<p>I am not using this solely to decide, but I am interested to know about the reputations of Smith and Wellesley. I am getting mixed vibes about both of them and I want to know how they are generally perceived. I am not at all worried about truth in the perceptions (I have been to both of them twice visiting and have my own opinions that are not linked to general perceptions); I just want to know what they are.</p>
<p>What would you personally think of someone if you found out that she went to Smith?</p>
<p>What would the general public think of her?</p>
<p>What would a potential employer think of her?</p>
<p>What would you personally think of someone if you found out that she went to Wellesley?</p>
<p>What would the general public think of her?</p>
<p>What would a potential employer think of her?</p>
<p>I can’t speak to general public perceptions, but I can speak to my own perceptions after having spent some time exploring each of these schools with my D who seriously considered both, but in the end may not apply to either. These are very different schools, despite their obvious similarities. Wellesley has a more hard-driving feel, and maybe a slightly more “uptight” vibe; Smith seems more laid-back. Wellesley strikes me as more pre-professional; we met a ton of pre-med, pre-MBA, and pre-law types there. Smith seems a bit more purely “academic” and literary. Wellesley’s students are, on average, a cut above Smith’s in pure firepower—25th-75th percentile SAT at Wellesley is 1300-1480, at Smith 1150-1380, a significant difference especially at the bottom end of the class. Wellesley also seems to have more money than Smith, which could translate into things like more support for internships and study abroad. Despite all that, I actually liked Smith better—the more laid-back vibe, what I perceived to be an interest in studies for the sake of studies and not for the sake of getting into a top medical or business school, the charming college-town location v. a kind of desolate suburb. </p>
<p>So my stereotype of a Wellesley woman would be: smart, ambitious, driven, well-educated without being particularly intellectual; sort of a Hillary Clinton or Madame Chiang type. My stereotype of a Smith woman would be well-educated, intellectual, literary, maybe-or-not smart, and maybe-or-not ambitious and driven the way a Wellesley woman would be, more likely to be a Sylvia Plath or a Molly Ivins than a Hillary Clinton. If I were hiring for a high-powered job I’d probably be more likely to go with the Wellesley alum. But I’d rather hang out with the Smithie.</p>
<p>If your concerns are being perceived as elite, layman’s prestige and prestige in academia, and a strong alumni network + heavy recruitment, Wellesley is your best bet.</p>