<p>I always hear all of these comparisons between Smith and other women's colleges, but I can't find anything about Wesleyan vs Smith! I've done a lot of research into both colleges, and I really love them. They both have very liberal and progressive atmospheres and amazing Gender and Sexuality Studies departments, or so I've heard. Can anyone please add to this? I haven't gotten a chance to visit either yet but will in April, after I get my decisions back. In the meantime, I've been asking my friends at both colleges for their opinions. A friend at Wesleyan said that people at Smith seemed less mature - does anyone here know what could prompt such a view? Can you add anything else about these two colleges?
Thanks.</p>
<p>That’s interesting. I think it’d depend on who, at those schools, you talk to. I wouldn’t be surprised if Smith had more groups of people that are immature, but I find it hard to believe that the entire Smith student body is less mature than the entire Wesleyan student body.</p>
<p>Personally, Wesleyan was top on my list for a while, but after visiting Smith, Smith just felt like a better fit. Sorry that’s not really helpful as you won’t be able to visit until later. That’s just how I made my decision.</p>
<p>Students at Smith less mature? Wow. What a sweeping generalization. </p>
<p>I’m pretty sure there’s higher drug use at Wesleyan. (Mini?) </p>
<p>Other than that, the student from D’s high school that went to Wesleyan was one of the lazier, more self-entitled, grade-grubbing, and in general wanting payoffs without doing the work students that I knew. But unlike a sweeping generalization, n = 1.</p>
<p>…and Northampton is much nicer than Middletown. IMNSHO :D</p>
<p>I agree w/ Dad and Boss. From what D reported (she has 3 good friends at Wes), more dirnking and drug use than at Smith. N’hampton is a nicer than M’town, but M’town is closer to NYC. And obviously, Wes is coed (though D’s girlfriends at Wes have had fewer boyfriends and dated less than D - - even though dating/social was one of the reasons all 3 of D’s friends insisted on a coed school).</p>
<p>FWIW, of D’s friends at Wes, two are terribly self-entitled and unbelievable academic snobs (one is in mourning, convinced that her 3.6 gpa is too low for Columbia - - the only grad sch worth attending). Maybe some grade-grubbing too, but both are also mature, poised and incredibly dilligent young women.</p>
<p>According to student surveys, about double the amount of binge drinking at Wes. </p>
<p>Both very fine colleges with great resources. But they really aren’t comparable. Smith is not a liberal arts college that happens to be all-women. It is a women’s college that teaches the liberal arts. The use of resources, the emphasis on teaching about the trajectories of women’s lives, the resources specifically for women (Women and Finances), and the extraordinary advising (that I know you won’t find at Wesleyan), will make for a very difference experience. Not necessarily better (you won’t find football or marching bands if that’s your thing), but different in some profound ways.</p>
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wouldn’t that be expected, assuming, as reported, that men account for 81% of all binge drinking behaviors?</p>
<p>I applied to and was accepted to both Smith and Wesleyan. I ended up deciding to go to Smith – mostly because when I visited both schools, I felt that Smith students were overall much friendlier to me when I was a prospie, and because Smith gave me a STRIDE. I’m very happy with my decision. </p>
<p>Overall, I get the sense that Wesleyan students party more, but that is not to say that Smith students do not party, which they do. My perception is that there are more Smith students who don’t party than Wesleyan students who don’t, but I could be wrong.</p>
<p>As for FGSS at Wesleyan vs. SWAG at Smith, I can’t say anything from first hand experience because I am a science major, however, I have heard several different things about the SWAG major at Smith. Many students love it, while others complain that it really should be re-named a queer studies major, as most of the courses are more geared toward queer studies than women’s studies. Look through both course catalogs before deciding to get a feel for which classes you are more interested in taking! I took a wonderful first year seminar that technically counts as a SWAG course and was taught by the head of the department.</p>
<p>“wouldn’t that be expected, assuming, as reported, that men account for 81% of all binge drinking behaviors?”</p>
<p>Why, of course! (though women there binge drink much more as well). Which isn’t to say that Wesleyan is at the top of the general range among LACs in that department (from the data I’ve seen Williams and Carleton are); only that Smith is close to the bottom.</p>
<p>My D had friends who went to Wesleyan, and at least one of them loved it. (I don’t know about the other, but I assume she also did since she stayed to graduation.) My D loved Smith. Both are excellent LACs.</p>
<p>If you get into both, you really should attend the accepted students days to determine which campus and which student body feels like the best fit for you personally. You can’t know for sure, of course, based on a day or two, but it will help you make the decision. You should also scrutinize the course offerings and their frequency; my D discovered at one college that several courses she really wanted to take were in the catalogue but hadn’t been offered for two years, suggesting that the department in question may have been understaffed. (Note: it wouldn’t have mattered anyway since she ended up majoring in something else at Smith. Keep in mind that what you want to study now may not be what you want to study in a year or two.) </p>
<p>I wouldn’t base your decision on the party factor, although obviously the social atmosphere will be important. At any school, you can party hard or you spend your free time doing other things. I think Smith might be lower on the party scale not because its students don’t drink but because the social scene doesn’t need it. (Imagine a giant slumber party.) Both schools will offer plenty of opportunities to form lasting friendships. Both will be academically and personally challenging.</p>
<p>To TheDad:
In my post, I mentioned what my friend’s (very generalizing) opinion was of Smith, but I certainly am confused as to why she thinks that, and I don’t agree at all. (That’s why I asked what could prompt that view in my post.) When I challenged her on this point (after stressing “it’s a women’s college, not a girl’s school,”) she just seemed to think that women’s colleges must automatically be more sheltered because of fewer men. Again, I’m wondering whether there is any truth to that at all, but my reaction would be to think that strong, independent, mature, grown-up women would be even more frequent at an empowering place like Smith…</p>
<p>Yes, I’ve heard there is higher drug use at Wes as well. That doesn’t really factor into my decision either way.</p>
<p>Smith just seems like such a perfect place for me. The only thing that bothers (read:annoys) me is others’ (usually erroneous) views and judgments about women’s colleges, but that’s an issue with people I know and not the college itself. I really love Smith!</p>
<p>Note: I read a lot of your posts about Smith, and they’re very helpful, so thanks in general!</p>
<p>Fiddler, I didn’t take any offense at you running the question by. As to your friend’s further opinion, I can say that while Smith is a women’s college, it’s not a convent…by any means.</p>
<p>I was initially very interested in both of these schools too. I didn’t end up visiting Wesleyan because I fell in love with Smith and Northhampton and, being from Connecticut, I already knew that Middletown was lame in comparison. </p>
<p>I wouldn’t have mentioned this otherwise but the only person I personally know who’s going to Wesleyan could be described as a self-entitled academic snob and a big drug user (although believe it or not I like him just fine), all of which supports the other posters’ anecdotal evidence about Wesleyan. </p>
<p>Still, they’re both great schools and you should bear in mind that you’re asking this on the Smith forum, a biased crowd. I personally prefer Smith :] and as for reputation, most people I mention Smith to seem to think of it as a very respectable school. I don’t think the people who matter, such as employers, are likely to hold any preconceived notions about women’s colleges against you.</p>
<p>Not sure that the posts are biased - - but they do represent a very limited sample. Friend’s son recently granduated from Wesleyan; a solid, hard-working, temperate kid. Another friend’s son was quite different: srmart, but not particularly studious; entitled and definitely into parties. These kids exist, in critical mass, on both campuses; likewise sheltered kids. </p>
<p>On difference I haven’t seen mentioned in the posts above, considering the % of Pell recipients, Smith must be more diverse economically (though Wesleyan is probably has the edge in terms of racial diversity).</p>
<p>OK, I don’t know anything about Wesleyan, but what I do know about SWAG at Smith is that yes, it is very queer oriented these days. However, Smith also has an amazing collection of feminist writings that is probably second to none other. The archives include the papers of Sylvia Plath, Gloria Steinem and I think most of the papers of Betty Friedan, just to name a few. Not to mention there are the Sophia Smith archives which catalog the history of women in all of their pursuits. So if you’re really interested in feminist history or women’s history, you would have a trove of first hand documents to use for research at Smith, as well as the resources of professors who use those documents in their own research. Just something to think about, outside of the queer studies angle.</p>
<p>"On difference I haven’t seen mentioned in the posts above, considering the % of Pell recipients, Smith must be more diverse economically (though Wesleyan is probably has the edge in terms of racial diversity). "</p>
<p>More age diversity at Smith as well, because of ADAs.</p>
<p>I’m very strongly leaning towards Smith now, which is exciting. The queer studies angle to a women’s studies department is actually a plus for me, so thanks for bringing that up. I want to study Gender and Sexuality, Linguistics, and Ethnomusicology and probably put together a Riot Grrrl band while in college. One of the replies that I got on another board on this site was, “there’s more of a music scene at wes but more of a feminist/queer scene at smith,” but I’m sure there’s an amazing music scene at Smith as well. Thanks to everyone for your replies!</p>
<p>I don’t know about Smith’s music scene (though we did have a lot of musicians in our house, lots of people brought guitars and amps and one girl even brought her drum kit and set it up in our house basement. We had a lot of jam sessions on snowy nights.) but Northampton does have a huge music scene. They have a bunch of different venues and bring all kinds of acts, from new indie music to really nationally popular bands to campus. And Smith usually has a couple of big concerts every year. They brought Feist one year and I think Vampire Weekend one year (before Vampire Weekend got really really big). Also a lot of bands tour in the area. It’s popular for acts to travel around to Northeastern colleges to demo new material on college kids before taking it national. The more colleges there are, the more bands they attract. I saw the Decemberists at Amherst for $10 one year when they were demoing new material from The Hazards of Love.</p>
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<p>That’s what I call an agenda, by the way. :-)</p>
<p>I’m going to have to break out my old Bikini Kill CD’s. :D</p>