Prospective Student parties

Colleges and Universities A-Z Smith College
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<p>It's that time of year again. Those areas with active Smith alumnae associations are having prospective student parties. The one for the L.A. area is this Sunday. (If you're from SoCal, are interested in attending, and haven't received an invite, please PM me ASAP.) </p>

<p>If you're looking for the closest party in your area, either call Smith Admissions or drop me a PM and I'll run it down for you. </p>

<p>The ones around here are biggish deals, with 15-20 current students & recent alumnae, several dozen prospective students, and, for you prospective Smith parents, a couple of current Smith parents for you to talk to. (Actually, part of our job is to facilitate prospective students talking candidly with current students without POS but most of you have probably figured that out.)</p>

2

<p>To clarify--I've received a couple of PM's--there is no centralized "list" that I'm aware of. The organization of prospect parties comes from the local Smith alumni associations, not centralized direction from the college.</p>

3

<p>No prospect party in Phoenix/Tempe but one of the local alums who works with admissions thinks it's a great idea and forwarded my e-mail to the local chapter president. (I e-mailed her contact info for our local person so that she can pick her brain as to how logistics are handled locally.) Meanwhile, she's very happy to talk to the prospect who PM'd me and will but her in contact with a current local student or students.</p>

<p>Got contact info for central New York as well and passed that on as well.... Admissions is really very helpful.</p>

<p>Even the one misdirected call I once had with Smith became very helpful. Administratively, I can't say enough good things about 'em. Now if only they were more munificent with respect to financial aid. (Just mailed a tuition check today...they're making money on D's semester in Hungary, that's fer sure.)</p>

4

<p>Yeah, I mailed a tuition check today, too. Ugh.</p>

<p>I want to add that DD was <em>never</em> invited to a prospie party here. I'm not even sure that an admission rep came to her hs. Applicants need not worry if they don't learn about such an event, or if their schedules prevent them from attending. TD can correct me if I'm wrong, but these get-together are mostly informative for propsective students. They have no bearing on admissions itself.</p>

5

<p>MWFN, quite correct and I didn't mean to imply otherwise, attending a party has absolutely no impact on the admissions decision. Where they can have a major impact is on the student's application and ultimate decision. Cf., an overnight. Is it a definitive experience? Probably not. Can it tip you one way or the other? Often. </p>

<p>The aspect of the parties that stand out for me time after time...let's see, this Sunday's will be my fifth, plus I've attended several admitted students parties...is the quality of the current students in aggregate, making a statement more effective (imo) than any advertising Smith could attempt. D had her own reactions but I remember thinking clearly that I would be so pleased to have these young women be my D's peers...a feeling that continues to this day.</p>

<p>Btw, as for visiting high schools, I know that my D's is on a "visit every other year" schedule. It seems to place a fairly steady stream of one student almost every year into Smith.</p>

<p>FL, good luck. I hope it proves useful to you. It has become clear to me that that being a decentralized operation, the existence of prospect parties varies wildly from locale to locale.</p>

6

<p>You did not imply otherwise. I just know the culture here on CC, and I didn't want anyone to panic or think she was disadvantaged if she didn't go to one.</p>

<p>I think it's great that Smith alumnae hold these get-togethers.</p>

7

<p>We got culture here on CC? Uh-oh.... Does this mean I should stop posting in my robe?</p>

<p>But seriously, I know what you mean about every small datum being overexamined and inferences being made where no implications were intended.</p>

8

<p>I’d like to offer a word of a caution to prospective students. While the parties can supply a wealth of information, the students and alumnae are a self-selected group and don’t always give an accurate representation of the Smith culture in its totality.</p>

<p>I’m very familiar with a student that almost wouldn't consider Smith b/c of a prospective student party. Thankfully she visited the college and soon realized you can’t judge or categorized 2600 women by one small soiree.</p>

<p>Today she's a happy Smithie.</p>

<p>Nuff said….Carry on, and Happy New Year to all.</p>

9

<p>The more information you can obtain, particularly by visiting in person, the better. However self-selected, a group of twenty or so current students with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests is going to convey a composite impression with a great deal of accuracy. And I think I would question the choice of the word "soiree" as applicable in either tone or function.</p>

10

<p>This afternoon's local prospect party was large enough to jam the public areas of a largish house. There were approximately 20 current students, a couple of recent alumnae, about half a dozen alumnae hosting the event, three of us parents of current students, artfully selected to cover different demographics, I noticed, and I'd guess three-four dozen prospective students, many with a parent or two in tow, plus two Early Decision acceptees...I talked to one of the latter and she impressed me mightily. Also present was Larry Meinert, Smith professor of geology, who previously had taught at Washington State University for some 20-odd years. I discovered that the man does not appreciate puns.</p>

<p>Perhaps the most relevant item to student readers of this board would be the list of things that current students liked the best and least about Smith...all of them at one point in the more formal part of the gathering were asked to state name, major(s), activities at Smith, high school, and what they liked best/least about the college. I tallied the explicit answers as follows:</p>

<p>Liked best:</p>

<p>-- self-scheduled finals</p>

<p>-- study abroad programs</p>

<p>-- "everything"</p>

<p>-- the GBLTQ (the Q was new to me) spectrum of activities</p>

<p>-- no general ed requirements</p>

<p>-- "my room" (Baldwin House)</p>

<p>-- Five College classes</p>

<p>-- Smith Democrats</p>

<p>-- Northampton aka NoHo</p>

<p>-- "all the different types of people"</p>

<p>-- House community (x 2)</p>

<p>-- Housing</p>

<p>-- "the people"</p>

<p>-- the small classes</p>

<p>-- the Campus Center</p>

<p>-- "really friendly"</p>

<p>-- interning at ESPN arranged via Smith connection</p>

<p>Dislikes:</p>

<p>-- Weather (x 6) [SoCal softies...and it's been a mild winter]</p>

<p>-- squirrels</p>

<p>-- reduced dining options</p>

<p>-- restricted dinner hours (5:30pm to 7:00pm)</p>

<p>-- Health Services being remote (vigorous dissent from those living on the Quad)</p>

<p>-- distance to classes (vigorous dissent from those living on Green St.)</p>

<p>-- "you can't spend junior year both on campus and abroad"</p>

<p>-- "my roommate, the bane of my existence"</p>

<p>-- the stairs in the Campus Center...they're going to kill me</p>

11

<p>The squirrels have become something of a legend on the Smith campus. My daughter sent me an editorial from the Sophian that hilariously summed up "skewrl" attitude.</p>

12

<p>I noticed the squirrels when we were on campus but maybe things have gotten worse...it's not as if they were aggressive, marauding in bands, etc.</p>

<p>When D was small, she was afraid of squirrels...I think she was warned about rabies from a pre-school teacher or something. Then she became one.</p>

13

<p>... a squirrel, a rabbit or a pre-school teacher?</p>

14

<p>lmao b@r!um</p>

15

<p>I think the antecedent for "one" tracks back to "squirrel," as I intended, what with the whole text after the ellipsis being subordinate.</p>

<p>If they have squirrels on campus, I now wonder about moose. "First we get moose, then ve get sqvirrel." -- Boris Badunov</p>

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<p>Ah, Natasha on the Smith campus.</p>

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<p>I used to have nightmares about being attacked by a rabid squirrel. :-)</p>

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<p>"However self-selected, a group of twenty or so current students with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests is going to convey a composite impression with a great deal of accuracy."</p>

<p>If that had been the case at the party I referred, I couldn't agree more; unfortunately, it wasn't. </p>

<p>I'm sure many parties, as well as yours, are as you stated---but not /all/.</p>

<p>You're very fortunate to live in one of the most densely populated areas of the country. As hard as it is to believe, many areas (think Vermont or NH) aren't blessed with as many willing Smithie participants, as yours appears to be. Oh, the joys of urban living. ;) Consequently, many parties don’t have the large number --or diversity-- of student and alumnae participation you’ve experienced. </p>

<p>And as you've discovered, there are far too many areas with no prospective parties whatsoever. Numerous <em>parties</em> in many areas of the country are no more than a few current students and an alumna, or two, if they're lucky. It's not possible to give an accurate representation of Smith with that insignificant a number---especially if the students/alumnae are of one ilk, socioeconomic background, etc. </p>

<p>It goes without saying, young women shouldn't judge an entire college based on a few individuals. But 17 yr. olds can be fickle and make decisions with no rhyme or reason, as you well know.</p>

<p>If you'll recall, during college visits, I believe both our daughters refused to even get out of the car at the same college. I’m still mystified :(</p>

<p>This isn't a big deal! :) My point was, most prospective students are naive and aren’t cognizant some parties are as wonderful and diverse as yours, while others aren't. I'd be remiss if I didn't inform them all events are not created equal.</p>

<p>"And I think I would question the choice of the word "soiree" as applicable in either tone or function"</p>

<p>You're reading far more into one word than necessary. Easterners like soirees. We’re at the County Club during the day ;)</p>

<p>Soiree: A party or reception held in the evening </p>

<p><a href="http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/soiree%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/soiree&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

19

<p>
[quote]
It's not possible to give an accurate representation of Smith with that insignificant a number---especially if the students/alumnae are of one ilk, socioeconomic background, etc. </p>

<p>It goes without saying, young women shouldn't judge an entire college based on a few individuals. But 17 yr. olds can be fickle and make decisions with no rhyme or reason, as you well know.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>True, which is why I always caution about drawing conclusions based upon one tour guide or one overnight host. But more data is better than less in most cases and even a small prospect party is likely to be better than none.
An attitude I've tried to inculcate in my D is "cross-check everything."</p>

<p>
[quote]
"And I think I would question the choice of the word "soiree" as applicable in either tone or function"</p>

<p>You're reading far more into one word than necessary. Easterners like soirees. We?re at the County Club during the day</p>

<p>Soiree: A party or reception held in the evening

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Well the parties I've attended are held in the afternoon, as have been every one that I've ever heard of. Also, connotatively, nobody has every changed into their evening gowns for the event after a trying day at the country club.</p>

20

<p>"Well the parties I've attended are held in the afternoon, as have been every one that I've ever heard of."</p>

<p>Apparently you haven't heard of /all/ the parties. Hard as it is to imagine, just b/c something is done one way in your state doesn’t necessarily mean the other 49 states, US territories, Canada, Mexico, and hundreds of countries abroad have to follow suit. Some parties are in the evening. ;)</p>

<p>“But more data is better than less in most cases and even a small prospect party is likely to be better than none.”</p>

<p>I couldn’t disagree more. If the party represents one small faction of Smithies, and a woman leaves the party convinced Smith isn't a <em>fit</em>, irreparable damage is done and a possible great future student is lost. </p>

<p>Otoh—and why I posted-- if a woman realizes beforehand the parties with <em>very few</em> women/alumnae are but a representation of ~1% of the students, and, unlike your parties, /might/ be of one ilk, then by all means, attend with an open mind.<br>
As I said and you acknowledge yourself, 17 yr olds are fickle. You don’t always get a second chance... The only reason the woman I spoke of is attending Smith today is b/c she visited the college. If she hadn’t, Smith would be absent a great woman. Let’s just agree to disagree about this. ;)</p>

<p>"nobody has every changed into their evening gowns for the event"</p>

<p>LOL—If women always wear evening gowns to soirees in your area, gwad, no wonder you were confused.</p>

<p>Let’s try this again—One meaning of sioree--- “noun soiree: a party of people assembled in the evening (usually at a private house)” “2. An evening of entertainment of any kind.”</p>

<p>And if you believe days at the county club are "trying", I can see why you might have a distorted view of the organization. ;-)</p>

<p>Seriously TD, this has been fun but you really are expending wayyyy too much energy on one word and you're assuming some sort of derogatory meaning was intended, when nothing could be further from the truth. A sense of humor helps ;)</p>

<p>I realize you want to practice your wordsmithing-- but let’s change the subject.</p>