<p>Do you know the academic reputation of Smith College in comparison to Swarthmore and Chicago? Is it comparable, or would you say undergraduates from Swarthmore and UChicago are on average better respected?</p>
<p>I think it depends who you ask. But it's undeniable that Swarthmore and Chicago enroll student populations with higher test scores and accept a lower percentaget of their applicants. Whether a given student would be better served by attending Smith or one of those schools is highly dependent on their interests and personalities. Smith wasn't the most selective or 'respected' school I was accepted to, but the opportunities I've had here, and the people I've met, are enough to keep me very satisfied.</p>
<p>My D would have had a similar answer to Stacy's. She was admitted to Wellesley, one of her best friends is going to U/Chicago, an institution that I have a great deal of respect for, more than some of the Ivy's. But for <em>her</em>, Smith was absolutely the right choice and there's no "second best" about it...it's the "best" for her.</p>
<p>The finding of "fit" winds up getting off the printed pages of rankings & descriptions and seeing how different aspects work for you. Smith isn't for everyone but neither is U/Chicago or Swat. Fwiw, I think my D's friend is making the best choice for <em>her</em> in going to U/Chicago. </p>
<p>But I've known both girls for quite a while (duh!) and know how their brains work, their temperaments, their make-ups.</p>
<p>It occurs to me know that attempting to match students and colleges is a little bit like running a dating service.</p>
<p>If you have an reservations on the careerist side of things, you should look at how "over-represented" graduates of the womens colleges are in grad school, professional schools, and top positions, e.g., from Congress to CEO's.</p>
<p>Final fwiw, after less than a year at Smith, my D was so convinced that she was in the best place for her that she said she'd turn down Harvard if they hypothetically offered her admission.</p>
<p>My d. turned down Williams and a bunch of other places to be there (and the admissions office thought, incorrectly, that they were competing with Harvard). But it was indeed a matter of "fit", both socially, and academically - for her and her interests, there are things she can do at Smtih that she couldn't even dream about at Williams, Swarthmore, Carleton, or Chicago, which are all wonderful schools.</p>
<p>Putting that aside, I think the new "Student Guide to Colleges" (based on actual student opinions) seems to have the place pretty well pegged:</p>
<p>Passionate, progressive, academic, social, hardcore!</p>
<p>Location: Northampton, MA
Number of Undergraduates: 2,680</p>
<p>The average Smithie is way too overcommitted, has at least one pet issue, is loyal to one and only one a cappella group, has an Irish-level of warmth and hospitality, is addicted to Ethernet, has been told by public safety at least once to put clothes on, lives for the Daily Show, watches TLC with one eye out for antifeminist sentiment and the other for cool styles, and could successfully organize and run the entire world and be home in time for Friday tea.
- Sarah, Senior </p>
<p>The Institution:
Even though Smith is in the middle of a great, liberal, artsy town, there are so many great events on campus that its very hard to leave our isolated little campus. But theres definitely a lot of interaction between the town and Smith; people from the town will even attend our theater productions and sporting events in the springtime. The athletic fields are actually a great place to see non-Smith people theyre connected to the old state hospital grounds right near campus, so there are lots of joggers with cute dogs, and also a river which is great for swimming on those hot New England days.
- Cary, Psychology major from Northampton, MA</p>
<p>The Education:
Sometimes my friends and I make fun of the fact that we spend so much time talking about classes. Were not total bookworms we just happen to talk about our classes a lot. The workload can be intense, which may be one of the reasons why we focus on it.
- Cary, Psychology major from Northampton, MA</p>
<p>The Students:
Smith girls can range from *****y to sweet to lesbian to guy-crazy to funny to just plain weird. You will find that no matter how different the students are, everyone learns to get along and learn from one another. Its a pretty inspiring environment, especially for someone who came from a very homogenous, preppy, Gap-clone high school. The student body ranges from those preppy, Reef sandal- and polo shirt-wearing Saab-driving women, to the hard-core punk rockers who still really like heart-shaped Post-its and drive a black Jeep SUV (that Dad bought for their sweet sixteenth), to tree-hugging lesbians who came to Smith because life would be better without guys, and who ride bikes. And the best part of it is that there are also all the other 2,497 students. Nobody is the same and everyone somehow seems to get along.
- L.B., Architecture/Spanish major from Westford, MA</p>
<p>The Activities:
When I feel like procrastinating, I have a friend who will jump in the car with me and go to the supermarket around midnight. Bejeweled (an online game) is dangerously addictive, and the Daily Jolt generally gets strange between the hours of 1:00-7:00AM.
- Anne, Biochemistry major from Southlake, TX</p>
<p>The Social Scene:
Its all about the five-college consortium, baby. You might think Smith sucks if youre straight. Actually: its great. You are hot a commodity to those males at UMass, Amherst, and Hampshire. And you are always just one bus ride away from men who think Smith girls are a break from the norm at their schools. Downtown Amherst also has lots of bars, which facilitates interaction. Put it this way: if you are a lesbian, Smith has a lot to offer; if you are straight, learn the bus routes and I promise you will never have any trouble meeting guys.
- L.B., Architecture/Spanish major from Westford, MA</p>
<p>yes, it's all about fit. my D wanted to do engineering with arts and music... smith is serving her well.</p>
<p>You can't really compare Smith education to other schools. When you're talking about schools of that caliber, you just can't compare- the quality is all the same. Each school just offers different methods to reach out for the students' potential. Some schools do best with CORE curriculum, others do better with no curriculum, and some want to specialize.</p>