Convince me to go to Smith!

SmithieandProud
Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:06:13 +0000

I dont’ think any of us can or should convince you to go to Smith, that’s a choice you have to make for yourself. But to address some of your concerns:

You’d be surprised how quickly you adjust to the weather. It’s just a matter of putting on a jacket, really. The Pioneer Valley is not like places in Northern New England, or even Boston. You don’t spend months of the year locked in snow and the valley keeps the area insulated from the colder, wetter weather on the coast. There are a TON of Californians at Smith and they seem to be surviving You should see if there are events in your area for admitted students from California (likely the local club will host something in mid April), so you can get their experience.

One thing I would say, I think it’s great, if you can, to try living away from home. I went across the country from the West Coast to Smith and it was the best decision I ever made. Not only did it give me a chance to experience a whole new place and new people, but it made me more independent, and it really opened my horizons a lot. You can always go home again, but you might not get another chance to live in New England. It’s a truly spectacular part of the country.

Also, you have to remember that Smith has a lot of “mainstream” young women, as well as women who are more into counter-culture (this isn’t great terminology, but let’s run with it). You might want to check out the Pearls and Cashmere tumblr ([Pearls and Cashmere](http://pearlsandcashmere.■■■■■■■■■■/)) if you want to get a sense of the breadth and depth of the Smith community. P&C was created in response to a letter written by a Smith alum to the student newspaper, which caused a lot of controversy and spurred the student body and alums to speak out about who they really were, and where they came from, and why they went to Smith. It really shows the wide breadth of students, as they really are, not as the stereotypes say they are.