<p>During the accepted student days, many prospies end up staying in the Quad, which is their first introduction to it. At that point in the decision making process, they should know about it; otherwise, I'm not sure visiting the Quad is worth the time.</p>
<p>I will say that discovering the existence of the Quad was like solving the missing mass problem in the universe. I couldn't figure out how all the undergraduates fit into Elm St. and Green St. housing. :-)</p>
<p>It would behoove any prospective student to walk under the arch at Emerson and into the main Quad courtyard, if for no other reason than to see the Wilson clock tower.
And once in the Quadrangle courtyard, one will get a real feeling of a quintessential New England college. Just past the main Quad is the little Quad--also worth seeing</p>
<p>The Health Center is at the end of Paradise Rd on the rt.</p>
<p>One the way back to admissions, take the path across the street from Scales and you’ll walk past the Presidents house and a great view of the pond.</p>
<p>The interactive map should be bigger for us ol’ guys, but it’s a start.
<a href="http://www.smith.edu/map/%5B/url%5D">http://www.smith.edu/map/</a></p>
<p>
[quote]
I will say that discovering the existence of the Quad was like solving the missing mass problem in the universe. I couldn't figure out how all the undergraduates fit into Elm St. and Green St. housing. :-)
[/quote]
That is so funny! That's exactly what my wife and I said during our first visit there. Where do they put 2500 women?</p>
<p>D stayed in the Quad for both her overnights, a year apart. (The second one really sticks with me...April 15, tax day. Or, since that's the day that D made her final final choice, tuition day.) However, on the junior year visit we did get inside of Tyler, which only whetted appetites for Green St. One of the local ballet moms we're friends with is an old Tyler alumna. Unfortunately...another "legacy" effect...her D wouldn't even look at Smith. Amherst, yes. </p>
<p>MWFN: LOL about the "missing mass."</p>
<p>
[quote]
I really do think they need to include the quad in the tours; I mean, why leave out the best part of the campus. Just kidding, TD, just kidding.
[/quote]
Like the brass plaque that says, "The beer keg ordinarily sits here"? Back atcha.</p>
<p>LOL TD...good one! I gotta say though, that although my D's house has sponsored about two parties so far this year, both, according to my D, have been fun and social...but...far from wild with drinking. The Amherst guys come over in their sport coats and try to impress the Smith women, which often results with them falling flat on their faces. But a kegger, it is not. That's a darn good thing. Unlike UMass parties which my D refuses to attend, and the beer bottles strewn all over the Wellesley Campus, Smith is extremely tame when it comes to partying.</p>
<p>"and the beer bottles strewn all over the Wellesley Campus"</p>
<p>You saw that too? I was actually quite surprised, and thought maybe I'd hit Buildings and Grounds on a bad day (and it was a Thursday morning.)</p>
<p>BJM8, you never saw the inside of any house?</p>
<p>If you visited during the summer, then yes, I guess it's normal to not see a room (only a few people live on campus during the summer, and only a few houses are open to those who do stay on campus. In the past few years, Quad houses have not housed Smithies over the summer).</p>
<p>Otherwise, I'd say that there's a problem and I'd kind of want to know who your guide was. At training it is stressed that you have to take your tour group into your house.</p>
<p>Borgin, I do not remember who our guide was, as that was a while ago. But, no, we did not see the inside of any house. That first visit was on a Saturday I believe, so maybe that was the reason. But, it was during the school year, so houses must have been available. Our second visit was better as we were the only parents on the tour, and we got inside two houses; Chapin and Hubbard I believe.</p>
<p>Mini, yes we saw many beer bottles all over the campus at Wellesley, and it really turned us off to the college. We were there in the afternoon on a Saturday, so there was plenty of time to pick up after a party (if that is what it was?) We walked into one of the freshmen dorms, and there were cases of bottles all over the corridors.</p>
<p>"Like the brass plaque that says"</p>
<p>Or, this plague marks the spot where the beloved Randy Shannon participated in the infamous * keg stand*. Gawdd, I wish I had been there to witness that.</p>
<p>Never met Randy; only know of him through his past in dealing with housing. Where did Randy end up?</p>
<p>Boston, though I'm not sure exactly where.
I'm sure Borgin can find out.</p>
<p>"Quad houses have not housed Smithies over the summer)."</p>
<p>They house grad students. At least they used to.</p>
<p>regardless, when we visited, we never saw one. Bothersome, as these houses are where the majority of girls live. You'd think parents would want to see them.</p>
<p>Ok, maybe I should rephrase my question. What I wanted to know is not exactly the typical stereotypes(those I can easily get them online), but the different 'feel' of the different area? It need not become a bash the area that my D or I am not in thread. Like what kind of students will prefer the quad or green street or elm street, in your PERSONAL opinion?</p>
<p>I just want to learn more about the housing available since I am unable to visit them myself. If you all still feel that it will just end up as a 'bash the housing area' thread, do ignore my post.</p>
<p>Blur, there is no bashing...we simply kid each other about areas of the campus where our D's live, that's all. In case you haven't noticed, TD and RLT and I get along pretty well, and they were both instrumental in my D choosing Smith...so no bashing here. Truly, All of the houses are really nice. It depends on your personal preference. (really, it doesn't...because they're going to place you in one or the other). You can request a certain area, but there is no guarantee. There has been so much talk on this subject, you need only look at past posts. The area of the houses rather than the houses themselves might be of interest, only because the Green St. houses are closer to classes. The drama of each house changes from year to year as girls move in and out, so that is all for naught. The quad offers a more traditional college feel, simply because of the larger size of the houses, and the number of girls who stay there. There is no "kind of person" in general who chooses to live in either area or the other. You will find diversification anywhere on campus. At least that's my take on it.</p>
<p>"when we visited, we never saw one. Bothersome, as these houses are where the majority of girls live. You'd think parents would want to see them."</p>
<p>I couldn’t agree more. I always assumed prospective students were shown the Quad.</p>
<p>We didn’t take the tour for obvious reasons, ignoring the fact we lived in Amherst a few years earlier and the kid was always around the college smelling the roses. Literally, my wife loves the arboretum.
On my forced visit, the admission officer introduced my daughter to women that lived in the Quad, believing they would best be representative of the type of student my daughter might connect. They were working at the information table in the CC. I can honestly profess, if it weren’t for one amazing Black woman in particular— an engineering major—who spent hours visiting with my daughter, she probably wouldn’t be at Smith today.</p>
<p>If memory serves me correctly, TicklMePink commented she wished she had moved to the Quad after her 1st semester, as it might have helped make Smith a better <em>fit</em> and she wouldn’t have felt the need to transfer.</p>
<p>Blur, one thing to consider, all the houses have equal numbers of each class. The more students in a particular house, the greater number of 1st yrs you’ll have to make friends.</p>
<p>BJM8 is correct. There are women of all types living in all areas.</p>
<p>Chapin is one of my favorite Houses just for architecture and the view. I know a first-year who successfully wheedled her way into being assigned there, citing a most imaginative reason, a particular link to the novel GONE WITH THE WIND. Tyler, for me, has a grandness about it. The Hub is a bit quirky but I like it.</p>
<p>Blur, Green St. has a rep for more performing arts students, disproportionately more athletes (both due to relative proximity to facilities), and...for the last assertion, I wish I had House GPA's to either prove or disprove a common jousting point. Put it this way, many Green St. students think they're more studious overall. The flip side of the Quad students saying that Green St. is dull. I think those on Elm St. are above it all and simply like being on Elm. In a way, it makes sense: the Quad is fairly homogeneous in look/feel/location, Green St. ditto, and Elm St. is all over the place.</p>
<p>"I wish I had House GPA's to either prove or disprove a common jousting point. Put it this way, many Green St. students think they're more studious overall."</p>
<p>There might be some truth to that.</p>
<p>The Quad looks more like traditional dorms than the other options, although Cutter-Ziskind (Elm) has that sixties/seventies experimental dorm look. (Can't remember which is which, the Cutter or the Z.)</p>
<p>Green Street has (generally) smaller houses than elsewhere, and so tends to be quieter. The psych/engineer majors and performing arts people like Green St. because it's so close to where they spend a lot of their time. (As BJM pointed out, some on Green St. like to think they are the intellectuals on campus; however, on a campus like Smith's, almost everyone is an intellectual.) My D. lives on Green St. now -- and loves her house. She likes the close-knit feel of the entire house, unlike what she experienced on Elm St. in Lamont. </p>
<p>As indicated above, my d. lived on Elm Street for part of her first semester. There, the dining options are more varied and close together - and you seem closer to town. People are often willing to meet at your house because they want to eat there. Also, the Campus Center and Art Museum are on Elm, so you feel as though you're close to activities. I believe a lot of international students live on Elm, although someone may correct me.</p>
<p>The Quad houses the majority of students, and for this reason, tends to be diverse. It's also known for its parties, probably because with so many students, there's bound to be several on any given night. The Asian dining option is located in the Quad.</p>