Smith College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics

Seelye Hall at Smith College
Allen Grove

Smith College is a private women's liberal arts college with an acceptance rate of 32.5%. Founded in 1875 and located in Northampton, Massachusetts, Smith College is one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Smith is also a member of the Five College Consortium with Amherst CollegeUMass AmherstMount Holyoke, and Hampshire College. Students can register and attend courses at any of the five schools. Smith has a beautiful and historic campus that includes the 12,000 square foot Lyman Conservatory and the Botanic Garden of Smith College with about 10,000 different plant species.

Smith has many famous alumnae including Sylvia Plath, Julia Child, and Gloria Steinem. On the athletic front, Smith College competes in the NCAA Division III New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC). The Smith Pioneers field eleven varsity sports.

Considering applying to Smith College? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including average SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students.

Acceptance Rate

During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, Smith College had an acceptance rate of 32.5%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 32 students were admitted, making Smith's admissions process highly competitive.

Admissions Statistics (2018-19)
Number of Applicants 5,597
Percent Admitted 32.5%
Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 35%

SAT Scores and Requirements

Smith College has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants to Smith may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 54% of admitted students submitted SAT scores.

SAT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
ERW 670 740
Math 660 780
ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing

This admissions data tells us that of those students who submitted scores during the 2018-19 admissions cycle, most of Smith's admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to Smith scored between 670 and 740, while 25% scored below 670 and 25% scored above 740. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 660 and 780, while 25% scored below 660 and 25% scored above 780. While the SAT is not required, this data tells us that a composite SAT score of 1520 or higher is competitive for Smith College.

Requirements

Smith College does not require SAT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Smith participates in the scorechoice program, meaning that the admissions office will consider your highest score from each individual section across all SAT test dates. Smith does not require SAT Subject tests or the optional essay section of the SAT.

ACT Scores and Requirements

Smith has a test-optional standardized testing policy. Applicants may submit SAT or ACT scores to the school, but they are not required to do so. During the 2018-19 admissions cycle, 30% of admitted students submitted ACT scores.

ACT Range (Admitted Students)
Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile
Composite 30 33

This admissions data tells us that of those who submitted scores during the 2018-19 admissions cycle, most of Smith's admitted students fall within the top 7% nationally on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to Smith received a composite ACT score between 30 and 33, while 25% scored above 33 and 25% scored below 30.

Requirements

Note that Smith College does not require ACT scores for admission. For students who choose to submit scores, note that Smith does not superscore ACT results; your highest composite ACT score will be considered. Smith does not require the ACT writing section.

GPA

In 2019, the average high school GPA for incoming Smith College freshmen was 4.0, and 84% of admitted students had average GPAs of 3.75 and above. These results suggest that most successful applicants to Smith College have primarily A grades.

Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph

Smith College Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph.
Smith College Applicants' Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex.

The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to Smith College. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and calculate your chances of getting in with a free Cappex account.

Admissions Chances

Smith College, which accepts fewer than a third of applicants, has a competitive admissions pool. However, Smith also has a holistic admissions process and is test-optional, and admissions decisions are based on much more than numbers. A strong application essay, Smith supplemental essay, and glowing letters of recommendation can strengthen your application, as can participation in meaningful extracurricular activities and a rigorous course schedule. The college is looking for students who will contribute to the campus community in meaningful ways, not just students who show promise in the classroom. While not required, Smith College strongly recommends interviews for interested applicants. Students with particularly compelling stories or achievements can still receive serious consideration even if their grades and scores are outside of Smith's average range.

In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. Most students who were admitted to Smith had averages of A- or higher. SAT and ACT scores aren't as important as other admission factors because Smith has test-optional admissions. However, most Smith applicants excel on standardized tests with SAT scores (ERW+M) above 1250 and ACT composite scores of 28 or better.

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All admissions data has been sourced from the National Center for Education Statistics and Smith College Undergraduate Admissions Office.

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Grove, Allen. "Smith College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo, Aug. 26, 2020, thoughtco.com/smith-college-admissions-787977. Grove, Allen. (2020, August 26). Smith College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/smith-college-admissions-787977 Grove, Allen. "Smith College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/smith-college-admissions-787977 (accessed April 20, 2024).