The Basics About Smith College
Smith College is a private institution that was founded in 1871. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 2,614, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 147 acres. It utilizes a semester-based academic calendar. Smith College's ranking in the 2011 edition of Best Colleges is National Liberal Arts Colleges, 14. Its tuition and fees are $38,898.
Overview: Smith College
|
General Information
|
|
|
Institutional Control:
|
Private
|
|
Year founded:
|
1871
|
|
Religious affiliation:
|
N/A
|
|
Academic calendar:
|
semester
|
|
Fall 2009 Total number of undergraduates:
|
2,614
|
|
Setting:
|
urban
|
|
2009 Endowment:
|
$1,096,321,962
|
|
Fall Admissions
|
|
|
Application deadline:
|
1/15
|
|
Application fee:
|
$60
|
|
Fall 2009 Acceptance rate:
|
47%
|
|
Selectivity:
|
more selective
|
|
Expenses
|
|
|
Costs:
|
2010-2011 Tuition and Fees: $38,898
|
|
Student Life at Smith College
|
|
|
Smith College is located in Northampton, Mass., two hours from Boston and three hours from New York City. Smith is one of the largest liberal arts schools for women in the country. The school has more than 120 student organizations, which range from Bad Seeds, a botany group, to Crapapella, one of several a cappella groups on campus. The Smith Pioneers have 14 NCAA Division III varsity sports that compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference. Unlike other schools, Smith does not have dorms or Greek life but rather 36 separate houses that range from 18th century to modern in style. Each house is home to between 10 and 100 students, allowing for socialization among students from all classes.
|
|
|
Other Facts About Smith College
|
|
|
Smith is part of the Five Colleges consortium, which includesAmherst, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Smith is also part of the Seven Sisters colleges, a group of seven northeastern liberal arts schools that were originally for women. Smith’s graduate programs are coeducational and offer master’s and doctorate degrees. Traditional events on campus include Rally Day, which celebrates alumnae and students, and Otelia Cromwell Day, which honors Smith’s first African-American student. Commencement traditions include Ivy Day, during which seniors plant Ivy on campus, and Illumination Night, when the campus is lit with colored lanterns. Notable alumnae include former first lady Barbara Bush, chef and author Julia Child, poet and author Sylvia Plath, former first lady Nancy Reagan, and author Margaret Mitchell, who won the Pulitzer Prize for Gone With the Wind.
|
|
|
Mission (as provided by the school)
|
|
|
What draws students to Smith College is the intellectual challenge and rich extracurricular experience offered by an outstanding top-ranked liberal arts college. The rigorous academic program is demanding yet flexible. Smith's broad open curriculum - anchored in the sciences and the humanities and arts - allows unlimited choices. Although each first-year student is required to complete at least one writing-intensive course, there are no other required courses outside a student's field of concentration. With more than a thousand course offerings in more than 50 areas of study, the curriculum is rich in cross-disciplinary explorations of issues and scholarly conventions outside the Western standard. A host of unique study abroad programs in addition offer opportunities for students to expand their liberal arts curriculum. The Smith environment promotes faculty-student collaboration, and some of the research projects born of that teamwork are legendary. For every 9 students there is a Smith professor to encourage, guide and inspire. Smith professors are a world-class group of scholars who are engaged and accessible who consider teaching undergraduates to be their most important job. In 1999, Smith became the first women's college in the nation to offer a program leading to a degree in engineering. At Smith, students are trained as engineers and at the same time educated broadly in the liberal arts. As with its engineering students, Smith is devoted to developing the best in each student. The college gives Smith students the ability to harness their skills and knowledge in a wide variety of opportunities that, in addition to academic coursework, includes internships, study abroad programs and leadership positions. Smith's New England campus is located on 147 acres of tree-lined paths and streets. Larger than most liberal arts colleges in the United States, Smith provides unique resources and outstanding facilities including: the recently renovated Smith College Museum of Art, widely acknowledged as one of the most important art collections at an American college; a new campus center; the largest undergraduate library system of any liberal arts college in the country; extensive performance facilities; and a multibuilding science complex of teaching and research laboratories and classrooms. All of Smith's resources, unlike those at many universities, are primarily for undergraduate students. Smith is a partner in the Five College Consortium, one of the nation's most notable and successful collaborations of higher education institutions. Through the consortium - which includes Smith, Amherst, Hampshire and Mount Holyoke colleges and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst - students may choose from more than 4,500 additional undergraduate courses offered at the nearby campuses, all within a 12 mile-radius of one another.
|
|
Applications: Smith College
|
Regular Decision
|
|
|
Application deadline:
|
1/15
|
|
Notification date:
|
N/A
|
|
Deadline for accepting admissions offers:
|
June 15 (Fall), January 15 (Spring)
|
|
Early Decision
|
|
|
Is an early decision plan offered?
|
Yes
|
|
Early decision deadline:
|
11/15
|
|
Early decision decision sent by:
|
12/15
|
|
Early Action
|
|
|
Is an early action plan offered?
|
No
|
|
Early action deadline:
|
N/A
|
|
Early action decision sent by:
|
N/A
|
|
Application Fee
|
|
|
Application fee:
|
$60
|
|
Is the application fee refundable?
|
No
|
|
Can the application fee be waived for students with financial need?
|
Yes
|
|
Is it possible to defer admission?
|
Yes
|
|
Application Formats
|
|
|
Can applications be submitted via E-mail?
|
No
|
|
Electronic application URL:
|
http://www.smith.edu/admission
|
|
Tuition and Room Deposits
|
|
|
Tuition deposit:
|
$100
|
|
Is the tuition deposit refundable?
|
Nonrefundable
|
|
Room deposit:
|
$200
|
|
Is the room deposit refundable?
|
Nonrefundable
|
|
Contact Information
|
|
|
Admissions director:
|
Debra Shaver
|
|
Admissions office phone number:
|
(413) 585-2500
|
|
Admissions E-mail:
|
Requirements and Factors: Smith College
|
Admission Requirements
|
|
|
Admission interview?
|
Recommended
|
|
Campus visit?
|
Recommended
|
|
Off-campus interviews?
|
may be arranged with an admission representative
|
|
Does the school have an open admission policy?
|
No
|
|
Does the college use SAT or ACT scores in admissions decisions for first-time, first-year applicants?
|
Yes
|
|
Standardized tests?
|
Neither SAT nor ACT required.
|
|
ACT Writing test?
|
ACT with or without writing accepted
|
|
SAT/ACT scores must be received by:
|
02/01
|
|
SAT Subject Test scores must be received by:
|
02/01
|
|
High school completion requirement for admissions:
|
High school diploma or equivalent is not required
|
|
General college-preparatory program?
|
Recommend
|
|
Academic Factors Used in Admissions Decisions
|
|
|
Rigor of secondary school record?
|
Very Important
|
|
Class rank?
|
Important
|
|
Academic GPA?
|
Very Important
|
|
Standardized test scores?
|
Considered
|
|
Application essay?
|
Important
|
|
Recommendations?
|
Very Important
|
|
Nonacademic Factors Used in Admissions Decisions
|
|
|
Interview?
|
Important
|
|
Extracurricular activities?
|
Important
|
|
Talent/ability?
|
Important
|
|
Character/personal qualities?
|
Very Important
|
|
Being a first-generation college student?
|
Considered
|
|
Alumni/ae relations?
|
Considered
|
|
Geographical residence?
|
Not Considered
|
|
State residency?
|
Not Considered
|
|
Religious affiliation/commitment?
|
Not Considered
|
|
Race/ethnicity?
|
Considered
|
|
Volunteer work?
|
Considered
|
|
Work experience?
|
Considered
|
|
Level of the applicant's interest?
|
Not Considered
|
|
Required High School Course Work
|
|
|
Recommended High School Course Work
|
|
|
High school units recommended in English:
|
4
|
|
High school units recommended in Foreign languages:
|
3
|
|
High school units recommended in History:
|
2
|
|
High school units recommended in Mathematics:
|
3
|
|
High school units recommended in Science:
|
3
|
|
High school units recommended in Science Labs:
|
3
|
|
High school units recommended in academic electives:
|
1
|
|
Total high school units recommended:
|
16
|
Entering Class Statistics: Smith College
|
Fall 2009 Selectivity
|
|
|
Selectivity:
|
more selective
|
|
Fall 2009 Acceptance rate:
|
47%
|
|
Early decision acceptance rate:
|
56%
|
|
Early action acceptance rate:
|
N/A
|
|
Acceptance rate (excluding early action and early decision students):
|
47%
|
|
Fall 2009 Applications, Acceptances, and Enrollments
|
|
|
Number of applicants:
|
4,011
|
|
Number of applicants accepted:
|
1,904
|
|
Freshman enrollment for Fall 2009:
|
665
|
|
Percent of total enrolled incoming freshmen who been accepted under either early acceptance or early action:
|
23%
|
|
Number of male applicants:
|
0
|
|
Number of male applicants accepted for Fall 2009:
|
0
|
|
Male freshman enrollment:
|
0
|
|
Number of female applicants:
|
4,011
|
|
Number of female applicants accepted Fall 2009:
|
1,904
|
|
Female freshman enrollment:
|
665
|
|
Fall 2009 Wait List
|
|
|
Does the school have a waiting list?
|
Yes
|
|
Number of applicants placed on a waiting list:
|
578
|
|
Number of students on the wait list accepted:
|
309
|
|
Number of students enrolled from a waiting list:
|
96
|
|
Fall 2009 High School Rank
|
|
|
Percent of first-year students submitting high school class standing:
|
44%
|
|
2009 Freshmen in top 10 percent of high school class:
|
66%
|
|
2009 Freshmen in top 25 percent of high school class:
|
94%
|
|
2009 Freshmen in top 50 percent of high school class:
|
100%
|
|
Fall 2009 High School GPA
|
|
|
Percent of first-year students submitting high school GPA:
|
76%
|
|
Average high school GPA:
|
3.9
|
|
Fall 2009 Freshmen SAT Scores
|
|
|
Percent of first-year students submitting SAT scores:
|
66%
|
|
SAT Critical Reading 25th-75th percentile range:
|
610-710
|
|
SAT Math 25th-75th percentile range:
|
580-690
|
|
SAT Writing 25th-75th percentile range:
|
610-710
|
|
SAT Essay 25th-75th percentile range:
|
N/A
|
|
Percent with SAT Critical Reading scores in the 700-800 range:
|
32%
|
|
Percent with SAT Critical Reading scores in the 600-699 range:
|
46%
|
|
Percent with SAT Critical Reading scores in the 500-599 range:
|
20%
|
|
Percent with SAT Critical Reading scores in the 400-499 range:
|
2%
|
|
Percent with SAT Critical Reading scores in the 300-399 range:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with SAT Critical Reading scores in the 200-299 range:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with SAT Math scores in the 700-800 range:
|
25%
|
|
Percent with SAT Math scores in the 600-699 range:
|
48%
|
|
Percent with SAT Math scores in the 500-599 range:
|
24%
|
|
Percent with SAT Math scores in the 400-499 range:
|
4%
|
|
Percent with SAT Math scores in the 300-399 range:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with SAT Math scores in the 200-299 range:
|
0%
|
|
Fall 2009 Freshmen ACT Scores
|
|
|
Percent of first-year students submitting ACT scores:
|
23%
|
|
ACT English 25th-75th percentile range:
|
28-33
|
|
ACT Math 25th-75th percentile range:
|
24-29
|
|
ACT Composite 25th-75th percentile range:
|
27-30
|
|
Percent with ACT English scores in the 30-36 range:
|
60%
|
|
Percent with ACT English scores in the 24-29 range:
|
33%
|
|
Percent with ACT English scores in the 18-23 range:
|
7%
|
|
Percent with ACT English scores in the 12-17 range:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with ACT English scores in the 6-11 range:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with ACT English scores below 6:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with ACT Math scores in the 30-36 range:
|
26%
|
|
Percent with ACT Math scores in the 24-29 range:
|
55%
|
|
Percent with ACT Math scores in the 18-23 range:
|
14%
|
|
Percent with ACT Math scores in the 12-17 range:
|
5%
|
|
Percent with ACT Math scores in the 6-11 range:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with ACT Math scores below 6:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with ACT Composite scores in the 30-36 range:
|
34%
|
|
Percent with ACT Composite scores in the 24-29 range:
|
59%
|
|
Percent with ACT Composite scores in the 18-23 range:
|
7%
|
|
Percent with ACT Composite scores in the 12-17 range:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with ACT Composite scores in the 6-11 range:
|
0%
|
|
Percent with ACT Composite scores below 6:
|
0%
|
Transfer Students: Smith College
|
Deadlines
|
|
|
Terms for which transfer students may apply for admission:
|
Fall, Spring
|
|
Application date for transfer students:
|
May 15 (Fall), November 15 (Spring)
|
|
Admission decision sent:
|
June 1 (Fall), December 15 (Spring)
|
|
Deadline for accepting admissions offers:
|
June 15 (Fall), January 15 (Spring)
|
|
Requirements
|
|
|
Do transfer applicants need a minimum number of credits to apply?
|
Yes, 12
|
|
Minimum required high school GPA:
|
N/A
|
|
Minimum required college GPA:
|
N/A
|
|
High school transcript?
|
Required of all
|
|
College transcript?
|
Required of all
|
|
Essay/personal statement?
|
Required of all
|
|
Admission interview?
|
Recommended of all
|
|
Standardized test scores?
|
Required of some
|
|
Statement of good standing from prior institution(s)?
|
Required of all
|
|
Lowest course grade that may be transferred for credit:
|
2.0
|
|
Maximum number of credit/courses that may be transferred:
|
64 from a two-year school, 64 from a four-year school
|
|
Is there a minimum number of credits needed to complete degree?
|
64 credits for a bachelor's degree
|
|
Transfer Student Application and Enrollment Statistics
|
|
|
Total number of transfer students applying for Fall 2009:
|
285
|
|
Total number of transfer students accepted for Fall 2009:
|
118
|
|
Total number of transfer students enrolled for Fall 2009:
|
59
|
International Student Admissions: Smith College
|
Deadlines and Requirements
|
|
|
Application deadline:
|
January 15 (Fall)
|
|
Preapplication form required?
|
No
|
|
Separate application form required?
|
No
|
|
TOEFL
|
|
|
TOEFL requirement?
|
N/A
|
|
May the TOEFL be submitted in place of the SAT or ACT?
|
Yes
|
|
Minimum TOEFL score required (paper test):
|
600
|
|
Minimum TOEFL score required (internet test):
|
95
|
|
Average TOEFL score (paper test):
|
N/A
|
|
Average TOEFL score (internet test):
|
103
|
