<p>So, is anyone besides ECW debating Smith vs. another college? </p>
<p>Or are all the prospect readers here committed one way or another?</p>
<p>I sent my deposit to Smith last week :)</p>
<p>I spose I'll share... I'm debating between Smith, University of Washington, NYU and University of San Francisco. All very different schools, that offer completely different experiences. At the moment, I'm probably leaning towards Smith ... I'm visiting in a week, so I should have a better idea by then. I'm hoping that Smith makes a really strong impression on me, one way or the other...</p>
<p>Something tells me it will!! ;)</p>
<p>My friend is deciding between Smith (with some sort of honors program/scholarship, I think) and Brown. She likes Smith's size and the amount of student-professor interaction, but she's also considering a Linguistics major, which Smith apparently doesn't offer. She'll visit both next week, so hopefully that will help her make a decision.</p>
<p>Hi
My daughter is deciding between Smith and Mcgill but I think it will be Smith! What are your hesitations?</p>
<p>I'd prefer to be in a big city, but I'm torn because I want to go to a small LAC...</p>
<p>Smith vs. MHC
I'm having a lot of trouble deciding because they seem so very similar. . . can anybody help me with a comprehensive list of the differences between the two?</p>
<p>D liked big cities but found NoHo to be hip enough, with restaurants, music, art, etc. to pass muster.</p>
<p>South Hadley, otoh, is where you go to watch puddles dry up.</p>
<p>Smith vs. Ohio State University. I'm praying that Smith will give me better financial aid than OSU (they have horrible aid), however, since I'm in-state I'd still be paying much less than what I would at Smith. I'm not really into the state school vibe and though OSU has its perks, I couldn't see myself there for more than a year. Although I have yet to visit Smith (and I can't make it to Discovery Days :-( ) I know it's a waaay better match. My only concern is the social life (I go to an all girls school now, with minimal interaction with boys/coed schools.)</p>
<p>I hope to visit soon!</p>
<p>This is the week D decides between Smith & Wellesley. Spring Open Campus @ W on Wed/Thurs. Wife & I will be there most of the day Wed. Going to alumnae reception tomorrow.</p>
<p>This is a very difficult choice, academically & financially.</p>
<p>SG</p>
<p>Smith v. USC v. UCLA v. UCB
(v. Sarah Lawrence v. BU v. UCSB v. UCSC, but it'll probably be one of the first four)</p>
<p>I'd like to get out of state - I'm from California, obviously - but Smith is going to end up costing twice as much as any of the other three, since I'm in-state for the UC's and USC is giving me a half-tuition scholarship. Smith? Nada.</p>
<p>Good luck, SG.</p>
<p>IC, that's a tough one. D was offered a minimum of half-tuition scholarship at USC if she'd apply, never gave it a third thought. Smith gives us enough FinAid that it costs more or less what UC would have cost, assuming D didn't get a Regent's Scholarship. </p>
<p>But I'll tell you this: TheMom has worked for UCLA for more than 25 years. We both agree that D is getting some things at Smith that just wouldn't happen in the UC's. Enough of a bonus that we'd choke hard and pay the difference if we had to, the gifts-of-a-lifetime kind of thing. </p>
<p>Okay, I wouldn't necessarily make that choice for every student. But it's the choice I'd make for someone like our D, who is taking advantage of opportunities.</p>
<p>Smith v. Barnard v. UVA v. W&M</p>
<p>Not going to lie. Right now I'm leaning away from Smith based on location and lack of boys. I'm a city girl. I also need boys and they'll be plenty at both Barnard and UVA. Smith, not so much. For the record, I'm also leaning away from UVA because it's a huge party school and I'm not a big party person. I want a school that's more academically focused.</p>
<p>dananaamad: I looked at both Smith and MHC. I applied only to Smith and I recently was admitted. I don't know if you've visited or not, but here's some help: </p>
<ul>
<li>LOCATION: MHC is a fairly isolated school, much more so than Smith. Smith is in Northampton, which is a fairly bustling large town or small city. It's pretty easy to walk to the main area of Northampton from campus. MHC is in South Hadley, which is pretty pathetic as far as college towns go. However, this gives MHC a more suburban and quiet feel, which some people like. There is also a bus from Northampton to MHC. </li>
<li>LOOKS: MHC is a gorgeous campus. Pretty much all the buildings are in the classic New England brick/ gothic style. Smith has more diversity in architecture. I frankly think MHC has a prettier campus, but Smith's is a bit more interesting. </li>
<li>Size: smith is bigger (Smith is like 2600 students and MHC is like 2000 --- not sure on the exact numbers).</li>
<li>Curriculum: Smith has a fairy open curriculum while MHC has distribution requirements. </li>
<li>reputation: Smith is probably a bit better known than MHC, but don't make that a huge issue. Reputation = shallow reason to pick a college, especially when the difference isn't huge (as is the case with Smith vs. MHC). </li>
<li>Diversity: MHC has a higher percentage of international students as Smith.</li>
<li>Other factors: if you have an idea on what you're going to major in, I'd look up and compare Smith and MHC's respective programs. One school may be stronger in a certain thing compared to the other. The obvious example in my mind is Engineering, which Smith has an MHC doesn't offer.</li>
</ul>
<p>As for me, it's primarily between Smith and Bryn Mawr. I just came back from overnight visits, and they were both awesome (which makes my decision harder).</p>
<p>Oooh, bad1017, I was a Smith v. Barnard too. I guess I chose Smith because while I love NYC and I am also a city girl, I wasn't sure it was a place I could see myself studying. Still your right, a big city and a place with lots of boys are twp things Smith doesn't have.</p>
<p>Barnard: Distribution requirements and a gym requirement
Smith: No distribution requirements
Barnard: Bad housing
Smith: Gorgeous housing (for 4 yrs), house traditions</p>
<p>My D overnighted at Bryn Mawr and Smith, and ultimately chose Smith because she thought the campus/town was more lively and the academic strengths suited her better. My advice? Read the course catalogs, see where the courses sound more interesting, are more available and suit your goals better. Smith's fabulous art history dept and English dept wooed my D. Bryn Mawr has no art dept at all -- to take a fine arts class you have to go off-campus.<br>
It's all about the fit!</p>
<p>Yeah, the housing at Barnard was among the most underwhelming we encountered during our various visits, though American U. was down there too. But housing is something you put up with if the fit is otherwise the best, imo.</p>
<p>I agree with Arianne's summary of Smith vs. MHC and her first point is dead on. To which I'd add, I think Smith has a reputation for more intellectually aggressive students.</p>
<p>For curiosity sake, we actually drove by Columbia and Barnard while on our Smith/Bryn Mawr trip. I'm very glad I didn't apply there. I think a lot of people apply to Columbia/Barnard because it's in New York City. I think that's a huge mistake. Firstly, they're not in a particularly interesting part of the city, so you'll have to frequently have to take public transit to get anywhere exciting anyway. This is different than Smith, where the best part of Northampton is only walking distance from campus. However, the disadvantages of a city are still there at Barnard; Barnard is much less attractive with worse dorms [I actually didn't see them, but I've heard they're less than amazing]. Additionally, I would imagine that Smith is much safer than Barnard, especially in terms of the surroundings. Smith is also much more self-reliant as an institution, compared to Barnard, which seems too dependent on Columbia for anything. </p>
<p>I second momofsmithie?s mention of Barnard's gym requirement --- ick! Smith's the only [all-women] Seven Sister without one, and, quite frankly, that's a good thing. Besides, the gym at Smith is pretty sweet for people who want to stay fit, not to mention the sports and PE classes one can take. There are also many more scenic walking places around Smith than around Barnard [a plus in my book, at least during the time of the year where the weather is tolerable...]. </p>
<p>Actually, here's a general warning: If you like a school due to location [meaning suburban vs. urban vs. rural], do a visit first! I was actually the opposite of many of the Barnard-applicant types; I was dead-set against anything urban and was completely convinced that I wanted somewhere with the most suburban surroundings possible. Then I saw some of these east coast towns surrounding "suburban" schools (including Swarthmore, South Hadley, Poughkeepsie, etc.) and I realized how dreary I could feel after four years. Smith seemed like the happy middle with its large town setting, which is one of the draws of the school (compared to the very urban UC Berkeley, where I live near, or the suburban Bryn Mawr, the other college I'm considering w/ Smith). For everyone else, don't let the "urban" tag fool you. I mentioned how Barnard/Columbia don't really seem like the big city paradises that people make them out to be. I've heard similar stories about UChicago, as well. </p>
<p>Invertedcommas: USC, in my opinion, is culturally different than the other 3 schools. If you like Smith, or even UC Berkeley [where I live near], I doubt you'll like USC. Even UCLA has a different feel due to its much stronger economic diversity, though I don't know a whole lot about it. Frankly, if I were to go the path of an in-state university, I'd choose a UC over USC in a heartbeat [at least considering the fact that I like Smith, which is pretty much USC's polar opposite]. </p>
<p>Alright, long post --- good look to all who must decide in the next few weeks!</p>
<p>I'm completely stuck on a decision. At this point, it's between Smith (STRIDE), Wellesley, Mt. Holyoke, and (I know this is going to sound completely different to what you're used to seeing on this college forum) the United States Military Academy at West Point. It's just that all of these places offer such different opportunities, experiences, and financial packages that I'm having serious difficulties making a final choice. Luckily, my parents are being really supportive, and we're visiting all of the schools this coming week. I guess I have to make a decision soon.</p>