Smith CollegeStudent Guide

Academic dates, campus language, housing, and student-life references for Smith College. Free for students.

Private Non-Profit Liberal Arts College in Northampton, MA. Operating on a semester system.

Looking for dorms? Scroll for the dorm and housing breakdown below.

Free for all Smith College students. No credit card required.

3K+

Total Enrollment

Liberal Arts College

Institution Type

31

Housing Buildings

Student guide · Fall Semester 2026

The semester, explained for Smith College

Dates from the active academic calendar, plus the campus language and local details students actually need. Every entry comes from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Relevant term
Fall Semester 2026
Campus terms
15
Local details
13

Academic calendar

Fall Semester 2026 runs Sep 3, 2026 – Dec 22, 2026. Calendar aliases that share a date range are grouped together, with every source term still shown.

3 entries
  1. Fall Semester 2026Relevant now
  2. Interterm 2027
  3. Spring Semester 2027

Add dates to DormWay

Campus language

Search the full glossary. Nothing is sampled or hidden when the search field is empty.

15 terms

B

BSA
Black Students Alliance, a prominent student organization supporting Black students on campus.

E

Elm Street
The neighborhood of houses located along Elm Street, including Capen, Northrop, and Gillett.

F

Friday Tea
A weekly tradition where houses host a social hour with tea and snacks for residents.

G

Grab 'n Go
A popular pre-packaged meal service located in the Campus Center for students on the move.
Green Street
The neighborhood of houses located along Green Street, such as Hubbard and Washburn.

H

House Dining
The traditional dining system where students eat in designated dining rooms within specific campus houses.

M

Mountain
A neighborhood designation for houses located further from the center of campus, such as those on the 'Mountain' side.
Mountain Day
A surprise autumn holiday where the college president rings bells to cancel classes for a day of outdoor activities.

O

OSL
Office of Student Life, the administrative department overseeing clubs and residential life.

S

SEC
Social Events Committee, the student-led group responsible for planning major campus social activities.
SGA
Student Government Association, the primary representative body for the student voice.
Smithie
The common term for a student or alum of Smith College.

T

The CC
The Campus Center Cafe and dining area, often used for casual meals and coffee.
The Grécourt Gate
The iconic main entrance to the college, often used as a symbol for the institution.
The Quad
The group of 10 houses (including Comstock, Wilder, and Mandelle) located on the upper part of campus.

Places and practicalities

Buildings, logistics, and other local references drawn from the approved campus snapshot.

13 details
campus_center_caf
Campus Center Café
Five Colleges
The consortium including Smith, Amherst, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire, and UMass Amherst, allowing for cross-registration.
Ford
Ford Hall, the primary facility for the sciences, engineering, and molecular biology.
king_scales_dining_hall
King/Scales Dining Hall
Lyman
Lyman Conservatory, part of the Botanic Garden and a frequent spot for student relaxation.
Moodle
The learning management system where professors post course materials, assignments, and grades.
Neilson
Neilson Library, the main and largest library on the Smith campus.
OneCard
The official multi-purpose student ID used for building access, dining hall entry, and library services.
PVTA
The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, the bus system providing free transportation between the Five Colleges.
Seelye
Seelye Hall, a major academic building housing many humanities and social science classrooms.
The CC
The Campus Center, the central hub for student organizations, dining, and social activity.
tyler_dining_hall
Tyler Dining Hall
Workday
The administrative software portal used by students for course registration, grades, and financial information.

Quick answers

Useful facts students can verify from the guide above.

What academic term is relevant now?
Fall Semester 2026 runs Sep 3, 2026 – Dec 22, 2026.
How much campus context is included?
15 approved campus terms and 13 local details are included in full.
Are all approved campus terms included?
Yes. The complete approved glossary is available in the scrollable, searchable campus-language section.
Where does this guide come from?
Calendar dates, campus terms, and local details come from DormWay's approved campus reference library.

Class of 2030 · Smith College

You just committed to Smith College.

The four months ahead don’t need to be one giant open tab. Sign up and we’ll only email you when Smith College actually needs you to do something this summer — orientation, housing, course registration, immunization. That’s the whole product.

What we’ll email you about

  • Aug 10

    Fall tuition and fees payment deadline

    Required · source

  • Aug 15

    Final high school transcript deadline

    Required · source

  • Sep 1

    Health insurance waiver deadline

    Required · source

One email per real deadline. Source link cited every time. We re-check 7 days before each one fires.

Get the Class of 2030 essentials for Smith College

DormWay tells you when your campus asks you to do something this summer. Then it helps you do it. That's all.

DormWay’s AI organizes your school. It doesn’t do your work. Free for students.

Get to know your university

Assisted

Find a few communities to try at Smith College

These are things we discovered from public campus sources. We are constantly looking for more.

Tell us what we missed

13 mapped items from 7 public sources

Interest filters
  • Major-aligned clubs, pre-professional groups, and research communities.
  • Performing arts, visual arts, student publications, film, and music.
  • Cultural orgs, identity communities, and faith-based groups.
  • Volunteer groups, civic engagement, mutual aid, and student government.
  • Outdoor clubs, intramural sports, club sports, and rec center programs.
  • Entrepreneurship, hackathon teams, makerspaces, and engineering project teams.
  • Casual hangouts, interest groups, and open events without applications.

Worth a look

Class Cabinets

Each class year has a cabinet (president, VP, secretary, etc.) responsible for organizing class-specific events and fundraisers.

Source: smith.edu · Verified 1 month ago

Easy to try first

Friday Teas

A tradition stretching back more than 100 years where students in their houses mark the end of a busy week with snacks and tea, including Smith's own custom blends.

Drop in any time

Source: smith.edu · Verified 1 month ago

Ceramics Club

A club for students interested in creating and learning about ceramics and pottery.

Drop in any time

Source: public campus page · Verified 1 month ago

Campus rituals

Ivy Day

On the day before Commencement, alumnae escort seniors (dressed in white and carrying roses) in a parade. The seniors then plant ivy to symbolize the connection between the college and its graduates.

Drop in any time

Source: smith.edu · Verified 1 month ago

Resources & spaces

Jacobson Center for Writing, Teaching and Learning

Offers individual appointments and group sessions to help students with writing and public speaking skills.

Open to all

Lazarus Center for Career Development

Provides career advising, workshops, recruiting opportunities, and helps students land internships and jobs.

Open to all

Spinelli Center for Quantitative Learning

Offers tutoring, workshops, and class study sessions to help students with mathematics, science, and utilizing quantitative data.

Open to all

Using DormWay at Smith College

What the product handles for students.

Syllabus to schedule

Upload any Smith College syllabus and get a complete semester breakdown in seconds

Workload planning

Balance your courseload with helpful workload distribution

Free student access

No premium tiers, no paywalls. Free for all Smith College students

Smith College on DormWay

Current DormWay activity for this campus

9

Active Students

16

Syllabi Analyzed

14

Courses on DormWay

Browse all courses →

Popular Courses

Browse all →
ChemistryChemistry LabChinese II (Intensive)Gender, Law, and PolicyGenomicsGOV 249INTERMEDIATE SPANISH IIPsychological Disorders

DormWay integrates with Smith College's LMS

Connect your learning management system for automatic assignment syncing

Canvas

Supported

Connect your Canvas account to automatically sync assignments, grades, and course schedules.

Life in Northampton for Smith College Students

Everything you need to know about living and studying in Northampton.

Timezone

Eastern Time (ET)

Median Rent

$1,400

Cost of Living Index

115

Student Population

40,000

City Transportation

Walkability

80

Bikeability

75

Public Transit

PVTA bus system

Nearest Airports

Westover Metropolitan Airport (regional), Bradley International Airport (major, in Windsor Locks CT)

Climate Averages

Climate

Humid continental

Avg Annual Temp

48°F

Avg Snowfall

40 in

Campus Operations Snapshot

Parking and Transit

Smith Parking Garage

garage • Limited; 352 spaces total

Located on West Street; top level for commuters/perimeter decals.

Dickinson Lot

surface_lot • 6 visitor spaces

Located on Green Street.

Ainsworth Gymnasium Lot

surface_lot

Lower entrance to Ainsworth Gymnasium.

Campus News

Latest updates from Smith College

New and Retiring Faculty 2026

Fourteen new tenure-track professors begin teaching at Smith this fall across various disciplines.

Sep 14, 2026

Read More

Smith Named a Top Performer in 2026 Sustainable Campus Index

Smith ranks among the top five baccalaureate institutions overall for sustainability.

Sep 9, 2026

Read More

Meet the New Smithies: Incoming Class of 2030

645 students arrive on campus, bringing a penchant for research, advocacy, and innovation.

Sep 1, 2026

Read More

There is currently no emergency impacting Smith College.

There is currently no emergency impacting Smith College.

Read More

Upcoming Events

What's happening at Smith College

Artist Lecture: "An Absent Presence: The Woman Doctor of Mount Desert," Chloe Sailor

September 17, 2026

Smith College

Learn about the latest exhibition by Chloe Sailor regarding the woman doctor of Mount Desert.

One Body: Dispatches from Idaho

September 19, 2026

Smith College

A live, one-woman show based on true stories from Idaho women, doctors, politicians, and activists.

Vienna Teng: Musical Tea with Students

September 21, 2026

Smith College

A musical tea and chat with singer-songwriter Vienna Teng.

Keetje Kuipers Poetry Reading

October 6, 2026

Smith College

Poetry reading with Keetje Kuipers, author of 'Lonely Women Make Good Lovers'.

Adrie Rose Chapbook Release

October 8, 2026

Smith College

Book release reading and celebration for Adrie Rose's new chapbook, 'Dear.'

October Second Friday: Ghost Stories

October 9, 2026

Smith College Museum of Art

A special evening event featuring ghost stories at the museum.

Cai Sherley Chapbook Release

October 15, 2026

Smith College

Book release reading and celebration for Cai Sherley's new chapbook, 'Out of Yearning.'

James Limerick Kerr Faculty Guitar Recital

October 15, 2026

Smith College

Guitar faculty James Limerick Kerr performs a solo concert featuring new original music.

Dorms & On-Campus Housing at Smith College

Various dorm and housing options are available for students.

31 known dorm and housing options. The first 24 are shown below; the rest are available in the expandable list.

Albright House

Baldwin House

Chapin House

Chase House

Conway House

Room types: apartment

Cushing House

Duckett House

Ellen Emerson House

Franklin King House

Gardiner House

Gillett House

Hopkins House

Hubbard House

Jordan House

Laura Scales House

Lawrence House

Capacity: 67

Room types: single, double, triple

Martha Wilson House

Morris House

Morrow House

Mountain Neighborhood houses

Capacity: 80

Paradise Neighborhood houses

Quad Houses

Room types: single, double

River Neighborhood houses

Rothman House

Room types: single

Show the remaining 7 housing options

Sessions Complex

Room types: single, double

Smith Houses (40 unique house communities)

Special-Interest Housing

Room types: single, double

Tenney House

Tyler House

Washburn House

Wilder House

Campus Details

Academic System

Semester

Control

Private Non-Profit

Email Domain

@smith.edu

Official Website

Visit Website →

Plan your semester at Smith College

Upload a syllabus, collect the important dates, and build a schedule around the work ahead.