<p>I recently went on a college tour and visited a number of LACs on the East Coast. My interview at Wellesley marked my third time visiting the campus, and while I loved it, I remembered some doubts I had about my overnight stay earlier in the spring:</p>
<p>The social scene--I stayed with young women who were upper classmen and it seemed like they had basically stopped trying to interact with the opposite sex, which frightened me. I'm not boy crazy by ANY means and I had a mother and aunt who went to Wellesley and managed to date many men, but it nonetheless made me nervous. However, I LOVE the idea of women's college and I'm pretty confident that I'll have a healthy social life.</p>
<p>This is the one thing I cannot get over: while at Wellesley, I visited 2 classes. One was a very specific, specialized humanities class that seemed to be a lighter-weight class (little writing, almost no reading) and the other was an intro to women's studies class. In reading about Wellesley and looking to my aunt and mother, I was expecting (if not feisty) passionate, brilliant women. Much to my dismay, in the first class, NO ONE SPOKE and in the second class, the professor was brilliant but many of the students were not fully tuned in. I know I can't expect perfection, but I like to debate and discuss and be impressed and intellectually stimulated by my classmates. Is this the norm? Are students usually this quiet? I know that I can be especially loud, but there was little "mmph!" or energy in the classrooms. I love Wellesley adn I can TOTALLY see myself going there, I just need to know that I'll be able to argue and collaborate with truly brilliant, enthusiastic women for 4 years.</p>
<p>My D is a current student at Wellesley. She has a normal, active social life and a boyfriend at a neighboring school. She has commented that some of her friends either aren’t interested in boys or are what she describes as socially inept; but if you want a social life you can have one.</p>
<p>Her classes have been challenging and she has enjoyed them. She does complain about students who talk “just to hear themselves” but she is active in discussions when she has something to contribute, and appreciates interacting with other students who have something to contribute. </p>
<p>She has been very impressed with most of her classmates - she describes most as passionate, intelligent women who raise the bar.</p>
<p>have you looked at Smith? I’m going to be a first year in the fall. I was accepted to Smith and Wellesley, and partially choose Smith over Wellesley because the students seemed to be more passionate and engaged in the classes I sat in on at Smith than the ones I sat in on at Wellesley. However, I only sat in on a few classes at each – so I could be wrong.</p>
<p>It was probably just that one class you were in. I think one of the stereotypes about women’s colleges is that we’re all hyper-intellectually stimulated all the time, and that we engage constantly, especially in class, in sort of a mental/verbal/intellctual mortal combat. Which sometimes we do. But sometimes we don’t. (I should probably change that to the past tense because i graduated a year ago, but bear with me). I had some classes where everything was a give and take, a sort of constant thinking patter. But I had other classes where the professor was literally struggling to fill up time. He had planned discussion time and we just weren’t discussing that much. Which is not as fun as a full combat class, but it’s still stimulating. And in classes where there is a lot to digest, sometimes it’s all you can do to keep up with the intake of information, and you’re just not going to do output that day. </p>
<p>So I wouldn’t give up on it. Wellesley is a great school (it’s not Smith, but nobody’s perfect… 
I kid, of course), and the women there are very bright. Some classes will just always be disappointments in the discussion section. Just part of life. </p>
<p>And as for boys, I think it’s mostly about your commitment level. Some people just don’t prioritize that even a little bit while they’re in a women’s college, and like everything in college, you really get what you put in.</p>
<p>as a fellow smith alum (c/o 2010) it definitely depends on who you’re with/interact on a daily basis. i had friends who were boy crazy and friends who were content with being by themselves or their boyfriends… it by no means defines a school. its really what feels like a fit for you… i know when i first stepped on campus i felt like i was home. it felt right… i was to say the least mildly boy crazy but its really about what you can bring to the environment you’re placed in and whether or not youll adjust. as far as passion… well smithies are full of it! we get riled and full of exuberance. i had taken classes in all of the seven disciplines and while some have been full on hair raising others if not most had been discussion based and still got some good passion. its a great learning environment… and while this is in no way a psa for smith; i cant help but say at the end of the day its what you feel is best for you.</p>