Student body at Smith?

Colleges and Universities A-Z Smith College
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Hi all -
I am always wary of what I read on the internet, but I was looking up reviews on Smith and came across this:

Q:Is the stereotype of students at your school accurate?
A:yes. brainy lesbians and all the misfits from high school combined.

Q:What is the stereotype of students at your school? Is this stereotype accurate?
A:Most people at Smith are very studious and can be intense–they are always stressed. There are lots of hipsters, lesbians, hipster lesbians, and quiet science girls who live on Green Street. People here are not very friendly and many lack social skills.

Is this true? I thought it is just one bitter person, but I came across many reviews saying that Smith is liberal to a fault, attracts “quirky” students, and unconventional. While there is nothing wrong with any of these, I am not sure if I will fit in! I am 2 days away from clicking the summit button on my ED 2 application, but reading these reviews is making me reevaluate my decision to ED (Crap… this is a big problem, right?)
I myself am a very politically moderate, straight girl from public school. I am your typical high schooler - I dance & play the cello, take AP classes, and have an after school job. I would like to have a boyfriend at some point, remain politically moderate, and go to dental school. If I want to protest gender equality, I would rather attend a Clinton rally or donate to a feminist organization instead of piercing my nipples. I wear normal clothing (sweaters and jeans), and have no desire to get a tattoo. I would rather like to stay this way.

My original impression of Smith was a place where I could discover my interests and bond with a group of intellectual girls with similar passions. However, I am worried that Smith is full of amazing girls, yet ones who are more outspoken and unconventional than I’d like. I suppose my type of studious, intellectual environment would be found at Wellesley instead? However, I do not qualify GPA-wise for Wellesley, and I loved everything Smith had to offer academically anyways.

Am I wrong in my perception of the school? I would like a normal college life, playing an intramural sport and being involved in a club, but not rallying for BLM or feminist rights every day with a bunch of impassioned lesbians with pixie-cuts. Again, I admire their values and courage, but I do not see myself being compatible with them.

As I am two days away from EDing Smith, I cannot afford to ED a school that I would not thrive in. It would be amazing if someone could confirm if Smith has the type of intellectual environment I am looking for in the form of a conventional environment.

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I cannot answer your question specifically but the overwhelming advice is don’t ED anywhere you’re not 100% sure you want to attend. It sounds like you haven’t even visited.

I think Smith is a great school but know it mostly just in general reputation, have been on campus twice. It’s not mainstream Americana but it’s not as edgy as Vassar or Bard (neither of which I have visited).

I think there is enough diversity at Smith for you to find your people but I’m not sure you should ED.

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i go to smith and if you really want the “typical college life”, i wouldn’t recommend ED-ing. I did last year and i regret it. many of the stereotypes you listed are pretty prominent and although i’m sure there are people who don’t completely fit that stereotype, i haven’t found too many.

it’s pretty edgy compared to many other universities as well. i’m someone who many people call “mainstream”, but one of my friends who visited is considered “hippy” and she found Smith pretty intense.

academically though (classes), smith is great!

let me know if there’s anything else you want to know!

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Piping in about Vassar–it’s not edgy. Where oh where did you get that impression??

I can’t speak for Bard.

Maybe if Smith might be too overtly political, also look at Mt. Holyoke? MHC has many of the attributes you’re looking for, including the 5-col consortium, strong women, excellent academics, and it has a rep of feeling more homey.

There’s free transport from MHC to the other colleges of the 5-col area, and the towns that they are in.

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Not sure if this is too late, but I’m a current student and I’d like to address some of your concerns.

That’s true. You definitely can do this - I have.

Most people are studious. I wouldn’t say everyone’s always stressed. The only times I’ve felt that everyone around me has been stressed are during course registration, midterms, and finals - and I’m pretty sure it’s like that at many colleges.

This is true, although I feel like there are more hipsters and hipster lesbians on Elm Street and in the quad than on Green Street.

Most definitely not true for the vast majority of Smithies. I found Smithies to be the most friendly and sociable students out of all of the 14 or so colleges I toured and after spending a semester at Smith I still stand by that assertion.

I think it’s definitely possible to do that. I play a club sport and am involved in (many) student clubs/organizations. I have never attended any protests or political rallies. That said, there have been a lot of rallies here. Not sure if that’s just because of the election though. There are also lots of “impassioned lesbians with pixie-cuts” and many people with tattoos and ear piercings.

I’m also pretty politically moderate (left leaning on social issues though) and sometimes find myself comparatively to the right at Smith. It personally doesn’t really bother me. We just sort of go about doing our own things. My Facebook feed after the election was a mix of far left, center left, and moderate, with a handful of Republicans. Although the Smithies who are most vocal on politics are always those on the left.

I guess it probably comes down to your priorities.

You don’t necessarily need to answer me here, but consider how important finding a boyfriend is to you. One thing that I think Smith oversells is the ease with which you can meet guys. It’s definitely possible, and I know people who are dating guys from UMass or Amherst, but I feel like you have to put some time into it and make it a priority. Since I like being in a lot of clubs and maintaining a decent GPA…it’s easy to just not get around to it.

I have found many other politically moderate people (and also a few Republicans who stay mostly “closeted”). Choice of house, clubs, and major kind of determines how many politically moderate people you’ll interact with on a day-to-day basis.

If you’re totally uncomfortable with the idea of having some super liberal people here though, you are right to consider not applying ED.

If you want a more politically moderate campus climate, you’re right in that Wellesley would probably be a better bet. Do you qualify academically for Barnard? I don’t know a ton about it but I think dating would probably be easier there…

I too have never heard about Vassar being more edgy than Smith.

In short, if you’re having serious doubts, don’t apply ED. Sounds like you still like Smith so maybe apply RD. Then you have more time to weigh the pros and cons (and also compare Smith to the other schools you get into).

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@alooknac I have visited, and I was quite impressed with the resources and such but I’d rather attend a school that I feel comfortable at. I am definitely reconsidering EDing. Thanks.

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@senioryear1516

i go to smith and if you really want the “typical college life”, i wouldn’t recommend ED-ing. I did last year and i regret it. many of the stereotypes you listed are pretty prominent and although i’m sure there are people who don’t completely fit that stereotype, i haven’t found too many.
^Yeah… I am afraid of this happening it. Have you enjoyed your time at Smith or do you think you would have been better off at a co-ed, more traditionally collegiate university?

it’s pretty edgy compared to many other universities as well. i’m someone who many people call “mainstream”, but one of my friends who visited is considered “hippy” and she found Smith pretty intense.
^I was surprised when I saw a lot of counterculture at BMC, and I was even more overwhelmed by it at Smith. Thanks for letting me know.

academically though (classes), smith is great!
^Yay! Does this outweigh the drawbacks of the social setting?

let me know if there’s anything else you want to know!
^Thanks, will do!

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@Dustyfeathers

Maybe if Smith might be too overtly political, also look at Mt. Holyoke? MHC has many of the attributes you’re looking for, including the 5-col consortium, strong women, excellent academics, and it has a rep of feeling more homey.
^I heard that MoHo is the LGBT capital of the East Coast? Nothing against it, but idk if I would fit in. I was very impressed with MHC as well, but I think I will just RD.

There’s free transport from MHC to the other colleges of the 5-col area, and the towns that they are in.
^Isnt the town that MHC is in pretty dismal, though? And is the transportation bw colleges as easy as they make it seem? Thanks!

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@skycry Thank you so much for such a comprehensive reply.

I guess it probably comes down to your priorities.

You don’t necessarily need to answer me here, but consider how important finding a boyfriend is to you. One thing that I think Smith oversells is the ease with which you can meet guys. It’s definitely possible, and I know people who are dating guys from UMass or Amherst, but I feel like you have to put some time into it and make it a priority. Since I like being in a lot of clubs and maintaining a decent GPA…it’s easy to just not get around to it.
^Meeting a bf is definitely not my top priority - obviously getting an education is. But I wouldn’t be opposed to having a few guy friends. It seems like you’ve found a great balance between academics and being socially involved at smith - do you feel that you are socially deprived though?

If you’re totally uncomfortable with the idea of having some super liberal people here though, you are right to consider not applying ED.
^Yeah, I think you are correct.

If you want a more politically moderate campus climate, you’re right in that Wellesley would probably be a better bet. Do you qualify academically for Barnard? I don’t know a ton about it but I think dating would probably be easier there…
^I do not qualify for Barnard or Wellesley - I have good test scores, class rigor, and ECs, but my GPA is laughably low because I got a D in an AP Physics class my Junior year.

In short, if you’re having serious doubts, don’t apply ED. Sounds like you still like Smith so maybe apply RD. Then you have more time to weigh the pros and cons (and also compare Smith to the other schools you get into).
^Is there a large advantage of applying ED? I do not think I want to be bound to Smith if I get in.

Thank you, once again!

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No problem!

Haha define socially deprived… I don’t feel deprived in terms of platonic friendships. I don’t feel romantically deprived at Smith yet, even though I’m straight. Like you, I wouldn’t be opposed to dating, but it’s just not that high on my priorities list. I don’t feel like I’m missing a lot by not having any guy friends at school.

But all that said, I’m not you. I love Smith, but some people are bothered by the lack of political conservatives (although I think most colleges in the Northeast are liberal-leaning) and the fact that it’s a women’s college.

Ah, that’s too bad re: Barnard and Wellesley. Perhaps consider some more co-ed liberal arts colleges then?

Not sure how big the EDII advantage is at Smith, sorry.

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In response:

Personally if I could go back to senior year, Smith would be far down on my list of schools. It’s a bit too edgy for me and the political climate (esp when Trump was elected was over the top). I also had a lot more fun in the one weekend I went to go visit my friends at a bigger, co-ed university. Not only did I get along a lot better with the new people I met, but socially it was more “mainstream” too.

It did also kinda freak me out when a junior talked to me about how I should “watch out” since the smith culture sometimes changes you.

If you are wanting to go to a women’s college though, I know a couple of people at Wellesley and it sounds pretty different. They absolutely love it and they’re not edgy people.

Academically, although I love it I definitely think it’s something I could find somewhere else since the aspects of it that I like are all ones you can find at any liberal arts college.

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Just FYI, @shielapathukare, Smith’s RD acceptances are 37%, ED 57%. So it seems like there’s a pretty good advantage to ED. 36% of new students come from ED. (I’m not advocating you do ED, btw. Just what the data is.)