Smith College Top Questions

I've had some negative encounters with girls who act quite entitled because they are wealthy, but overall Smith students are respectful. I think someone uncomfortable with her own sexuality and/or with homosexuality would feel rather uncomfortable here. Most students wear comfortable clothes to class. Students from all backgrounds interact. Most Smithies are from New England. Most students are wealthy. Most students are politically aware. Most are left. Students don't really talk about how much they'll earn one day.

I would say our campus is very liberal. Sometimes I leave the Smith campus and have political conversations with peers I meet at conferences, and am surprised that anyone could my age could be a republican. Sometimes being in the Smith "bubble" disconnects you from the reality of the outside world. Constantly being around women who are very vocal about their liberal political stances makes it easy for one to forget that many people outside of Northampton do not feel the same way. One of the reasons I came to Smith was that I expected it to be a politically active campus. I was dissappointed to find out that the school is not as politically active as I had thought. I imagined protests and great enthusiasm at rallies, and yet for the most part this is not the case. This is not to say there aren't activism groups on campus because there are. The Student Global AIDS Campaign, and MassPirg have been very active on campus, and yet the level of committment and involvement by the student body is somewhat dissappointing. It is easy for students to get caught into their work, never leaving the library and constantly pushing themselves for that 4.0. Sometimes, it is discouraging to see so many brilliant women focussing only on their work and not getting involved in politics or coming to watch a basketball game which would improve the exciting atmosphere of our campus even more.

everyone has an opinion.

Smith's population is really diverse with lots of students who are queer, including gender queer.

Smithies are definitely politically active, and usually liberal. There are some conservative students, and I think they have a group, but there aren't nearly as many of them as there are liberal students.

At this point, it is a lot of rich white girls who are over-sensitive about everything. They run around (so very proudly) telling people, that in spite of their millions of dollars, how liberal they are-- and how much they care about the poor. However, in most fundraising these girls are the first to pass by with out donating to African children, wounded veterans, or a fellow student battling a terminal illness. Most people are from New England and it shows. There is little interaction with other types of people, though this is not intentional. Smith 'talks a big talk' about want to accept "different" students--those out of the mainstream. However, the hypocrisy of this statement becomes apparent once you are on campus. Smith wants you to attend if you are out of the mainstream of white, Christian America (85{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the US pop.) If you are Muslim, black, Jewish, gay, Native American or transgendered, then Smith wants you, but only to boost their stats. If you are simply a little bit weird (not even really weird, just a little), but not because you fall into any group they can label you in (such as the above named), then your life will be a living hell. The minority students will not accept you, and the WASP-y students will be mean to you because you are the only ones they will not be called bigoted for hating. (You will have your stuff stolen and profanities written on your door/belongings)

There are obviously some radical groups on campus, but in my experience it is easy to both get involved if that's what you like, and stay away from them if you are not interested in their causes. Closed-minded people will probably feel out of place. You don't have to change, but you have to be open to accept other people's personal decisions, which are frequently very different from what you would encounter anywhere else. People wear anything, and most are pretty careless. Unless it is really cold, Sweatpants and Flipflops are probably the preferred way of showing up to class. The campus is small enough to get people to interact with all kinds of people, but also large enough that you are able to avoid crowds that you don't get along with. There is not prevalent financial background. Students are very politically aware and active, and mobilize easily to fight what they believe in. Students are predominantly left. Seniors that get offers for jobs after Smith will talk to their friends about what the conditions are, but there's not much boasting about future earnings.

jeans and a sweatshirt very diverse body of students The Loud, the quiet, the onlookers New England Almost everyone is on one form of financial aid or the other Yes- very politically aware

There is at least one of everybody, even after a bunch of people transfer out the first year (and a lot of people transfer in). People wear skirts to gym pants to class. Conservatives have a hard time on campus. It seems like a lot of groups are "in your face" and involved all the time, but I think they just stand out more. I've gotten my fare share of dirty looks because I was drinking a glass of Coke during lunch, but you just have to not let it get to you. Coke has been kicked off campus so it is not an issue anymore. Many students feel really strongly about certain things, which means that they never shut up about their opinions during class and often get into heated debates with other people. Either get into the debate with them or just leave them to their own demise. I try not to get involved. I've found that even though students are mostly liberal, they aren't open to a difference of opinions.

There is at least one of everybody, even after a bunch of people transfer out the first year (and a lot of people transfer in). People wear skirts to gym pants to class. Conservatives have a hard time on campus. It seems like a lot of groups are "in your face" and involved all the time, but I think they just stand out more. I've gotten my fare share of dirty looks because I was drinking a glass of Coke during lunch, but you just have to not let it get to you. Coke has been kicked off campus so it is not an issue anymore. Many students feel really strongly about certain things, which means that they never shut up about their opinions during class and often get into heated debates with other people. Either get into the debate with them or just leave them to their own demise. I try not to get involved. I've found that even though students are mostly liberal, they aren't open to a difference of opinions.