<p>There's a party for Smith College prospects in the Los Angeles area this Sunday from 3-5pm. (If you're in the LA area and are interested and haven't received an invite, please contact me via PM and I'll get you the info so you can attend.)</p>
<p>I've come to understand that the strength and activity level of the local Smith clubs varies wildly but here in LA they're very large, very active.</p>
<p>They often have a guest professor at these events and this Sunday's event will include Mahnaz Mahdavi, professor of Economics. My D was just wild about her and she wasn't even an Econ major; one of D's best friends also goes on about her and in fact friend's mother is going to hear Mahnaz speak at another event on Saturday.</p>
<p>Mahnaz is both a brilliant professor and very elegant & stylish in her personal presentation. She's also involved and engaged...she's the one who started Smith's "Women in Finance" program. A great model for Smith College.</p>
<p>I can give you a synopsis now. Starts out with mingling, then a fairly brief presentation on some of the Smith highlights, then a presentation about a field of study if a faculty member is present (there was one by an Art History prof a couple of years back that made want to sign up right away until I realized that I already had a degree and was male), then open Q&A. </p>
<p>Various bits of Smith literature are available and often there’s a looping DVD presentation on a TV in the secondary room. Usually, there are 10-20 current Smithies home on break to represent the current student body. They’re introduced and asked to give their name, major(s), House, what they like best/least about Smith, etc.
I remember thinking when I attended the first of these shindigs when D was in 11th grade that for me it was, “Wow, what an impressive group of young women. I’d love for them to be my D’s peers.” Little did I know.</p>
<p>She was equally impressed but by something else.</p>
<p>My role is to talk to parents about any concerns they may have, to discuss Smith from a parent’s perspective, and to give cover to prospective students who may wish to slide away to ask the current students questions they don’t necessarily want their parents participating in. I’m a very good fighter pilot escort that lets the bombers get through to targets unimpeded. :)</p>
<p>I understand that apps in our area are down this year. Normally, we get somewhere around 40, I think. Not all prospects come to these events, of course.</p>
<p>CB, I’m sure Eastern Smith Clubs do similar events but not evenly. It may also be seen as less critical since it’s easier to actually <em>get</em> to Smith in person if you live in the NE quadrant.</p>
<p>If you want info about the event, please include your e-mail in your PM to me. I will e-mail you the time/address and copy the event organizers so that they know to expect you.</p>