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<b>Campus tour: Smith College</b><p></p>

 
Published Aug. 22, 2013

Smith College, Northampton, MA

What: All women's private 4-year liberal arts college

Admission difficulty: 4,000 to 6,000 women apply every year, and only around 700 get accepted. When you apply, admissions officials look at the whole picture. You are not just some test score statistic or dollar sign. Smith cares about who you are. If accepted, know that you were chosen for a reason. You belong here.

Size: Small, around 2,600 undergraduate students

Location: Nestled in the town of Northampton, also known as No-Ho to college students and residents, a picturesque New England town that is also always hustling and bustling, sort of like New York City. No lie. It is a fun, quirky place with a lot of character that sometimes makes you believe that you are on the set of Gilmore Girls (sadly, now canceled). Boutiques and foreign cuisine cafes abound.

Tuition: $41,460. However, if you come from a family that is nowhere near loaded with money, attending Smith is very possible thanks to an amazing alumna association. And work-study is also available.

Identification: If you go here, you are a Smithie.

People: Sorry fellas, for once it is: No boys allowed! Actually, while men cannot officially attend Smith, Smith does have a five-college partnership with colleges in the Pioneer Valley area: Amherst College, University of Massachusetts, Hampshire College and Mount Holyoke College (another all women's college). This partnership allows students (including males) from each of these colleges to take classes at the other colleges. At Smith, expect to meet women from all backgrounds and from all over the world.

Known for producing: Intelligent, strong and competent women who make a difference in the world. Alums are Pulitzer Prize winners, award-winning authors, award-winning filmmakers, artists, teachers, journalists, activists, among other impressive careers.

Notable alumna: Gloria Steinem, Julia Child, Betty Friedan, Yolanda King, Margaret Mitchell, Nancy Reagan, Barbara Bush, Sylvia Plath and many more.

Academics: Prepare to be inspired and challenged at the same time. Thank goodness for our five libraries, art museum and amazing faculty. Rumor has it that Ford Hall, a certified-to-live-in science building, has beds somewhere. I have yet to find the beds, but I have witnessed that Ford Hall is open … 24 hours a day. So if you ever crave to study at a crazy hour, you have your pick of places, but be sure to visit Ford.

Social scene: Just because you go to Smith does not mean there are no boys. If you want boys, go to a five-college party, or meet some in town. However, if you are looking for a serious boyfriend, a party is not the best place to go. Instead, do your best to get involved in other five-college activities. We have 50-plus clubs and organizations from EKTA (the South Asian organization) to WOZQ Radio to Feminists of Smith Unite to various a cappella groups.

Housing: Smith does not have dorms, rather 36 houses that are home to women from all four class years and backgrounds. Each house has a president, house staff and residence life staff who make sure everyone is happy. Also, each house has a different personality and sense of community, which can range from tight-knit to do-your-own-thing. The Smith College community is a strong one, so even if your house is not a close group, you can find support in other places.

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Dining: Eleven dining halls located in 11 houses. Smith is friendly to vegan, vegetarian, kosher and gluten-free needs, and meat-lovers are also welcome.

Seasons: All four are here! A treat for Floridians: snowball fights, creating snowmen or snow women, or simply walking through the Smith College winter wonderland. I am waiting to experience what my sources tell me is an incredibly beautiful spring.

Name recognition: Your high school classmates may have never heard of Smith, but most of your teachers have. It is basically an Ivy League school for women.

Reviewed by Mariel Bell, a 2012 graduate of Spoto High and former tb-two* staff writer.