<p>How strong is Smith's Classics department? Even one or two courses, it would be great to learn more about the teachers, the difficulty of the classes, etc. I really like Smith, but I don't know anything about it in this area!</p>
<p>My best friend at Smith was a classics major (she switched to medevial studies eventually) and she really liked it. It's a pretty popular department, though I don't know about it first hand. What I do know about it is only classics majors can do study abroad in Rome (anyone else who wants to go to Italy has to go to Florence on the Smith program). </p>
<p>Classics is also the only department that still has a private study room in the library, it's quite nice with lots of latin books and old tables and chairs and busts of Augustus (wearing a pink feather boa!) and some other classical men. All of the departments used to have rooms like that, until the library was renovated (in the 70s, I think), during which most were eliminated. There was a woman on the renovation committee that was quite devoted to classics though and made sure they kept their room. Other students can go in there, but Classics majors get to kick them out if they want to have a review session or something. </p>
<p>Anyway, this is all to say that the classics department at Smith always seemed to me to be a close-knit, friendly community that's bound by particular traditions and has special opportunities. Hopefully someone on here can give you more details about the classes and stuff.</p>
<p>I wasn't a classics major, but took Latin my senior year--and had so much fun that I wished I'd started much earlier (I think I would've ended up minoring in it)!</p>
<p>Two words for you: Maureen Ryan. She is, quite simply, one of the finest educators I've ever had. And after nineteen consecutive years of full-time education at this point, that's really saying something.</p>
<p>One of D's best friends was a Classics major, loved it. And divided her junior year between Rome and Oxford and was in heaven the whole time.</p>
<p>Thanks for all your help!</p>