Smith College Top Questions

largely

Not really. There are lesbians, and rich girls, and lot of smart women, but no one's very intimidating. Plus, Smith students extend way beyond those stereotypes. In fact, Smith has a much broader array of students than many of my friends' colleges--I have friends from every background imaginable, and no, most are not gay.

Well, most stereotypes have some grounding in truth: Yes, there are lesbians at Smith, but that's not the half of it: there are people here that call themselves men women transgender bisexual questioning whatever - I love the diversity at Smith, and that people with all kinds of different feelings can feel comfortable here ( I hope!). But I'll admit Smith is pretty liberal in general... and the academics are good, but again, like any institution, there are always exceptions to the rules - sometimes professors are really boring or easy; financial services messes up your account; Smith potheads exist; overweight and anorexic girls both use the treadmills..... It's true we live in a pretty wealthy town in New England, but again, I appreciate all the different kinds of people I see on campus here.

partly, there are queer students here but not everyone is.

Well, most people on campus are pretty liberal, but I wouldn't say that most are radicals. Smith is generally a queer-friendly campus, but that doesn't mean most of us are queer. And I've never met a man-hating Smithie. As for over-achieving, I'd say that many students here are very self-driven, but there is a spectrum running all the way to really laid-back people.

As a whole no. You certainly get people that fit the stereotypes or else they would have no where to come from, but they most certainly do not fit the entire student population.

The first two are about 50-50 or thats the impression anyway. The last one is pretty true, though there are a decent amount of slackers... or maybe its just Gardiner House.

for some people, but the majority of smithies are normal and friendly

they all describe a subset of the population but none are overwhelming

some people fit them, but not most

of course not!

No. It may seem like everyone is a lesbian, but in fact most are just horny young people with fluid sexualities looking to get some. And not all actual lesbians are raging butch dykes.

absolutely not

Some of them are.

While we are definitely smart, overachievers and future leaders, not all Smith women are gay. Smith is a welcoming place for people from different backgrounds.

There is enough of these characteristics on campus to create such stereotypes in the first place, but certainly not everyone is like this.

No-- they're stereotypes & inaccurate generalizations.

Not at all. Some people are very political, but few are militant about it. We do have a large lesbian population, but not everyone is homosexual. The same goes for our butch/femme population.

yes

as much as stereotypes ever are

These stereotypes are not true. Certainly, Smith College does have a higher percentage that identifies as lesbian or bisexual, but students who identify as such certainly do not comprise the majority, much less the entirety, of the student body. The GLBTQQA population is very active and open at Smith, which can make it appear to be larger than it is, but this atmosphere of acceptance and respect benefits students of all sexual orientations. I have found a huge reduction in "drama" since high school, despite the unsolicited advice from friends back home that I avoid the cattiness of an "all-girl's school" (it's a women's college, people). Though the absence of men does eliminate some of the reasons girls behave that way in middle and high school (though many male students come from 5-college schools to take Smith classes), I find the assumption unfounded as well because the people that would choose to come to Smith simply are not, by an large, the kind of women who would act that way.

for some students

There are definately some people that fit the description, but others that do not. There are plenty of straight women, as well as conservatives.

The "types" I mentioned are accurate. However, not everyone is smart. There are some girls that are so dumb, I wonder how the HELL they got into this school. Or any school. And not everyone is desperate and horny.

A lot of people are definitely liberal but not as many as the stereotype suggests. Same with lesbians.

Of course not! I've met feminists while at Smith, as well as lesbians at Smith (just like at my high school) but I've also met people who consider themselves conservative and quiet. There's all sorts of incredible people here.

haha sometimes, usually they are based in reality.

Not exactly. There is a strong liberal voice on campus, which can be overwhelming once in awhile, but overall I would say that people are pretty moderate when it comes to political views. And we are not all tree huggers, some of the students may enjoy the outdoors a little bit more than others, but I think the majority of us are pretty typical college students.

Certainly not! While most Smith women may call themselves "feminists," they do so in an intellectual sense, as well as a sense of female empowerment and pride, not an anti-male sense.

Not at all! Smith students on the whole are open-minded and interested in getting to know people. We enjoy the atmosphere of a women's college, but students are not hostile.

Some of them certainly are, and some people certainly do their best to belong to one or another, but many times they are inaccurate and hurtful.

Smith has a large and present gay population because we are a very open and accepting community, however, percentages are not available. People here feel free to express themselves in any form. A women's college is a place where women can come and be around other women, and since our college is largely liberal, most are extremely accepting of whoever or whatever you want to be when you get here. As for Smith turning women into lesbians, the same answer applies. College is a place to express yourself and experiment, and here women feel very comfortable doing that. But in now is Smith a place that grooms people to be gay! That's totally false!

No, the number of lesbians on campus doesn't affect the party scene or how you interact. Everyone is really friendly and there are house parties on weekends throughout the semester to let go of the stresses from weekday classes.

The ideal behind Smith is to be a place where stereotypes and labels disappear; however, in reality, Smith still struggles with the conflict of ideas, beliefs, and values any diverse body of individuals does. When individuals from different cultures, lifestyles, religions, and socioeconomic standings come together, there is going to be difficulty in communication, as well as a need for understanding. In light of recent campus events, Smith's administration has undertaken a program to educate students on racism and prejudice. While the program has been received with mix reviews, efforts are being made. And the student body is starting to take a greater interest in making changes as well. That said, Smith students have a tendency to label fellow students, just as much as the world at large. While being gay, queer, transgendered, bisexual, or any other of a long list of labels is generally recognized, frequently students who are religious, republican, or conservative are harshly judged. Just because Smith is accepting of more lifestyles than the large world community, doesn't mean that its free of labels or the judgments that go with them.

A great majority of the student body is gay or bisexual, and the politics are definitely more liberal (more so than on some campuses), but there are quite a few students who are normal...they just don't get seen or heard that often. The Republican Club gets

no

NO. I happen to be as heterosexual and carnivorous as they come :)

Okay, so we have a lot of strong females here, and a lot of strong females that like to date other strong females, but that definitely isn't everyone, and they just happen to be the loudest.

no!

Not always

They have seeds of truth - the gay & feminist communities are certainly very visible at Smith, Smith students do tend to be competitive high achievers and there are some wealthy Smithies, but we actually have a high number of middle/low class students who get financial aid from Smith.

Absolutely not. Perhaps certain elements come from a small percentrage of the school 's population, but Smith gets more diverse each year (in terms of class, race, sexual orientation). Smithies are confident, independent and dynamic.

Pretty close

sometimes

Given the true diversity of our student body, we certainly have people who fit those stereotypes, but we have even more students who don't. I would say Smithies do tend to value their academics and work hard, but we know how to have fun too!

While I do not identify with either of these stereotypes, they are definitely a prominent presence.

mostly, yes.

mostly

The majority of Smithies are fairly liberal. Not everyone is gay, though there is an amazing acceptance of gay culture that is unparalleled anywhere else in the world.

There are A LOT of lesbians here. And a lot of feminists. And there may be a lot of amluns who are married to powerful men, but only because they, themselves, are powerful.