<p>I think ecape just wants a coed school. Why not just say it?</p>
<p>You may be right BJL8, but I also think she wants academic rigor and a strong reputation for grad schools, and thinks she may not be getting that at Smith.</p>
<p>WendyM, exactly so. My D and her friends assure each other that there is no dishonor in a B+ or A- but are mortified when they get them themselves. D spent 29 hours on one take-home math mid-term; the lowest number of hours clocked by anyone in the class was 21. There is so much reading assigned that she has not been able to do it all but not for lack of effort, learning to be judicious in what is skipped and what is not. She is doing a double-major and is gunning for high Latin honors. </p>
<p>As for Smith being less selective, it depends on how you look at it: if you adjust for the fact that roughly a quarter of Smith students receive Pell grants (aggressive academic diversity) and a quarter (I think) (with some overlap) are first-in-family-to-go-to-college, the disparity between numbers disappears. Furthermore, SAT scores aren't valid for determining much in the way of success beyond grades for first year in college...and, no, the grapes aren't sour, my D earned a 2370 if you add her SAT + SAT2 Writing together. </p>
<p>Different parts of Smith do have different reputations and I still don't know the truth of the stereotypes but my D chose to live in a Green Street House because of its reputation for being more studious than The Quad. But di gustibus non disputandum est.</p>
<p>Another stereotype that I've heard but have no idea of the veracity of is that Wellesley students are "more tightly wound." There may or may not be any truth to this but that signifies no correlation between academic rigor or intelligence.</p>
<p>Florus: I am not at UChicago. I am going back to Smith. And you are also right about my concerns and what I want. I guess I've got a full year before my last shot to transfer, so I've got some time to try and perfect my study skills and to think things out. (I don't want to rush into anything)</p>
<p>Smith has an extremely high admission rate into grad school; very high for law and med. Ecape mentions that she had to perfect her study skills. I thought Smith was not challenging enough for you?</p>
<p>Well, I got a 3.7 GPA taking 21 credit hours, and I could have worked harder. I would prefer to be in an environment where I didn't have to be making a perfect GPA to feel challenged, where I was more 70% among students, if that makes sense? I feel I learn more when I am inspired to work harder by whatever is around me. I know I'm not brilliant. Don't forget, resources is half the reason I am thinking of transferring, because there are other schools with better opportunities for my interests. Like I said though, I've now got a year to think and see how stuff goes.</p>
<p>I'd be interested in someone who visited both campuses and would like to argue that Wellesley students are in fact generally higher-caliber than Smith students...</p>
<p>escape...I am also a transfer and wanted to leave my school because (among many other reasons) I wasnt being challenged. I actually moved back home after leaving my school, and have been taking classed at a local state school. Again, I am not being challenged at all. I am actually transferring to smith, which is funny since you go there now. </p>
<p>I know how it feels when people say, "oh, just stick it out, you will be fine". So I wont tell you that. If you want to transfer because you hate your school and you dont feel comfortable, then by all means, get out of there! HOWEVER, if you really do like your school but you want more work, or a better 'name', you should look into other options besides transferring. </p>
<p>At the state school, one of my professors (harvard grad) asked me why I wanted to leave. I had 100 reasons, but he told me that if it were simply about the "easy" classes, I should look into the honors program. Does smith have something like this? Im sure you could take harder classes and honors classes too. </p>
<p>Just a thought. Again, I know what its like to want to transfer, so I wont be one of those annoying people that tries to make you stay, BUT, transferring is a VERY hard, VERY long and VERY annoying proccess.</p>
<p>Which state school are you at? Smith is about as difficult to get into as say, the University of Illinois. I don't know what that means about how the academics compare. Admittedly, Smith is probably more academically focused.</p>
<p>I was taking classes at Western CT state university. Trust me, its NOT a difficult school at all.</p>
<p>{Smith is about as difficult to get into as say, the University of Illinois}</p>
<p>How do you figure that? Smith ACT 25-30 Admission rate 47 % class of 09.
University of Illinois
.ACT20-25 Admission rate 62% </p>
<p>Smith has a self-selecting app pool such as UChicago--admit rate 45%.... It's much more difficult to be admitted to both than the admission % would lead you to believe. Don't let the stats fool you.</p>
<p>Perhaps you were looking at the wrong University of Illinois. Urbana-Champaign is the main campus. UofI ACT middle 50%: 25-31.</p>
<p>
[quote]
I've heard "stay away from the Amherst rugby team."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>HAHAHAHAHA. I'm thinking of one rugby player I know, who fraternizes much with the Holyoke/Smith girls. Stay far, far away.</p>
<p>... and being mortified with an A-. Ugh. Well, I'll go easy on myself, considering it was my first semester.</p>
<p>great help</p>