Well, being the anti-social homebody that I am, my weekends at Smith are usually spent on campus, either hanging out with my friends, doing homework, or going to an event. I think some people do feel kind of closed in at Smith, but I’ve never been one of them. If you want to get off campus on a weekend, it’s easy and cheap to take a Peter Pan Bus to Boston or other big cities. We also have several zipcars on campus, and the other four colleges for weekend fun.

There are actually a number of paid internship opportunities on campus. I interned in admissions, but I have friends who worked in the costume shop and in the computer science department. There are internships available off-campus as well, which you’ll hear about in emails from the Lazarus Center for Career Development as a Smithie. If you go to their website (www.smith.edu/cdo), you can find information on local internships, but in my experience, most people either have a job or internship on campus or none at all during the school year. The best time to intern is the summer, when you can get funding from Smith to help you out, and you aren’t limited to the 5-College area. Smithies go all over the world for summer internships and work experience, including Boston (although I given the distance between Boston and Northampton, it’s probably not feasible to do an internship there during the school year).

Hello, anon! You are correct — Smith is a really good college! It can also be tough to meet boys while going to school there. This is a question I get a lot, and it’s also a concern I had when I was making my decision. Here’s the best answer I have:

Smith is a women’s college. By definition, you’ll have a very different social life here than you would at a co-ed school. If having a good dating scene is really important to you, then you’re probably better suited to another school. BUT meeting boys at Smith isn’t as difficult as you might imagine. There are three co-ed schools nearby, and there are lots of ways to mingle. Take a class at Amherst, go to a party at UMass with your friends, or join a club that has a network (I have personal experience doing this with MUN, Quidditch, and College Republicans). You have to put some effort in, but you can definitely mingle.

Go ahead and apply — you have nothing to lose! Even if you have concerns, it’s better to cover your bases. A lot can change between now and May 1st. Good luck, and if you have any other questions, ask!

I felt the same way heading into my senior year! In fact, I was skeptical about going to a women’s college right up until about a week into my first year at Smith. :)

Just because I’m a libertarian and at the moment I’m hanging out in D.C. with a bunch of other libertarians, I’d say my least favorite thing about Smith is the lack of political diversity. But I’ve also had a chance to meet some really amazing people and make some of the strangest, most interesting, best friends of my still-short life. And that’s probably my favorite part about being a Smithie. I don’t think you make friendships like that anywhere else.

What has made this choice worthwhile? Honestly, I don’t think I’ve even realized half of the advantages of attending Smith yet. It isn’t just a great education, it’s an opportunity to join a sisterhood that is becoming really global. I could have gone to a co-ed college (I almost did), but I would have missed out on so much that you can’t find anywhere but Smith.

It definitely isn’t the right school for everyone, but if you think you could be happy here, go ahead and give it a shot. Hope that’s helpful!

Hello, Anon! At Smith (much like at Barnard, it sounds like), new first years fill out a housing survey that asks general life style questions (when do you sleep, where do you work, etc.). These are mostly to place you with a roommate, as most first years do have one.

There is also a section to identify in which areas of campus you’d most like to live: East Quad, West Quad, Upper Elm, Lower Elm, Green Street, and Center Campus. Each of these sections has six or seven houses, and while every house is different, houses in the same area of campus tend to be similar in atmosphere (houses in Center Campus are smaller and usually pretty quiet; the Quad is party central. At least by Smith standards lol.). The housing form asks you to prioritize the areas of campus, and they will try to get you into your top choice. If you get here and you really don’t like where you’re living, you can be extremely specific about where you’d like to move, as well.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask! I hope to see you at Smith in the next few years. :)