fingersxed

i am looking to apply as a transfer this coming spring. what i'm wondering though, is what percent (roughly) of students study abroad? i don't want to, i'm studying abroad this summer, and i want to spend as much time as possible at smith if i get in, cuz i love it so. will it be weird to not? my sister went to smith, and she made it sound like every junior goes abroad.

SmithieandProud

Well, it's certainly not everybody. Study Abroad is very expensive and not always academically practical. I think it's less than half, maybe about 20% though you'd have to ask the admissions office to be sure.

In my group of friends, we all went abroad, though many who went for the year ended up coming back after just a semester. In the class ahead of us in our house however, out of a set of 8-10 friends, only one went abroad for the year and one for fall semester while the rest stayed. So it really does vary.

momofsmithie

According to the Smith "Just the Facts" website, every year "nearly half" of Smith juniors study abroad. My D is a rising junior, and about half of her friends are going abroad, some for the whole year and some for one semester. You need a 3.0 GPA to go, so not everyone is eligible. You also need to be well-organized with your major and class selection. Depending on the country, you also need to be competent in the language.

laureldj

I think it is currently between 40 - 50%. Science and Engineering majors have a tougher time, but many do go for one semester. Most humanities reqs can be taken abroad.

TheDad

I think the "50 percent" figure is pretty accurate. Certainly the numbers going abroad make it possible for Smith to be as big as it is because they don't have to house approximately half a class, more than 10 percent of the total student population. Add to the literal "abroad" the Picker Washington program and the other one (forgot its name) in American studies.

While Smith is a wonderful place to be, an abroad component can be very stimulating. While a very wonderful place, Smith is also a bubble and a change of pace isn't necessarily a bad thing.

laureldj

On a personal note.... I planned to study abroad in Spain for all of last year, but ended up coming back after one semester because I really missed everything about Smith.