Smith College
Little did Sophia Smith know that the college started with her bequest in 1871 would become one of the outstanding colleges for women in the United States. Sophia’s intentions were to furnish to women “…the means of usefulness, happiness and honor now withheld them,” and today the college has become an outstanding academic and intellectual center with extended global relationships. From its campus visits by poet Jorie Graham and novelist Kurt Vonnegut to its student-designed curriculums – Smith College is always on the forefront of higher education.
Smithies are known for their political activism and multiculturalism. Of the more than 2,000 students, 73 percent come from outside the State of Massachusetts and represent 65 foreign countries, giving Smith College an international flavor that many other schools do not enjoy. Most students choose Smith for the academic challenge, the demanding yet flexible curriculum and the enviable 10 to 1 student to faculty ratio.
Housing
Smith students 130 years ago lived in cottages instead of dormitories – a beginning of the “house” system that still exists today. Groups of students from 10 to 100 live in former Northampton inns and boarding houses that feel more like homes than residence halls. Fireplaces, grand pianos, kitchens and dining rooms for traditional, evening meals are just a few of the features. In August 2005, the 56,000 square feet Campus Center opened providing Smith students with formal and informal meeting spaces, recreation and dining spaces, lounge areas, workspace for student organizations and is the home of the campus bookstore, student mailboxes, and a café.
Courses
Smith College continues to adapt to contemporary intellectual needs of women by offering programs in computer science, women’s studies, Third World development, film and Latin American studies. The Picker Program in Engineering and Technology, started in 1999 and, the first of its kind at a women’s college, encompasses computer, electrical and environmental engineering. Besides these programs, government, English, economics, sciences, art and psychology are some of the leading majors at Smith.
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