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Smith College - DiversityCollege Prowler3.85
Comparable Schools'
Diversity Grades:
College Prowler Take
Students are divided in their views of campus diversity, and race is a tense issue on campus. Some feel it is like many other private, liberal arts colleges in New England because it is too white. Many students of color complain that they feel isolated and unwelcome because the culture does not reflect what they are familiar with. Others complain that Smith is too liberal or too gay-oriented. Smith’s sexual diversity is more obvious than its racial diversity, and the campus voted on a change to the student government’s constitution to remove the pronoun “she” to avoid excluding students who do not identify as women. While the gay community is extremely vocal on campus, the heterosexual presence is not to be denied, as evidenced by the droves of girls that wait for the PVTA bus to UMass and Amherst parties every weekend. The financial aid and admissions offices have been committed to class diversity. Smith’s admissions are need-blind for 90 percent of its accepted students. There are, however, those that would prefer to keep issues of every kind of diversity silent, and this includes much of the administration. It would be a mistake to say that issues surrounding race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and age don’t cause tension on campus. Students Speak Out
Love your school more than free food? Hate your school more than term papers?
Somewhere in between? Show the world what YOU think of YOUR school:
smithsicle says: Smith College 2012 Other  |
Lots of self-segregation
B-
While the racial make-up at Smith reflects the country as a whole, sometimes it seems like people self-segregate into ethnic groups. Still, it's not like there's hostility or avoidance between groups of people. Also, almost everyone here is a liberal (I say this as one myself), so people with strongly conservative views might feel alienated.
Diversity: January 14, 2010
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cshelleyes says: Smith College 2013 History |
For a Liberal Arts School, We're Very Diverse
A
All elite liberal arts school are going to have a large percentage of white, well-off students. However, I think Smith does a good job of trying to bring in students of color and those from varying economic backgrounds. And of course, sexualites of all kinds are represented here - perhaps more so than any other college campus.
Diversity: January 13, 2010
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ladyred89 says: Smith College 2012 Psychology |
Lunch Dates from Around the World
A
During my first week of classes, I was eating lunch with a group of my fellow students, none of whom I had met prior to that day. Over the course of our meal, we discovered that altogether we represented five continents! That kind of diversity is one of the things that I love about Smith.
Diversity: January 12, 2010
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meganporter says: Smith College 2013 History |
There Are a Lot of Different Types of People
A
I am really pleased with how many different kinds of people, with varying interests that there are. There are social groups for everything from Frisbee to debate, sci-fi club to photography. The best part is, everyone is really accepting and kind to one another.
Diversity: January 12, 2010
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SmiVC says: Smith College 2013 Other |
There are many international...
There are many international students, and although Smith is a women's school, there are five-college students of both sexes attending classes here. The campus is also sexually diverse despite Smith's reputation. However, there are few black students, and white and Asian students are the majority.
Diversity: March 05, 2009
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Smith College? FactsEconomic Status
Unlike many other schools, Smith students reflect the economic bell curve of the country. There is a small number of extremely upper- and lower-class students, with most students falling somewhere in between.
Gay Pride
The gay community is one of the most vocal and visible groups on campus. Though there are incidents of homophobia on campus, they are isolated and do not reflect the student body as a whole. Some students, however, complain that Smith is too focused on the gay community, saying that the focus of Smith politics and social life is too often on the gay students.
Minority Clubs on Campus
Many of the cultural heritage groups on campus sponsor dances, dinners, and concerts. They include: Asian Students Association, Black Students Alliance, EKTA (for students of South Asian heritage), Indigenous Smith Students and Allies, International Students Organization, KASS (Korean-American Students of Smith), Nosotras (Latina Organization), Prism (Queer Students of Color), SACSA (Smith African and Caribbean Students Association), and Vietnamese Students Association.
Most Common Religions
The most present religion on campus is Christianity, as evidenced by the numerous Christian groups. These include the Radical Catholic Feminists of Smith and the Ecumenical Christian Church.Unlike many other schools, Smith students reflect the economic bell curve of the country. There is a small number of extremely upper- and lower-class students, with most students falling somewhere in between. Many of the cultural heritage groups on campus sponsor dances, dinners, and concerts. They include: Prism (Queer Students of Color), Nosotras (Latina Organization), Asian Students Association, Black Students Alliance, EKTA (for students of South Asian heritage), International Students Organization, Native American Women of Smith, Smith African Students Association.
Political Activity
Most students here are politically and socially liberal. Though campus has its share of protests, students are generally not politically active. Many consider the student body to be generally apathetic. However, the Smith Democrats was recently voted the best chapter in the nation.
Most Recent Contributing Author
Name: Kelly Dagan
Hometown: Pavilion, NY
Major: English Fun Fact: Kelly once went biking down an active volcano at sunrise (and survived). She will never, ever, do this again. Contributing Author Internship
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