Smith

It was snowing when we reached Smith for a 3:00 tour. The town of North Hampton is adorable and I love the proximity of campus to town. The admissions office was friendly and relaxed, and shortly after we arrived, two tour guides showed up to take us around campus. There was no information session at Smith because of the application/selection process going on at this time of year. If we want information, we must go back in late March, at which time students can interview as well, I believe.


We selected Chloe as our guide, a lovely woman from Riverdale, NY who attended Fieldston High School. She loves Smith-it was her first choice and I believe she applied early decision. She told us a funny story about her application, which she believed had to be postmarked by a certain date, but instead had to have been received by the date. Her father drove it up to Smith so that it would arrive on time. What a nice Dad!

Smith is very attractive and very likeable. There are a variety of architechtural styles which compliment each other nicely. The dorms are big old buildings with high ceilings and lots of charm. Like Mount Holyoke, each residence has a living room with comfy couches and a grand piano. Chloe showed us her room which is by far, the homeyist and most attractice that we have seen to date. The academic buildings were also very nice. I especially liked the science building and was fascinated by a display of marsh birds. I immediately felt as though I wanted to be at Smith, studying marsh birds in the field and doing research. It is an exciting and inviting campus.


As the tour went on, the snow continued and I began to panic about our drive to Providence. Chloe finished our tour in the art building which to me looks like a mini MOMA. I was very impressed with the campus. After we said goodbye to Chloe, we drove over to the athletic center to meet the Smith soccer coach. It was hard to find her deep in her dungeon-like office, but we did. We had a sedate and slow paced meeting during which she described her program and asked Elsa about her soccer experience. We learned a lot from this coach about the difference between Division 1 and Division 3 recruiting. It is all very interesting.

Overall, Elsa and I agreed that Smith is a more inviting and vibrant community than Mount Holyoke. I didn't miss males as much there as I did at MHC. But, there is definitely less enthusiasm for soccer at Smith. If only we could combine MHC soccer with Smith college! Elsa's rating: 8. My rating: 8.