Smith College Reviews of Bachelor's in Biology

"Smith college provided me with countless opportunities to think critically and analytically. The culture on campus was perfect for fueling the creative and disciplined. Having few degree requirements meant that I spent more time than I probably should have in fun classes."

"I value the education I received at Smith College. It was vital to me, especially as a woman in STEM, to be surrounded by so many empowered, intellectually curious peers. I also loved the small class sizes, which made it so easy to engage in the academic content, and foster close relationships with professors. I feel like my professors really got to know me, and they were genuinely invested in my success as a student at Smith, and as a person of the world upon graduation. I am still in contact with one of my professors, who was my academic advisors, two years post-graduation. While I love Smith and am proud to call myself a Smithie, the college is not without its faults. I was a 4-year member of the varsity equestrian team and a captain my senior year, which was very important to me and still is. However, Smith recently decided to shut the on-campus barn down, with no input from current students, alumnae, or even the team's coach (the coach had been at Smith since the 70s!). This has highlighted for many that Smith has a transparency issue when it comes to their administrative decision-making, and their motivations behind how and where they choose to spend their money. Fortunately, the school has found a way to keep an equestrian team at Smith, although they have been demoted to a club sport, and must travel about a half an hour to adequate facilities. Overall, I am happy to have attended Smith, and strongly believe that it has helped prepare me for entering graduate school and the workforce. The sheer giddiness you experience after graduation when you run into another Smith grad is a testament to its impact as an undergraduate institution."

"I thought my college had excellent students and teachers"

"Smith is an empowering place that encourages you to find what makes you happy in life and to pursue it, even if it may be unconventional. You are surrounded by a group of women who are passionate and driven and the alumna community continues that sense of community after graduation."

"Smith college is a great school academic-wise, students have the advantage of a low student to faculty ratio, and faculty are very accessible and supportive. However, the academic environment was super cut throat and suffocating at times, as I was a pre-med student. The student body was mostly rich, upper class white female students with very idealist views of the world. If you are poor, a minority or an immigrant student, it's pretty easy to feel isolated. Smith's idea of diversity was to attract "women of color" from all over the world who lives a Western life style, all of whom went to international schools at their home country and couldn't speak a word of what the natives there spoke. So yes, Smith had diversity in terms of skin color, but definitely not life experiences or point of views. Go to Smith if you want to learn how to think, but not if you want to learn any actual life skills. So Smith would prepare you well for graduate school, but not for an actual job. Northampton is a cool little town in the rural western mass, where nothing happens, so social life can be...some what lacking."