Hi! I am a current hs junior looking at Smith. It is my top school, but I haven’t been able to visit because of covid 
I have a couple of questions…
- How is the American Studies major? I am not sure what I want to really study yet, but I liked the interdisciplinary qualities of that major. I have also looked at gov, enviro. policy, swag, sociology, and psych.
- What are the extracurriculars like? I am interested mainly in dance and theater, but I heard that a lot of the clubs are not very active.
- How cliquey are the houses? What is the environment like in the houses? I love the idea of the house system, but am concerned about returning to a high school-like environment.
- Is there enough to do in the area? Northampton sounds amazing, but I also heard that it can be a little slow at times.
Bookmarked! My D is a senior (our visit was also cancelled). And she has all these same questions. Especially 3,4.
Hi there. I am the mother of a current Smith student. Some of your questions are quite specific and probably best answered by students, but I’ll share my feedback as a parent (and what I’ve heard and experienced from my Smithie). My daughter is an Econ major, but with a public policy emphasis, and so has taken a lot of Gov classes. The Government department is very strong, as is Econ in her opinion. I can’t speak as much to American Studies or some of your other areas o interest. Extracurriculars are hit-or-miss, as it’s very much up to the students to generate the energy and momentum around something - the college is very supportive, but doesn’t take the lead…so things can wax and wane as student interest does. That said, my daughter has found more than enough activities to keep her engaged and connected on top of school. Finally, I’m sure some houses may be cliquey, but D’s experience and that of most of her friends was very much the opposite. I think the multi-year thing helps here - not just first-years in any house - and most Smithies are really welcoming, inclusive, and committed to making the houses succeed for everyone. I believe you can switch if things don’t work out, but Smith is a really warm and diverse place and I think most people end up really connecting with their house communities.
Oh, and I forgot to say, Northampton and the valley in general is amazing. Plenty to do. Not NYC or anything, but a totally awesome college town where there is always something going on.