Smith College: would a straight cis-gender girl feel out of place?
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Anonymous
| DD liked Smith a lot (great school, beautiful campus, cosy feel, great town, family members have attended in earlier decades). But she is worried that as a straight cis-gendered woman she might feel out of place. (She was told that more than half of current smith students identify as LGBTQ). She is very comfortable with that community but worries that someone not part of it will have fewer social opportunistic and will feel more isolated. Can anyone with recent experience with Smith comment? DD is not by any stretch a political conservative but she is in some ways a fairly conventional kid (she is also interested in several southern schools, is possibly interested in joining a sorority, etc). |
Anonymous
The plurality if not majority of students are cis gandered and straight. She will still be in the majority. |
Anonymous
| Agree about the majority. As someone who went to a women's college, I think it can be tough for shy straight girls who really want to date cis guys. There are guys around but you need to be willing to go to UMASS or Amherst campuses, to hang out in Noho or Amherst, to go to off campus parties or get involved in clubs or activities off campus. If she's the kind of kid who will be comfortable doing those things she will be totally fine. |
Anonymous
| Really? FFS. |
Anonymous
|
1. She will be fine. Yes, there is a significant percentage of the student body that doesn’t identify as both heterosexual and cis-gendered, but the social scene does not revolve around gender identity and sexuality.
2. To the extent she feels a bit out of place at times, I don’t think it’s the worst thing for someone with the privilege of always being in the majority to get a better understanding of what it’s like to be in the minority. |
Anonymous
| How about Barnard? Is it any different than Smith in this respect? Barnard doesn’t seem to share similar reputation. |
Anonymous
Isn’t Barnard basically Columbia now? On the same path as Radcliffe? |
Anonymous
2. Great point but to get that "minority" feeling DD could study abroad and learn a new language/ discover a new culture. |
Anonymous
| If she's interested in Southern schools and sororities, I don't know that she'll like Smith regardless of her sexual orientation. Smith is the antithesis of a Southern school with sororities. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thanks to those trying to be helpful. While I generally agree that it doesn’t do any harm for people to understand what it is like to be in a minority, DD has that experience already for a variety of reasons. She is a shy girl and I would like to her to be somewhere where she will be challenged positive ways but also have a strong support network. |
Anonymous
Not OP, and I agree with you re experience being in the minority in some way, but sounds like part of what OP is getting at is that her DD would like dating opportunities, and therefore this could make it significantly harder, since her DD is shy. |
Anonymous
|
Two of my straight cousins went there (one is around 24 or 25 and one is 23). One seems to champion causes of the marginalized a lot, while the other never does. The one who never does has a boyfriend.
They were both fine there. |
Anonymous
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She will be fine. The majority at Smith are like her. Also it is near several other coed schools (UMass, Amherst).
If she gets in, I’d recommend she stay overnight with a current student to see what it’s like. |
Anonymous
Nope. It is very separate. Sure, kids take classes at both Barnard and at the College and have friends at both, but requirements and management of the school are separate. Radcliffe was subsumed. |
Anonymous
| How hard/easy is it to take classes at Amherst or UMass, and have a social life with students from those schools? Isn't it like a 45 minute bus ride? |