. So as long as none of that sounds like it’s going to send you running for the hills, you’ll should be ok.</p>
<p>I know most of you on this forum promote Smith College for some academic reasons but I can no longer keep this inside. </p>
<p>I have not only heard, but actually SEEN with my own eyes, that Smith is a bastion of left-handed people! Yes, I know, in most cities and much of the country they just keep to themselves, but at Smith I saw many OPENLY left handed people doing left handed things. I was so shocked my D and I were unable to get to many classes. We were also unable to check out the dorms because at one point I saw two students shaking hands, and then clearly saw they did so WITHOUT any use of their right hands, brazenly so! Not even a hand over hand for decency’s sake!</p>
<p>At lunch, several sat down and began eating, you guessed it, left handed, in public. We were unable to even start our meal so I can’t comment on the food and we quickly left before any could talk to us. After that, we just tried to keep our heads down, but I kept looking up thinking they were around me. We could not attend any of the afternoon sessions we were just so shocked. </p>
<p>Now I am very tolerant, what one does when behind closed doors is ok I guess. And lets face it, left handers have their place in sports. I have actually cheered well accomplished left handed pitchers as well as some bulky cleanup hitters, but they really can’t help it, and they are so good at sports.</p>
<p>And at work, there are those who appear to be a little, shall I say “lefty in the loafers” if you know what I mean, but I just treat them like anyone, extend my right hand and give them the chance to be, well, normal. </p>
<p>But I do spend a lot of time worrying about what may become of our society -what if they want to drive on the other side of the road? Will we become British and lose what is essential to our right handed way of life? Will they raise their children to be left handed and demand special tools? Are there programs to help this affliction, maybe like detox facilities? I ask you, shouldn’t the Smith administration make this their number one objective, to protect our daughters?</p>
<p>I know we all want the best for our D’s. And I guess the great academics, dorms like palaces, great town, international opportunities, great alumnae (of both hands) and wonderful professors leading to a strong and bright future are things to weigh. </p>
<p>But I worry some at Smith will want my right handed daughter to change. I mean college students are known to experiment, right? What if she gets in with the not right crowd? What if she falls and has her right hand in a sling and people take advantage of her? I assure you she is right handed, but she’s also impressionable. Maybe wanting to fit in, she’ll start wanting silverware on the wrong side of the plate, or worse!</p>
<p>Should I let my D go to Smith? Does anyone know if its a good school.</p>
<p>Next Post: Another reason to worry -my high anxiety over the secretive ambidextrous students at Smith!</p>
<p>Brie. I am now dying of laughter. People are beginning to stare. Thanks.</p>
<p>:D Brie, your post excellently articulates the Smith experience.Since coming to Smith, in order to fit in I have tied my right hand behind my back and have become a die-hard lefty. The hair on that hand got a Smith chop.</p>
<p>Where is that darn “like” button ;)</p>
<p>Okay. I give a rare ROFL. In fact, a ROFLASTC!!!</p>
<p>Brie, hilarious! :D</p>
<p>@Brie, you did give me one more thing to worry about! I didn’t read “Food for thought about Smith” easly becasue I thought it would be just about the food there, 
Now I read them. Is that really so?</p>
<p>Oh, oh, oh, my sides are splitting! Brava, Brie!</p>
<p>Back to the original question- which of the 4 fine LAC’s to attend? My daughter visited all of the schools you got accepted to, and we have friends attending St. Lawrence, Smith and Bates. Any of them could give you a great education. St. Lawrence has a great location if you really like winter sports and hiking. Bates, too. Just open the door and strap on your snowshoes. None of these schools is near a big city, but Smith is in the best college town. Northampton and the 5 college consortium is very vibrant.</p>