Smith College,
Northampton, MA 01063
Smith College
Northampton, MA 01063
Multicultural Profile
Students overwhelming choose Smith College because of its outstanding academic reputation, but they also get much more from this private liberal arts college for women. You will find in our diverse community that there's a shared philosophy of working hard and playing hard to attain an impressive array of goals in college and afterward. Smith College, a highly selective institution with an undergraduate enrollment of 2,600, has been educating women to achieve since 1875.
Students plan their own academic programs with the help of faculty advisers, choosing from 1,000 courses in 50 areas of study. You can also design your own course, minor or major, and earn credit for independent projects and research.
A student/faculty ratio of 10:1 ensures personal attention, and even Smith's most senior professors teach introductory courses. Class size averages 15, and many upper-level courses have as few as five students. The diverse student body represents all 50 states and as many countries. About 22 percent of Smith students are women of color.
Smith's handsome 125-acre campus in the heart of New England boasts superb facilities, more than one million library books, and plentiful, powerful computer resources. Students enjoy a full range of athletic, social, cultural and religious programs and have special opportunities for research, internships and study abroad.
Smith is part of a consortium that includes Amherst Mount Holyoke and Hamphire Colleges and the University of Massachusetts. Smith women may take courses of these institutions at no additional charge, and enjoy the many academic and social advantages of this "multiversity."
Among Smith's 90 students organizations are several organized by students of color: The Asian Student Association, the Black Student Alliance Korean-American Students of Smith, Indigenous Americans of Smith, Nosotras (for Latina students), the Smith African Student Association and Ekta (for South Asian students). These groups sponsor conferences, films, lectures and a variety of social activities. For example, the Black Student Alliance organizes Kwanzaa events, there's a Latina Week every spring and the Asian Student Association holds formal tea ceremonies. Students interested in performing might join Celebrations, a multicultural dance group; sing with Smith's gospel choir; or try out for a theatre department play. There are also dozens of other opportunities to follow your interests and make new friends.
Inside and outside the classroom, you will hear a spectrum of viewpoints from fellow students, professors and campus visitors. Recent speakers of color include writers Maya Angelou, Nikki Giovanni and Sonia Sanchez; civil rights activists Yolanda King (a Smith graduate); Bernice Johnson Reagon; and Attallah Shabazz.
Cultural diversity is encouraged in all academic courses and is central to many, including: Cultural and Class in the Afro-American Family, Latina and Latin American Women Writers, Ethnic Minorities in America; and The Asian-American Experience.
Smith professors are active researchers, and students frequently assist in professor's research as well as pursuing independent work on topics of their choice.
Students of color can consider Smith College with assurance that their cultural heritage will be respected, their individuality will be cherished and their talents developed.