I know many people are swung by the better location of Smith and I am taking that into consideration. That aside, what do I do? I have visited both and am really in love with both schools. Students were incredibly friendly to me on both visits. I really felt like I would fit in and I loved both campuses. So I’m struggling. Honestly, unless one suddenly became free there’s probably very little that could sway me in favor of either. I just need help.
Make a list of pros and cons for each school.
Did you factor in travel for cost?
What’s your intended major? Will it be hard to get internships in that field? Smith pays for an internship allowing you to take an unpaid internship which can be very useful in some fields like the Entertainment industry.
i agree about including your intended major ^ grinnell provides fully funded research, and internships are plentiful. on my most recent visit, i was told it’s not uncommon for first-year students to land an internship. grinnell also has mentored advanced projects (or MAPs). you can find out more about them here: https://www.grinnell.edu/academics/dean/map.
i agree cost of travel should be an important factor, and i know grinnell’s location is a drawback for many, but it honestly didn’t feel like it was “in the middle of nowhere” to me. i understand iowa’s not as “hopping” as massachusetts, but smith is still over an hour and a half away from boston, whereas grinnell is only forty-five minutes to an hour away from both des moines and iowa city, and grinnell offers free shuttles to both cities should you choose to make use of them. plus, i happen to hold the opinion that grinnell’s “middle of nowhere” caveat is extremely overexaggerated (williams college’s town is smaller than grinnell’s, and it’s over three hours away from boston, but no one brings up the fact that it is “in the middle of nowhere”), but i digress, hahaha.
another (obvious) difference is the fact that grinnell is co-ed and smith is not. i do know smith is part of the five college consortium, but i’m not entirely sure how common it is to take classes at the other schools. if size is important, grinnell is nearly 1,000 fewer students than smith. i asked a girl on my visit if she thought grinnell ever felt too small (this was a pretty important thing for me since i identify as LGBT+ and was wondering about the size of the queer population), and she said, “obviously, you’ll begin to see some familiar faces, but i don’t think i’ve ever felt like the school is too small because my classes tend to keep me busy, and campus always has so much going on.”
i believe @Otterma’s son is a current student there, so perhaps she can give some more insight.
First - realize there is not a right or wrong answer here. Just different paths. Assuming they are both affordable it sounds like you will be fine at either. They are both kind of rural - in my mind more similar than different.
@kalons I agree that Williams is in the middle of nowhere. I thought people have mentioned that on a few threads.
@Dolemite’s suggestion is good. On another thread someone said to pick the 5 most important things to you and rate each school on a scale of 1-10. Add them up to get a score for each school.
You have a tough choice there. A few things I’ll add to the others:
Second this. If you have an intended major area, look at the course catalogs and department web pages to see if one seems to better fit your interests. Don’t go by “school A’s department is higher ranked than school B’s”. You will get a superb education at either school. Look instead to see if one department’s focus and philosophy speak to you more than the other.
Grinnell does too, so that’s a wash.
You must have questions about areas of study or activities like music, athletics, etc that interest you. If you haven’t already, email your questions to the relevant departments (or email the faculty/staff directly if the right person is obvious). It’s not so much a specific answer that’s important, but rather the correspondence will give you a sense of how approachable and responsive people are in areas that matter to you.
The consortium is going to make a significant difference, I think, in the experience of the schools. I agree that Grinnell is actually probably less isolated (in terms of proximity to a large city) than Smith is, but the Five College Consortium has 38,000 students in it. There’s frequent bus service between the five colleges - which is really four colleges and one research university, which also means you’ll have access to the resources that UMass-Amherst provides.
The Pioneer Valley towns are also pretty thriving college towns; Northampton (which is actually a small city) and Springfield (actually a decently-sized metro area) are known as cultural hubs and centers of artistic and academic study and freedom. There are actually also a lot of other colleges and small universities in the region.
That’s going to be very different (not better, just different) from life at Grinnell, which is a small town and where there aren’t any other colleges nearby. College students are known for making their own fun, though, so a suburban/rural environment doesn’t necessarily mean no fun and nothing to do. It may/could mean strong school spirit, a close-knit environment, students who stay on campus on the weekends rather than going off to enjoy the surrounding environs, more student creativity in terms of creating clubs and organizations, etc.
My intended major is computer science.
It would seem that the 5 College consortium would be a nice advantage for CS. UMass is a really good CS department and the ability to take some classes there and the other 3 consortium schools would be useful.
For Comp Sci, it may be worth checking with Smith about any official or practical limits on taking CS classes at U Mass Amherst.
The single sex campus vs. coed is worth spending time thinking hard about – on the one hand, the commitment to women’s education at a single sex school, and the way that permeates all levels of decisions, can be refreshing and exciting. But a student should really envision what the day to day experience would be like and see if that feels like the right fit.
I love Grinnell, and am the produce of a women’s college, and agree that they are both superb choices, no wrong decision here.
Regarding culture, Grinnell’s social vibe is kind of like Brown’s: fairly easygoing, liberal (but not in your face), happy. Smith is more intense, especially politically, or so I’ve read.
Academics probably are about a wash.
Setting: “Iowa nice” rural location vs. an area of small towns specializing in colleges. Boston is closer than Chicago. Both have four seasons.
When looking at the course catalog, look at requirements in general then for your major. These often vary significantly from school to school and can impact the experience a lot (and affect what is available for you as electives.) Having the option to take courses at another school is great but often logistically challenging.
I sense, reading your posts, that Grinnell may appeal a wee bit more.
Congratulations on having these two excellent options! There is no wrong answer as both will serve you well. A student’s intuitive perceptions of “fit” should play heavily in their decision. It sounds like in your case, your “gut feel” does not provide a clear differentiation so you are looking for other factors.
I agree with other posters that co-ed vs. single sex seems like the largest single differentiation between Grinnell and Smith. My guess is that you see pros and cons there, but I’d recommend exploring that further.
Climate is similar. Northhampton receives more snow. Grinnell has a bit more sunshine.
Location preferences are important. Is one closer to home? Do you want to be closer or further from home? Do you want to experience a new and different location? If so, which fits the bill?
Do you have any special interests (clubs, sports, activities)? Which college would serve you better there?
How do you feel about any course requirements? Grinnell is very open in that regard. Having two sons, I am not familiar with Smith.
You mention computer science. My son is a first year student at Grinnell and will very likely be a computer science major. He’s loved his first two computer science courses and the professors so far. You can view the course offerings online.
If they are both equal at the end of the day, try playing a mind game. Imagine yourself traveling to College A, going to new student days, going to classes, dining in the dining hall, meeting classmates, living in the dorms, walking around campus. Spend at least 10 minutes visualizing. Take a break and then do the same with College B. Take another break and ask yourself which of the two visualizations you are more excited about? Which are you looking forward to more? Which gave you more energy? That will help you tap into your intuition. Trust your intuition.
Thank you so much. My parents are in favor of Smith as it is closer to home. I keep feeling the need to defend to other people my continued interest in Grinnell.
Two great options. Don’t let other people’s ignorance influence your college choices.
These are both excellent choices. MyD was accepted to Grinnell and Smith. My spouse and I were really impressed with Grinnell but our D preferred the East Coast (and is likely not choosing either). Both were big contenders. Really I’d go with my gut feeling if I were you.
OP you can’t go wrong. As others have written, go with your intution. I say this as a Smith alum 
Unless there is singnificant financial discrepancy in aid packages or some really meaningful difference in quality in your area of study, or if there is some family reason you honestly can’t go far from home…it sounds like you are definitely leaning toward Grinnell. And you don’t have to defend your decison – if others question it, just remember all the support you are getting here!