(before you begin reading, I want to apologize about how long this is! I just wanted to document my entire experience!!)
When I was thinking of what colleges to apply to, I found it really helpful when current college students told me their stories of how they picked their schools! Their advice was a huge part of me applying to Smith (without even visiting!) and eventually falling in love with everything about the college. I wanted to be able to tell my story of how I chose Smith and hopefully help whoever is thinking about applying! Here’s my story:
MY HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
In freshman and sophomore year of high school, I wasn’t that adamant about going to an all-women’s college, in fact, I never even thought about them! I wanted a small, private, liberal arts co-ed college either in Oregon, or Washington state. I looked at the prestigious universities that were very near to me like Stanford, UC Davis, and UC Berkeley, and I was turned off by the size of the class and the location. I never really saw me staying in California for college. I wanted a small school where I could enrich myself in academics and develop relationships with my professors.
I felt lost in my huge public high school like I didn’t belong there. I never found a community where I felt comfortable to be myself, and that’s what ultimately made me long for a smaller and more inclusive academic environment. At the end of sophomore year, I was fortunate to find out about a program called Middle College that gives high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to pursue their education on campus at a local community college. Students take two high school courses, and then round out the rest of their schedule with a variety of college courses. I immediately applied to go there and spent the next two years of high school taking college classes!
What really changed my perspective about the colleges I would apply to were the people that surrounded me at Middle College. These students all had similar ambitions and goals as I did, and their compassion and excitement about learning really made me come out of my shell! I finally felt comfortable in my school community! Woo!
One girl at Middle College was very into women’s colleges, and was going to visit some in the spring of my junior year. Since she spoke so highly of the schools, I asked her to bring back a couple of pamphlets from Sarah Lawrence, Simmons, Mount Holyoke, and of course Smith. When she returned from her trip, she couldn’t stop talking about how great the schools were and how they all felt like second homes. I became more and more interested in applying to a women’s college after talking with her.
After doing lots of research and talking with alumnae from different colleges, I decided that a women’s college would be my first choice-- but it wasn’t Smith! I actually chose to apply to Wellesley College for Early Decision. I was confident that even though I hadn’t visited, I would fit right in. Here’s the thing: I thought I would be very happy at Wellesley, but there was always something in my head that was still unsure about applying Early Decision. I think the main reason I applied ED was because I liked the idea of getting all my applications out of the way and not feeling the anxiety of applying to other colleges. I just wanted to get into Wellesley and be done. But trust me, that is NOT the reason why you should apply to a school, especially when you could potentially be locked into going there!
I had mixed feelings the day I checked if I had gotten into Wellesley. I wanted everything to be over, but at the same time I was worried if I really wasn’t a good fit for Wellesley. That admission decision was truly a defining moment in my life. I was sad that I was denied, but at the same time I was really looking forward to applying to Smith and Mount Holyoke in the next month or so! I knew that I was meant to go to a different school. Wellesley turned out to be not for me, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not the best fit for anyone else!
So, that’s the path that led me to Smith College! I actually got into both Smith and Mount Holyoke in the end, but here are the main reasons I chose to be a Smithie after staying at both campuses in the spring:
The Town: I never realized how great of a town Northampton was until I actually got to visit for Open Campus! I love the cute and quirky shops, restaurants, and cafes, the nice people, and the extremely close proximity to campus! It made me feel really comfortable how all these new, exciting experiences were just a short walk/bike ride away.
The Open Curriculum: Smith’s curriculum is so unique that outside of your major there are no required courses! Only one writing intensive class needs to be taken during your first year. Everything else is entirely up to you! I really like the idea of not being tied down to taking courses I’m not too interested in anyways. Smith’s open curriculum will really help me save more time in my education and lead me to focus on developing my major and possible future career!
The Great Traditions: I love how Smith has so many great traditions during the school year! I could tell when I visited how much these events strengthen the college community... that was something that I never felt at any college I had toured before! If you’re interested in learning more about these traditions like, for example, Mountain Day, Ivy Day, Otelia Cromwell Day, and Rally Day, check out this link!
The Five-College Consortium: Smith is not the only place where I can take classes! Four other colleges: Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, U Mass, and Amherst are all a short bus drive away from Smith. All students are welcome and encouraged to try new things and take classes at any of these colleges! If there is a subject I’m interested in but cannot find at Smith, it’s more than likely offered at another college! I also heard that if there is a book you can’t find at your college library, it can be quickly delivered to you from another school in the consortium!
The Campus: I love being surrounded by nature. It helps me think clearly, balances my stress level, and brightens my mood. Seeing how Smith’s campus is basically a huge botanic garden made me extremely happy! The idea of being able to look out your window and see such a beautiful place is so great! Fun fact: The actual campus landscape design was created by Frederick Law Olmsted, who is best remembered for designing Central Park in New York City!
The Atmosphere: This was probably the main reason I chose to attend Smith! Right when I stepped onto campus, everything went into perspective. I was greeted by smiling students and extremely welcoming faculty. I can’t explain how nice it was to feel like I was immediately part of an empowering community of strong women! At Smith, the people around you want you to succeed. Students there have countless opportunities to take extra classes, work closely with faculty, and find their passions in life! It was just really great to see people who were proud of their work, their school, and their community.
Prospies, you’re not alone. Applying to colleges can be very stressful and sometimes scary, but just know that everything happens for a reason! If you don’t get into your first choice, it wasn’t meant to be! That’s the main thing I took away from this experience. I hope my story can help someone out there who’s thinking about Smith! Thank you for reading!
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