Smith College Top Questions

a lot of people can't dress themselves. it's kind of pathetic. sweatpants to class is okay once in a while, but honestly, pick up a copy of vogue and get your shit together. this is one of my biggest issues with the smith student body: i just want to put them on What Not To Wear and have tim gunn beat the crap out of them. i mean, what are we, twelve? can we stop shopping at hot topic? we're adults now, let's start acting and DRESSING like them. on a more positive, note, however: one thing about any smithie is that you should never make any assumptions about her(/him if applicable, you shouldn't even assume a gender). everyone will surprise you in one way or another.

There are many different types of Smithies, but I think we all manage to find some common ground. The administration often tries to force celebrations and discussions about diversity to increase their own profile, but aside from this publicity stunt-type behavior, the campus seems relatively serene. Every once in a while there will be grumbling about "that girl whose clothes are so expensive", or whatever.

The people at Smith are, for the most part, awesome. Many of them are incredibly active in promoting positive social change. The campus, as a whole, is also quite environmentally conscious and actively involved in trying to be as ecologically friendly as possible. Most people here are warm, nice and friendly. There is a lot of cool unique style at Smith. There is also a probably higher-than-average proportion of "hipsters" on this campus, for whatever reason. The population here is far more in touch with the fluidity of sexual orientation and free of the traditional perceptions and stigmas about gender. I'd say that the subset of students here who identify as female AND are 100{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} absolutely straight is a minority. It's superfun. Smith students are from all over the country and the world. Smith prides itself on its racially/ethnically diverse student body and is INCREDIBLY aware about race-related issues. There is no visibly predominant religion on campus. Political leanings at Smith would best be described as leftward. Smith is expensive, so many students are fairly well-off, but lots get financial aid, and money clearly isn't the main priority or goal of most students here. The type of student who would feel out of place at Smith is someone who is very conservative and tight-laced, judgmental, homophobic, materialistic or superficial, intolerant, or just generally someone who can't handle people who are different from them.

I am a friendly person, so I have many friends, from many racial, socioeconomic, ethnic backgrounds, of many sexualities, from all over the U.S. and the world. It's great that this is possible at Smith. What's also possible is finding a big group of friends exactly like yourself, which many people do (for instance rich white hippy girls). So if you look around the dining room, there are some segregated tables, and some mixed tables, for different reasons. Smith students all say they're liberal (in my opinion that's debatable). They think they're politically aware. Students who feel out of place are conservative, corporately-minded, white and rich (must be combination of all 4).

See above - I've met lots of different kinds of people here and have learned a lot about human diversity. There's good mix between kids that put themselves through school and those that have a trust fund... most students are passionate about something (at least learning...) and we have great student organizations that put on numerous events for the student body.

Sometimes I feel that the Unity organizations don't really unify anybody. I think someone who is conservative or even Republican will feel out of place. there are some here who already do sometimes. Most students that I see wear sweatpants and jeans and T-shirts. I think that different types of students do interact but most of the time people stay around others that are the same ( either by race or class or something else). I feel that Smith is very politically aware it is just that no one has time or cares about what is going on, but Some people are active. I have never heard anyone talk about how much they will earn one day unless it is to mourn their anticipated state of poverty.

I would say Smith's student body is fairly diverse with regard to student backgrounds. But socio-economic diversity is now changing since admissions is no longer need-blind. As for (attitudes toward) religious diversity, I think the Smith community is fairly open and accepting of different religious backgrounds, unless you're Christian. The campus is fairly secularist, so as a liberal who has come to terms with her Christian roots, I occassionally made uncomfortable when people cringe at the mention of God or talk dismissively of anyone who holds Christian beliefs.

The students at Smith are from a wide variety of backgrounds and geographic locations. Smith however is a very accepting place and even if someone has different religious, political, ect. views as another person that would not stop any sort of friendship or relationship between the two people. People here tend to look past all of those things (race, religion, sexual orientation, soci-economic) and just see people for the kind of person they are. There are a great number of students here from the east coast, mainly Massachusetts and New York.

Smith is mostly white, pretty much like any other East Coast liberal arts college, with its percentages of minorities, that I could not name or even try to guess at so just think typical liberal arts mix of students. There are some really rich people, but Smith also gives amazing financial aid so there are a good number of students from lower socio-economic groups. Its pretty overwhelmingly democratic thought there is a republican population. People are very PC here so heated political talks are rare- people are to scared to actually discuss or argue about touchy subjects. Smith is also pretty politically apathetic, ok, almost completely politically apathetic, I don't know if thats just us or our generation or what but ya. Students where pretty much whatever they want to class, some girls dress up in heals and pearls everyday and others go around eternally in pjs and sweat suits. Since there are no guys you'd there would be less aesthetic competition among girls but that actually really isn't the case. There's still a good deal of self-consciousness and a fair share of eating disorders etc. I think that students tend to interact with others very well, groups definitely form around similarities like race, religion, socio-economic status, but from my experience no one is exclusive and I have never felt unwelcomed by a group. Most people form the closes bonds with people from their houses or extra-curriculars. Smith students are primarily from the coasts I would say but there is definitely a smattering from everything in between and from out of the country as well. Though not many western Europeans.

LGBTs make sure they are well known at Smith and in Northampton in general. I feel like everyone can be comfortable at Smith even if they don't fit the mold because Smith is such an accepting community. Most students wear jeans or what every they want to class. There are eccentric cape wearing students and prissy/preppy girls in dresses and sweater sets. It's a good mix of everyone. Smithies are from all over, but a lot of them have money, since Smith is gosh darn expensive. They are predominantly left but there are certainly right wing clubs and orgs on campus.

Smith is pretty liberal, you have to be serious about aademics to survive here but most of us know how to have a good time too.

pretty diverse for a private lib arts school in new england, particularly socio-economically; smithies tend to be very liberal, or at least open-minded; there is a very open LGBT community

During my time here at smith i have not receive any discrimination from any group of people nor does it happen often here. even if it does happen smith college knows what action to take in order to let their student know of the issues and what needs to be done to improve the community.

Everyone is different, even if they don't appear to be so. There are people from every background imaginable, every location, every country, every circumstance, etc;

there is no two way street in terms of political views

The student body is really diverse- sometimes your circle of friends or even your entire house might not be, but there are many different people that go here either by social status, class, or what have you.

There is a huge deal made about being politically correct all the time and this drives me crazy. People say that there is racism at Smith College because of a recent black face incident at a party. I say people should be able to go to parties as whoever they want and everyone else should be less touchy. There is a racism problem, it's called making too big a deal over small things when no one intended to hurt anyone else in the first place.

Smithies are independent and often opinionated. It's an interesting mix of personalities, but that is what I love about Smith. While it is a pretty white upper/middle class girls' school-- efforts are being made from the top down to shift that perception to a richer representation of backgrounds. Smith is a pretty liberal school-- but you don't let the school/people/professors push their ideas on you. And really, for all the liberals there are at Smith heated, all-out brawls over politics are rarer than you think at Smith.

I actually wish Smith was more diverse. I came from a school where only 15{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} or less of the student body was white, so Smith was something of a culture shock for me. Most students are from the East or West coast, but there are still plenty of people from the larger Midwest cities here. People here are open about everything--sexuality, politics, their backgrounds... There are few conservative students here. A large chunk of students are upperclass prep, but I'd say the majority are upper and true middle middle class. I think few lower class students go here, mostly because tuition is so expensive.

Experiences...on campus?: Smith is constantly talking about racial, religious, lgbt, socio-economic and all other possible divisions on campus. Its a very open issue and Smith is big on making a big deal of it in an attempt to be fair and for the most part, succeeds. Expect to be educated on all those issues before graduation either formally or informally. Out of Place?: Someone who is conservative or trying to be invisible or looking for an academic easy ride with good parties. Wear to class?: anything goes. Some people wear barely anything, some people wear sweats. Different students interact?: Constantly. Four tables: Each table has a mix of races, religions, sexual orientations, socio-economic backgrounds, and native languages. Three of the four tables are probably having an intellectual conversation. Most Smith students from?: New England, New York, California, South, Mid-west, international...everywhere basically. Financial Backgrounds?: Amazingly varied. Mostly middle class with a few super-rich people and a good few people on full scholarship.

smithies are generally left-of-center and full of opinions. expect to be challenged if you're a republican or a zionist.

LGBTQQA students are certainly the most ____ed minority on campus. Homophobia is not tolerated, though lingering awkwardness and antipathy towards transgender students has recently been brought up. Religious freedom is well-defended, but Smith is a very secular school. Though there are many resources for people of different faiths and exploring religions different from your own is strongly encouraged, most Smithies feel strongly that the practice of religion has no place in the classroom, and act accordingly. This does not mean that Religion majors have nothing to study, in fact the opposite is true, but much of the student body identifies as athiest or agnostic, and Smithies require that courses and interactions with others are not imbued with preference for one religion. The sentiments of racial minorities at Smith were raised this year, as many feel that Smith does not provide adequate resources for these groups, especially African-American students. The reorganization of some courses and organizations, as well as various events focused on this issue, hope to make students in the racial minority feel more a part of the Smith community and better cared for. Smith College has a very liberal campus, and consequently those with very conservative views are likely to feel out of place. Allegedly, after the 2004 elections members of the Smith Republicans were taunted in some manner, but the administration, members of Smith Democrats, and of the student body as a whole soon decried this behavior as hypocritical and out of sync with Smith's character. However, there certainly are conservative Smithies, and the political leftist swing of the campus should be seen as an interesting experience to engage in rather than a deterrent for conservative prospective students.

diverse

Smith tries very hard to be diverse, but is predominately white, middle class students. There are many culural groups on campus for minority students, such as the Black Student Alliance. There has been some tension around race relations this year, and the college is trying really hard to improve things. Smith is very tolerant of the queer community, and some people are transgendered, although this has caused some tensions too. Most students lean to the politial left, but there is a small but active Republican population too. There are a lot of people from the New England states, and from California. Most people just throw on a sweatshirt and jeans for class, but there are some people that just look fabulous all the time. People generally find a niche of friends that they hang out with; some with housemates, others with people in their major, and others with clubs or teams.

Discussed above.

It's true that most Smith students are white and upper-middle class...but there are a lot of international students. Most students are fairly liberal, of the fairly well-off and fairly well-educated variety. Very conservative and non-white students would probably feel out of place to some extent.

Smith is a very diverse community. In my residence house alone, we have 2 Korean students, one Turkish student, and students from all over the country (as well as other countries that I'm sure I've missed). I've had students from all over the world in my classes, and it's very interesting to hear about their experiences. It's very hard to feel out of place at Smith, because there's always somewhere to feel "home" at, whether it's a favorite club or you house. It's also nice, because everyone seems to get along; there usually isn't the "drama" that one would find in a high-school setting.

Smith students are sometimes too polarized, and do not know how to listen. However this means that people care, and if too much, it is better than not caring at all. Smith is incredibly diverse, not only ethnically, but financially, politically, and even in age.

You are exposed to all different types of people on the Smith campus which really opens your eyes, especially when you come from a very small town with not much diversity. Everyone is really casual and friendly. Girls come from all over the world to Smith which allows you to get a feel for different backgrounds and cultures that you may not have learned about before.

Smith has an incredibly diverse student body in every sense of the world: ethnically, intellectually, socio-economically... Smithies come from all over the world and bring thousands of different perspectives, opinions, and life experiences to campus. What's more amazing is that there isn't a "typical Smithie." Every woman here is unique in her own right, and we are all encouraged to discover our own voices and be who we want to be.

Smith students are committed to talking about diversity. Although all campus have incidents in regards to religious, racial and socioeconomic differences, the student body wants to create a safe place to talk about differences.

Some people at Smith are crazy and drive me crazy, but in general I find Smith students respectful, friendly, welcoming, and willing to help. Some people come to class wearing blazers and heels, others in dresses, and others in sweats. That is part of the joy of an all women's college. You can do whatever you'd like. The politics are predominantly democratic, with little support for the Republican point of view. Sometimes that can go overboard.

Smith is a very diverse campus. Students here come from every class, racial religion, sexual background. All students are welcomed and will find a place here. And what is the best part, is that all different types of people come together and are friends because we are all women striving for similar goals. In my opinion, no student would feel "out of place" here. There is a place (houses vary from small and quiet to large and loud) and organization (check out the website and add on so many others and you can get a feel of the orgs here- if you don't see something that interests you, make it up) for everyone here! We are a very political campus, but I am not so crazy about it. But just being on a campus where people deeply care about our country and politics, enough to get active about things, really makes you want to be active as well!

Smith has a really diverse study body. Aside from the fact that there are no men living on campus, men from one of the other five colleges often take classes here and add a lot to the classroom.

Smith can be a harsh environment for students who come from conservative, republican, or very religious backgrounds. While the student body is probably more moderate than it can seem, there is a lot of political and social activism on campus. I am originally from the South, and Smith can be daunting if you've never had to interact with someone who is transgendered or uses alternative pronouns. If you come with an open mind, Smith has a lot to teach about other cultures, religions, and lifestyles, and I have had many friends who have been willing to share with me their experiences and help educate me. As far as other types of diversity, Smith has quite a bit of diversity. Whether or not you choose to explore that is a personal choice. I sit at a table with all types of people, but that's not true of everyone. Some international students choose to spend time with students from their country, who speak their language. Many black students choose to sit together. Who and what you experience at Smith depends on your choices.

Most of the students are from the New England states, with the biggest contributor outside of them being California. They are usually well-to-do, are politically left (some to the extreme) and close-minded about absolutely anything else, and stressed by the academics. It is not uncommon for people to be figuring out what they want to do right before they graduate, or to be planning a year off or something (in my experience). People from the midwest states like I am are likely to feel uncomfortable, at least with some aspect of the college/community, and I would advise them to choose government classes carefully. Otherwise, the jokes told in class may be politically left but usually pass by the end of class, with the expected exception on some ecology issues.

It's slowly getting more diverse. I love the fact that it has remained an all-women's college. I never thought much about it until I took a five-college class and saw the difference. Smith gives young women the chance to mature and learn without the male dominated environment.

Everyone who comes to Smith definitely finds their niche in the student body because it is so diverse. All of the students care about their studies and it shows, and sometimes students seem to compete for who is the most stressed, which I don't like, but in the end everyone realizes we are all here for the same excellent education. Students and professors tend to be pretty chill - I wear sweats to class a lot.

I feel like I've had a good and well rounded experience working and talking with people from different socio-economic, religious and sexualities(definitely this one) than myself, I feel like racially there is something... lacking. Maybe that's just how I place myself, but I don't feel like we're very integrated in that sense. That being said, I don't feel that any student would be out of place at Smith, as stated earlier, no matter who you are there is a community on campus that you can be involved in that will be your new "home". The student body is politically left, but not everyone is, and most people are willing to have intelligent conversations with you if you aren't, which is good. There are people from every financial background, especially from lower socio-economic classes, which I think Smith particularly encourages to come here, which is good.

we have a fairly diverse student body here. i find, however, that we tend to segregate ourselves... especially in a racial sense. i see a lot of groups of only white girls, or only african american, or all asian girls hanging out all the time. it's kind of sad, but i guess it's who they feel comfortable with. this isnt to say they dont all interact! that's certainly not true of everyone here. many students are extremely politically aware/active. we have a lot of lefts and centers on campus and a few rights.

It is very diverse (not sure how much of that is driven by the school's mission to increase diversity). I love the mix of people from varied backgrounds, ages, races, socio-economic status, etc. I think there is a decided lack of political action on campus; it is surpising considering the state of the country at this time.

Lesbians are very common, there have been some troubles on campus concerning transgendered folks. Race: there is generally some tension. Students of color feel like Smith needs to educate the general student body more. Homophobics, republicans, slackers might feel out of place. Student wear whatever to class - very informal. Different types of students do interact in class and at events, there could be more. Smith students are from: Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, New York City, Oregon and Asia. Middle class backgrounds, generally.

Smith's student body is diverse, in terms of race, class, sexual orientation, religion, geographic origin, etc. It stills has steps to go but its on its way. Smith is constantly trying to open up dialogues about diversity and multicultural affairs to increase awareness and acceptance. The Unity orgs on campus are also very active and they strive to increase awareness about different cultures, as well as provide support group for students.

A diverse group of people. I love the friends I have made on this campus. You have to be careful about what you say on this campus, because people are very easily offended.

they're generally full of themselves and care too much.

Smith is a place that prides itself on diversity of all kinds, and we have a huge number of organizations geared towards acceptance and education about different types of social justice. I would like to believe that students of all kinds can find resources at Smith to make themselves comfortable. We certainly trend towards open-mindedness, and coming to Smith can be a shock for some people who are not used to this level of diversity. There are resources present to help with this transition. Students tend to be very socially aware, and bring this consciousness into their friendships and academic life alike.

The diversity of the Smith student body ranks better than most schools, as well as I can recall (something like 10{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} Afro Am.), and there is a very active LGBT community. For the most part, Smith is very generous with financial aid, but the majority of students I have met are of upper-middle class origin. I don't think this has a huge impact on who interacts with who, unless the person is a snob. Most people interact based on their extracurriculars or where they live. Smith is fairly liberal politically, but there is an active Republicans club. Most Smithies are politically aware but you will get the occasional "do-nothing liberal" or raving Neo-con.

Smith has a very diverse student body. The LGBT culture is very prominent.

Smith is incredibly liberal and open to all LGBTQ folks. Republicans generally feel out of place, though there is a strong Republican Club that brings many speakers each semester.

I think that Smith it one of the more racially diverse liberal arts colleges you'll find. Of course, I'm white, and the perspective of most of the people of color I've talked to is that there aren't enough people of color here. My group of friends talks about racial issues a lot; unfortunately, it's often triggered by some racist incident that just happened on campus. The campus is very, very queer. You'll have a hard time here as a homophobe. You don't have to be gay to go here, obviously, but it does help to be comfortable with issues of sexuality. Smithies are really ambitious and driven. So many of us go on to have high powered jobs because we work for it. Some people do talk about making lots of money-- a lot want to go in to I-Banking. Others want to go the do-gooder route and work for Amnesty International or the ACLU. Either way, Smithies aim high.