Skip to main content

The Freedom to Explore

With over 1,000 courses to choose from, academic exploration at Smith is limitless. From printmaking courses to biochemistry labs and everything in between, you can dive into existing passions and discover new ones every semester.

Find What Fuels You

Reasons to Celebrate Smith

Women’s basketball was born here.

Less than two years after the invention of basketball, in 1891, Smith’s director of physical education, Senda Berenson, adapted the game for women. The first women’s basketball game was played in the Alumnae Gym in 1893, with the sophomores beating the first-years 5–4. Berenson was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.

Smithies playing basketball in 1948.

Smith, in the Moment

Stay current with all things Smith. Learn about upcoming events and peruse the news on Smith Today.

A Culture of Curiosity

Keona Edwards ’26

Engineering major; Study of Women, Gender & Sexuality minor

What has surprised you the most about attending a women’s college?
How much more confident it has made me feel in all areas of my life. I was always too afraid to participate in dance performances in high school, but now I’m president and co-chair of two dance clubs on campus and perform multiple times each semester. I feel so much more certain in my ability to pursue what makes me happy with all of the support I receive from professors, staff, and other Smithies!

Alya Mikhasiova ’28

Art major

Describe a moment in class that left a lasting impression on you.
I remember making a zine about my country for Sara Newland’s Comparative Politics class, and seeing people in class actively reading and discussing it. Later, the professor reached out to me, and advised me to submit my work to a zine competition. I felt seen and appreciated!

Eleanor Wu ’26

Linguistics major; Translation Studies concentrator

What is your favorite thing about Smith?
The individualized education and small classes have pushed me out of my comfort zone and encouraged me to challenge myself. I think of myself as a listener who has trouble truly exchanging with others in an educational setting. Smith has taught me a different mode of learning.

Eleanor Wu

Phoebe Dennison ’26

Chemistry and Spanish double major

Is there a piece of advice you wish you could go back and tell yourself as a first-year?
Don’t be afraid of finding new things you like and how that might change your future. Coming into Smith I felt like I knew what I wanted to do in my future or at least the main area of what I wanted my career to be in. Now, I am unsure. Through my various experiences at Smith I have realized new things I am interested in and I am thinking about how they can all fit into my future or what they mean for my career path.