Smith or Davidson College?

[Anonymous]

So are like half the women at Smith gay? That's what it sounds like. Genuinely curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So are like half the women at Smith gay? That's what it sounds like. Genuinely curious.

Your critical thinking skills seems a bit weak. Exactly which posts lead you to conclude that 1300 women at Smith (half of its 2600 enrollment) are gay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So are like half the women at Smith gay? That's what it sounds like. Genuinely curious.

Apparently so. From the website College Fix:

"61 percent at Wellesley and 70 percent at Smith — which are women’s colleges — identify as LGBTQ."

Not sure I would believe numbers are that high but the true % is still likely very high.

[Anonymous]

A recent Smith student also corroborates the 50% figure:

"A campus-wide survey was conducted to see how many Smithies identify as queer and what area of campus they lived in, and the results were released around that time. My host and her friends were discussing it, and though my personal experience may not be representative, I can definitely attest to that number not seeming awfully high at all. Overall I believe the numbers were around 50% across the board, with the Quad identifying less than 50% and the rest of campus more than 50%. Living here, and especially living on Green Street, this is not surprising to me. Smith is known for its open queer community, but I think it’s important to remember how some Smithies who may not “publicly” (i.e. off campus/at home) identify as queer feel comfortable embracing it while here and especially in an anonymous survey might make those numbers seem high."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A recent Smith student also corroborates the 50% figure:

"A campus-wide survey was conducted to see how many Smithies identify as queer and what area of campus they lived in, and the results were released around that time. My host and her friends were discussing it, and though my personal experience may not be representative, I can definitely attest to that number not seeming awfully high at all. Overall I believe the numbers were around 50% across the board, with the Quad identifying less than 50% and the rest of campus more than 50%. Living here, and especially living on Green Street, this is not surprising to me. Smith is known for its open queer community, but I think it’s important to remember how some Smithies who may not “publicly” (i.e. off campus/at home) identify as queer feel comfortable embracing it while here and especially in an anonymous survey might make those numbers seem high."

Times have changed. I graduated Smith in the mid 90s and though there was a significant minority who identified as queer, the vast majority of women were straight. We often had to remind housemates to limit the number of overnight male guests. I remember several Sunday mornings finding myself outnumbered by men in the hall bathroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Congrats to your daughter! My son is also hoping to come off Davidson's wait list. OP did your submit any updates/supplements beyond her email expressing continuing interest?

She only sent an email of continuing interest saying she'd attend if accepted off the waitlist. Fortunately, the admissions office was looking for one more theater major. It wouldn't hurt to send another email to the admissions officer that covers your son's HS. Best of luck to your son!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So are like half the women at Smith gay? That's what it sounds like. Genuinely curious.

Apparently so. From the website College Fix:

"61 percent at Wellesley and 70 percent at Smith — which are women’s colleges — identify as LGBTQ."

Not sure I would believe numbers are that high but the true % is still likely very high.

WOW

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I do agree with another poster who wrote that these schools are very different. Hard to imagine a person who would apply to both of these almost polar opposite schools and then have difficulty deciding between the two.

I don’t see how these schools are polar opposites. They are both small liberal arts schools not located in a city.

You need to visit. If you think that Smith College and Davidson College offer similar campus cultures, you are probably unfamiliar with both schools.

If it helps, the overlap schools for Smith College are: Barnard, Brown, Bryn Mawr, Mount Holyoke, Oberlin, & Wellesley.

Overlaps for Davidson College: Wash & Lee, Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Middlebury, Rhodes, and Duke.

According to College Transitions: Davidson College overlaps are Duke, Emory,UNC, U Virginia, and Vanderbilt.

On another college website, Smith has been referred to as "the gayest place on earth" and the former president of Smith College actually conducted a formal poll of then current Smith students asking their sexual orientation due to Smith's reputation as a lesbian school. Smith College had significant issues with student on student same sex sexual assaults several years ago that may have prompted the survey (in addition to Smith's rep as a school for a particular sexual orientation).

NP. This post seems extremely narrow minded and biased. Firstly, there is lots of potential overlap between colleges across the "categories" here. My kid applied to several and considered schools across the list. The last portion with "substantial" seems to betray an ugly bias. I have no connection to Smith, but have done research on it as DD considered it.

Reread the post that you commented on. Cannot find the word "substantial" to which you refer.

Neither narrow minded nor biased--just responding to OP's question regarding her straight daughter's better choice. The response uses outside publications' findings and writings.

Before falsely accusing others of being narrow minded and biased, I think that you need to look into a mirror for the real culprit.

I meant "significant," but the sentiment is the same. Trying to flip the table on me doesn't work even though you want it to. That is such a Trump move -- juvenile and inaccurate. Nothing about typing a different but similar adjective says "narrow-minded." (Absent-minded? Yes, of course)! The issues with your post are present. The bias is there, trying to suggest that Smith is some high-risk den of same-sex sexual assault, and the fact that you attempt to lock down what is and isn't potential overlap betrays your narrow mindset and seems weirdly authority hungry. Just let the kids decide what their overlap is. No one needs you to weigh in to tell them that two schools they like are "polar opposites." If they identify cross appeal, what's it to you?

How old are you ?

Does your mommy know that you are posting online ?

Your repeated insults do nothing to support your arguments and do nothing to support your credibility. It is clear that you have an agenda. It is okay to disagree with anything in any post, but the key to credibility is in how you do so.

[Anonymous]

unigo is a website that allows students to comment on their specific college or university.

"Is the stereotype of students at Smith College accurate ?" https://unigo.com/colleges/smith-college/

Same questions are asked of students at Davidson College.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a Wellesley alum with many wonderful friends who are Smith alumnae. Like you, OP, I would have loved to see my DD go to my alma mater -- or to another women's college -- but she really wanted a coed school. For her, it wasn't about finding a guy to date; rather she wanted to have male classmates and platonic male friends, and she wanted to be a part of a community where men and women students would work together and support one another. She just graduated and over the past four years I've seen that she made the right choice. I offer just one small vignette to illustrate this -- DD played a varsity sport and at her last college game in the NCAA tournament there were many, many members of the men's teams out there cheering on the women's team -- exactly the experience DD had hoped to have. OP, my advice to you and your husband is to let your daughter make her choice without undue influence from her parents.

100%! OP here and daughter is not an athlete but this was the primary reason our daughter is choosing Davidson. She grew up with a brother and close friendships of both sexes and that is ultimately is what she wants to find in her college experience. As was pointed out in this morning's tour, Davidson has women's eating houses so she has still can find that sisterhood experience though certainly not to the extent she'd get at Smith. She is sad about the life opportunities she is giving up by passing on Smith and said said she wishes she could go to college twice. She and I would have been in the same reunion year and the shared experience of attending Smith would have been meaningful to both of us, but this weekend reinforced all the reasons she wanted to stay on Davidson's waitlist in the first place. Academically, both colleges are top notch with enthusiastic alumni networks to match. Everyone we've met at Davidson and in town has been super welcoming and friendly. Most importantly, daughter is happy with her decision and is now beyond excited about what lays ahead for her next 4 years.

I'm the PP above -- My daughter also has an older brother, male cousins and many male friends, and her experience of those relationships certainly influenced her decision not to look at women's colleges. While it would have been lovely for her to go to Wellesley and share in the traditions that I found so meaningful and memorable, much more important is how much she's grown over the last four years and how much she loves her alma mater (also a school known for having an enthusiastic and cohesive alumni/ae community). I'm glad you are at peace with her decision and wish her the best!

[Anonymous]

Smith has a more beautiful campus, better town college town, and better national name recognition than Davidson. Davidson is a bit odd in how southern it's felt to me. Even US News came around and ranked Smith ahead of Davidson. Honestly, unless the coed and weather factors matter a lot, I'd pick Smith (though I'm a man).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Smith has a more beautiful campus, better town college town, and better national name recognition than Davidson. Davidson is a bit odd in how southern it's felt to me. Even US News came around and ranked Smith ahead of Davidson. Honestly, unless the coed and weather factors matter a lot, I'd pick Smith (though I'm a man).

How old are you? These seem like outdated impressions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So are like half the women at Smith gay? That's what it sounds like. Genuinely curious.

Your critical thinking skills seems a bit weak. Exactly which posts lead you to conclude that 1300 women at Smith (half of its 2600 enrollment) are gay?

The posts saying that the OP's daughter would have a hard time finding straight women to hang out with.

And it looks like that conclusion was pretty accurate based on the stats other posters have since replied with.

So I guess my critical thinking skills are fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Smith has a more beautiful campus, better town college town, and better national name recognition than Davidson. Davidson is a bit odd in how southern it's felt to me. Even US News came around and ranked Smith ahead of Davidson. Honestly, unless the coed and weather factors matter a lot, I'd pick Smith (though I'm a man).

Agree to disagree. Visited both schools with my daughter pre-covid and we both preferred the Davidson campus and surrounding area to Smith and Northampton. The Davidson campus would fit well anywhere in New England and the Town itself is a small but very cute, safe college town about 30 minutes outside of Charlotte. Plus the warmer climate and the availability of the 100+ acre Lake Campus on immense Lake Norman provides recreational opportunities students can't get in Western MA. Davidson for years had been ranked in the top 10 in USNWR and currently is slotted next to Smith in their rankings. Davidson's acceptance rate was below 15% this year while Smith was at 19% so both are tough admits. Around my circle, both schools are well known and I dare say Davidson certainly is better known in the general population because of Steph Curry is an alum.

[Anonymous]

Last year Smith's ED 1 admit rate was 58%. RD admit rate was 27%.

Davidson did not release last year's ED admit rate, but RD was reported as 18%.