Passing along a letter that is circulating for those interested in helping support Fort Hill staff and parents. I am not an organizer for this, so please direct any questions you have through the form. Just a friend!

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Dear Fort Hill parents and community members,

TLDR: Opt in to be involved in keeping the Fort Hill Center for Early Childhood Education open. Fill out this brief google form to stay connected and involved.

On October 19, families and staff learned from a surprise email that Smith College plans to close Fort Hill, just after the center’s 100th anniversary. No parents, faculty, students, or Fort Hill staff were involved in this decision. The impact of Fort Hill's closure would be devastating – for current families, faculty, staff, students, alums, the local community, and the college's reputation.

A group of parents, staff, faculty, and concerned community members working to ensure that this valued resource – which serves 90 children and employs 30 staff members – remains in operation. We'd love your support as we work to reverse this decision and seek clarity and stability for families and the community.

Already, on October 20 we've started organizing, including with an emergency teachers' union meeting, media outreach for the Gazette article, a parent action at the Presidential Colloquium, and of course expressing our concerns to college and political leadership. But much more is needed.

If you’d like to stay informed as the campaign to save Fort Hill continues, please fill out this brief google form. In this very fast-moving situation, we plan to share information requests and calls to action soon, including details on a sign-on letter and rally. 

Many thanks, and stay tuned,

Friends of Fort Hill

Want to participate in a semester-long secret Smithie pen pals event? Fill out this interest form here: https://forms.gle/o9CTWpwitHN5wKaV6

There's an event today from 4-5:30pm on the Chapin Lawn for students to learn more and get involved in Smith's decision to close Fort Hill, a infant/child care facility that many Smith faculty and staff use. Stop by!

What was the GPA for Summa Cum Laude last year?

I just heard that the president is closing Forthill?? Does anyone know anything about this??

The Student Event Committee and Smithies in Science club are excited to have Dr. Elisabeth Bik for a virtual talk on Monday 10/26 at 12:45-1:20pm. Dr. Bik is an image forensics detective who investigates scientific papers for incorrect or falsified data. Her work has led to 1,700+ retractions and 1,200+ corrections. Dr. Bik's virtual talk will address image duplication and 'paper mills', journals that produce low-quality or fake papers, often with AI. Interested Smith students, faculty, and staff can watch this virtual talk in-person at Seelye 110 or fill out this form for a Zoom link: https://forms.gle/DwmAVqkUeZEUYNMfA

Whenever I try to view the status of my application, the tracker doesn’t work. It takes me to a page that says “Application Management” and nothing more. I can’t click anything, there’s no where to log in, nothing. I don’t know what to do.

Hi! I applied for the WOD program for either date. I received an email saying that because I applied for either date I should expect my decision in mid-October. I'm assuming I most likely got pushed into the applicant pool for the second date. I was wondering if anyone had an idea when the decision would be released for November (considering the first date is this weekend)? Thanks!

hi guys! i’m currently a freshman at a large state school. i love it here, but i know in my heart that smith is where i want to be. i’m currently here with max financial aid. it is to my understanding that smith also has an initiative for families making less than 150k. i come from a single parent household where income fluctuates between 50-80k annually, although i primarily support myself with my own income of about 20k. just wondering what financial aid would look like from others with similar stories to mine. my current school is the cheapest in our region, so going from being able to pay my remaining balance on my own to 80k/year for smith is a bit scary lol

Hi, I’m the parent of a trans woman student who goes to another one of the seven sisters.

I saw the investigation into Smith when it came out and I suspected this government would go after other schools.

I’m trying to get a sense of if the schools will throw trans women under the bus or not. Does anyone know what is happening at Smith regarding this, since it was the first school under attack?

I’d also be interested in any parents’ groups for students who might be affected by this but I did not want to post to the parents group of my daughter’s school because it would likely identify her.

Thank you. Feel free to DM me.

If you are not aware, here is an article. The group responsible for this has now broadened their attacks on other schools.

https://www.wbur.org/news/2026/05/06/smith-colllege-doe-investigation-trans-student-reaction

Do J grads get graduation ceremonies? What about physical diplomas?

I did really terrible in HS (had addiction issues at the time) and graduated with a 3.2/4 gpa (and a 31 act) ... I'm now at a regional 4 year university. Would I have okay chances transferring after one year with a college 4.0 or should I wait until after sophomore year?

I'd like to print some posters (maybe 8" x 11" to 18" x 24"). What kind of options do i have at smith? is there any way i could use the graphic design department's printer?

The Smith Event Committee is hosting Pitch-a-Friend (queer edition) event at 7-8:30pm on Sat 9/26 in the Carroll Room (CC208). Want to help your amazing single queer friend find love? Create a 3-min presentation to pitch them to an audience! Or just come mingle, make new connections, and sip on mocktails :) Submit your presentation here: https://forms.gle/n17vG1vuHoK4kzKfA

Im a first year and i cant see my unread emails on my smith email account the way that i do on all my others. Does anyone else have this or know how to fix?

i'm new to smith this fall, a transfer, and would sincerely like to try my hand at auditioning for a production. i'm relatively experienced but have some worries about making a fool out of myself. they say there are ~50 people who usually audition and 8 parts.

i guess the real question is just how good do you have to be to get cast in one of these productions? am i at a disadvantage if i'm coming in late as a transfer and have less time to build up a relationship with the directors?

m trying to take Bio 132

Hi! I heard today from a young alumna that Friday Tea is now Friday Snack and it is more of a grab & go affair than when I was there in the late 90s (everyone gathered on the living room rug to hang out, sometimes invited a professor). She wasn't fully clear on why it is now referred to as Snack. Can anyone tell me more about the (seemingly drastic) changes to Friday Tea since my time (and when they occurred)? Thanks!

Hello!

I’m an incoming freshman at smith and have been looking to get braces. I’m hesitant due to the price and wanted to know if the insurance plan covers it? I’ve been seeing things about the voluntary dental plan and the Basix savings plan and I’m all around confused.

Are there affordable providers in the area? I had braces in middle school but my teeth shifted again so will that cause the cost to be more?

I got accepted to Smith originally and it was my top choice but unfortunately too expensive so I went to a different university. Heading into my sophomore year at this uni, I am still thinking about Smith. I may apply this fall as a transfer for spring semester depending on finaid and am looking for some help/advice…

1. would transferring as a 2nd sem sophomore or even junior be too late to integrate into the community?
2. likelihood of them accepting my application after I declined the first offer?
3. current smithies, how are you liking it? Pros/cons I should know about? SPECIFICALLY I am looking to study education (want to be a teacher). How is smith for this and what’s the culture like?

Thanks all!!

Hi!

I am a prospective student who is trying to decide if I should apply to Smith College! I am really interested in majoring in biochemistry and pursuing a premed pathway. I am currently leaning towards a MD-PhD route, and was wondering if any Smithies have been admitted to this program, or an MD program.

I saw online that Smith offers a lot of amazing research opportunities, which is great for the MD-PhD pathway. However, I also saw that there is only one hospital nearby, where students from the (four?) college consortium also do clinical hours at. I am a little scared I will not be able to do volunteer hours here, or my hours will not stand out because there are so many other students also doing the same work as me.

I also saw Smith offers discounted support for the MCAT. Does Smith host suturing clinics or other opportunities to learn medical-related skills? I know Smith has an EMS team and courses as well, which is cool!

Finally, does Smith help students if they take a gap year before applying to medical school? How is the alumni support specifically for premed or pre-scientists? Do most alums attend medical school in the United States, or do they attend Caribbean? I have looked into Caribbean medical schools (eg Saint George’s), but I am worried about my ability to attend them since they seem much pricier than US medical schools. Also, I am mostly really prioritizing an MD-PhD, which seems to be more offered in the US.

Overall, I am looking for any experiences, advice, or suggestions from Smithies who went the premed route! I really like this school, and I would love to learn some more about the scientific support 😁.

Thank you, everyone!

Im an incoming Freshman at Smith and am seeing a lot of FYS’s that i like. It seems like it will come down to Professors, Workload and how hard they are. All of the posts I saw covering this are from too many years ago to be relevant. What caught my eye are

1. FYS 109 Exobiology: Origins of Life and the Search for Life in the Universe

2. FYS 106 Learning and Thriving in a Labyrinth of Technology

3.FYS 104 Philosophical Problems of the Self

Can anybody share some thoughts?

Hi, Smithies! I'm the mom of a HS senior. We'll be up in the area for Clark open house in September, and try as I might, I cannot manipulate our flights to accommodate an official tour of Smith. I was thinking we might buzz over to Northampton after we are done with Clark, but that would put us there at around 4pm on a Saturday afternoon. I'm looking for suggestions on a DIY tour apart from wandering the (gorgeous) campus. My kiddo is interested in ecology/conservation biology/environmental science, and is also an artist. I would also be happy to buy a Smithie a coffee at Familiars or someplace similar for an informational interview with my kid.

Hi! I’m a senior undergrad student and I’m seriously considering applying to the MSW at Smith. I’m chronically ill (my condition’s main symptoms are chronic pain and fatigue), and I was wondering if any MSW students or recent graduates have advice about whether the MSW is accessible for disabled or chronically ill people. My main concern is the pace of the summer intensives. My health condition fluctuates and on bad days I have some cognitive issues (brain fog). I have accommodations at my current university like double time for exams, alternative format for all required texts, and extended time for assignments. Would I be able to get disability accommodations at Smith for the MSW? Thanks in advance for the advice.

A lot of people say that you should get a water filter because the plumbing in colleges tend to be outdated, so the filter prevents contamination. Is this the case for smith or is the tap water fine to drink?