<p>I think TD got a little lost in translation there agnes, sorry. </p>
<p>I can’t say which school has the better government or IR program since I’ve never taken Mt. Holyoke’s courses, only Smith’s. Unless there’s an Mt. Holyoke-Smith transfer on these boards, I would be mistrustful of what people say regarding “my school’s program is better than that other school’s program” because people tend to be pretty biased towards their own school. And I have no comment on which is easier to get into, you should think about what the best fit for you might be rather than the easiest entry. </p>
<p>What I can say is that Smith’s Government department is excellent. It’s one of the biggest majors on campus for good reason, and it’s also my major. The professors are phenomenal, and if I could take all government courses, I probably would. We don’t have an official IR program, but as a Government major, you choose one of the disciplines (American Gov, IR, Theory, or Comparative Government) to specialize in, so you can definitely get some great IR training. You also have the full range of “study abroad” opportunities available to you, including (if you take French) studying in Geneva for a year, where you have access to tons of internships at international organizations. Or you can participate in the Gov department’s Semester-in-Washington program, and spend a summer and a fall semester in D.C., working full-time at an internship, taking some classes with your fellow program participants, and pursuing a research project of your choice. I was a Picker and it was the most transformative experience of my life, leading to excellent career opportunities, as well as being rewarding and fun. </p>
<p>The Alum network to help you find jobs and internships in Washington is also super fantastic. They’re so amazing at giving you a hand so you can get a foothold on the career ladder, and so that you in turn can give another woman a hand up when your time comes. </p>
<p>I find my life at Smith to be very fulfilling. I’ve made strong friendships, and I like feeling like I belong to a sisterhood with a long history of changing the world. I do party and date, but since I go to a women’s college I can separate that time from my “school time”. I like being able to compartementalize, in other words, and know that when I’m on “school time” I’m there to study and hang out with my girlfriends, and when I’m on “party/date time” I’m fully in the mode for that, but they don’t infringe on each other. I find that means I’m more focused on my studies and my friendships are stronger because they’re not marred with crazy relationship drama. I think it’s the best of both worlds, frankly.</p>