<p>Please provide insights ...thx</p>
<p>I don't want to pick on you specifically, but if you give us a more detailed question, we can give you a better answer. </p>
<p>Do you want to know about cultural anthropology in general? At smith specifically? What's your interest and/or experience in the topic. Have you looked at the course catalog and the anthropology department website? do you want to know what smtihies with an anthro degree do later? Do you want to know about field work? </p>
<p>Complete questions lead to complete answers.</p>
<p>AOK ... I get it!</p>
<p>What is the program like at Smith? Do they do a good job, have good professors? Do the CA students end up in good grad programs.? What are the experiences of the students who have majored in CA? If CA is your interest do you recommend Smith? If not where else? etc. etc.</p>
<p>My D wants to major in CA and minor in film ... we live on the left coast and she has been in hs on the right coast ... What is special about Smith that would make her apply and want to stay on the east coast? </p>
<p>THX</p>
<p>:-) Sorry, I didn't mean to come off as harsh, it's just that is much easier to answer questions with a little background. </p>
<p>I'm not an anthro major (or a film major, for that matter), but I know a little about both departments. Film is a strong program in the five-college system as a whole, rather than being centered at one school. if she wants to study film at Smith, she'll definitely have the opportunity and probably be encouraged to take classes at UMASS or Amherst as well. </p>
<p>Anthropology is also one of our strong departments, though it kind of depends what your focus area is. The south american and African cultural anthro courses are supposed to be very good, as are the wider ones like Anthropology of Food, or Anthropology of Medecine. Sorry I don't know more about the graduate school opportunities, but Smithies go on generally to good programs, no matter thier major.</p>
<p>Thank you. Now I have another question for you.</p>
<p>Why would you recommend a young woman apply to a women's college and why Smith? What did you come away with that you do not think you would have gained at a coed college? How did Smith differ from your first impressions?</p>
<p>THX</p>
<p>Just for the record, I really liked Smith on its own merits, independent of it being a women's college. It had the right atmosphere, opportunities, and academic reputation I was looking for. It fit me, i could tell that right away when I got to the campus, and I think I've really been thriving there. </p>
<p>I think the support at Smith is really great, not just academically, but also career-wise and socially. Smithies love to help other Smithies get up the ladder, and that network is so, so valuable. On top of that the sense of "we're all in this together" is something I really appreciate. We're women, so we're almost always in the minority in whatever career field we go into, so we pull together support each other, and promote each other's success. And I know it sounds cheesy, but I like feeling like I'm part of a sisterhood, like a global sorority of cool women. </p>
<p>There's an expectation of leadership at women's colleges that probably isn't present at co-ed schools (though having never been to one, i can't say for sure. You're expected to think big, and to occupy the lead role. THat can be frustrating sometimes, but it also pushes you to succeed at a higher level.</p>
<p>And women's colleges are fun. I like not putting on makeup before I go to class, walking around in my pajamas. I like that I can compartmentalize my life into study/work/friends time and party/boy/date time. I like hanging out with smart girls. I like that the campus comes to a stand still when Project Runway is on. I like that our gym is outfitted with machines designed to fit a women's body. I like a lot of things about it. </p>
<p>I guess the best advice I can give is to try and get your daughter to evaluate Smith aside from being a women's college. There's nothing that makes a person a good fit for women's college, but there are things that make a good person a right fit for Smith. But you kind of have to judge those for yourself.</p>
<p>Very helpful ... thx.</p>