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Update on Smith admissions and life as a Smithie,
plus our latest Book Club selection.
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THE LATEST ON ADMISSIONS AND LIFE AS A SMITHIE TODAY | |
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Be sure to watch this YouTube video of the webinar "Students in Conversation with Joanna May," which took place on April17.
Joanna May, Vice President of Enrollment, shared impressive highlights about applicant trends and steps the College is taking to ensure a continued strong and diverse student body. Here are a few:
- The College received more than 9000 applications this year, with a 21% acceptance rate. This compares with ten years ago, when the College received 4500 applications and admitted 40% of applicants.
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They represent sixty-four countries and forty-eight states. 18% are the first in their families to attend college, and 21% are eligible for Pell Grants.
- With the end of race-based affirmative action in college admissions, the College has taken a variety of steps to attract an diverse applicant pool, including partnerships with community-based organizations, an expanded fly-in program, and new questions on the application for admission.
Several current students then spoke about their paths to Smith and their experiences since arriving on campus. These impressive students come from states across the country and multiple countries and represent a wide variety of academic and professional interests.
View it here:Students in Conversation with Joanna May
To learn more about this year's local incoming class, join us at our Summer tea, Welcoming New Students. Details to follow soon.
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MAY BOOK CLUB
Wednesday, May 15
Contact Sally Smith at swslaurelcreek@comcast.net for the address and directions to this session.
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Klara and The Sun
This book tells the story of Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, who, from her place in the store, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her. Klara and the Sun is a thrilling book that offers a look at our changing world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator, and one that explores the fundamental question: what does it mean to love?
The book is available at Kepler's Books in Menlo Park. Mention the Smith Peninsula Book Club to receive a discount for this book.
To get details about the monthly meetings click here to join the book club.
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SUMMER TEA: WELCOMING NEW STUDENTS
Info coming soon!
Each July, we host this delightful event where we welcome many of our newly matriculating Smithies and catch up with alums as well as a few current Smithies who are in the area for the Summer. This event is such a special moment for the new students to experience a taste of the lasting connection that Smith offers, so keep your eye out for the date and location!
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Hiking the Stanford Dish
Saturday, March 23
A beautiful rainbow welcomed us as we hiked the Stanford Dish on Saturday, March 23. Spectacular views and wild habitats greeted us as we enjoyed the fresh air and each other's company.
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Accepted Students' Tea
Saturday, April 13
We recently hosted an Open House-style Tea on Saturday, April 13 for students accepted for admission at Smith. We were happy to meet these impressive young women and their families, share in their excitement, and offer personal perspectives about the Smith experience.
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BOOK CLUB - Wednesday, April 17
Eight of us gathered at the home of Laura Hyatt on Wednesday April 17 to discuss “The Book of Delights” by Ross Gay. One virtue of this book, we agreed, is that it is not just sunshine and roses, despite the title. Instead, Gay judiciously mixes the sour with the sweet. For instance, he acknowledges the challenges of being a black man in America; he has a horrific little bit on a man who literally has a hole in his head due to being experimented on with radiation as a child (as in several of these “essayettes,” the delight is smuggled into a brief sentence, while the main point is something else entirely). But just as light is brighter when contrasted with darkness, his moments of delight are more welcome when we remember life is not always cheery. And so we have delight in a red flower growing in a crack in the sidewalk, an unexpected high-five, nicknames, carrots (“the red kind that have almost become two carrots, carrot legs in need of some petite pantaloons.”). A poet, Gay chooses his words with care, but he also muses here in a casual, stream-of-consciousness way that some found a bit irritating, at least at first. We appreciated his humor, and the way he moves from a small incident or item to something more profound. We recommend this book to others.
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Recognizing Smithies We've Lost
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Isabel Ames Macleod Walker
July 11, 1928 - December 17, 2023
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Isabel Ames MacLeod Walker, long-time member of the Peninsula Smith Club, passed away peacefully in Palo Alto on December 17, 2023, at the age of 95.
Isabel was President of the Smith Club in its early stages. She was a loyal book club member, often hosting gatherings and always contributing thoughtful comments and interesting recommendations. She received her B.S. and R.N. degrees from Simmons College, then attended Smith College’s School for Social Work and earned a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Indiana.
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For many years, Isabel served professionally in the American Red Cross both in the United States and abroad. After she and her husband returned to the states, she joined Stanford University Medical Center as a member of the counseling team and support-group facilitator. For some thirty years, she served countless patients in many roles and continued to see patients well into her 80s.
Isabel brought a practical empathy to all of her roles and treated everyone with uncompromising grace, dignity and love. Those of us who were lucky enough to know Isabel can attest to her humor, wisdom, and generosity. She was the best example of a Smithie.
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Join the Fun! Become a Member!
As a paying member of the Smith College Club of the Peninsula, you will get proactive evites to every planned event, and the following additional perks:
- Discounted admission to Club events, including lectures by faculty from the College
- Evite invitations to fun programs geared toward the varying interests of local alums
- The opportunity to meet and form lifelong connections with intelligent, interesting alums
- A sense of satisfaction knowing that Club funds help Smith attract outstanding young women from the Peninsula and provide scholarship funds to enable them to attend the College
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Suggest a Group Event
We're always looking for new ways to meet up and connect. If you have great ideas for group events, there's a way to make those suggestions: Go to our website under the Events tab, or just click here, and you will be presented with a Google form to guide you through your event suggestion. Please complete the form, including as much information as you can. After you submit the form, someone from the club's events team will contact you.
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STAY APPRISED OF MORE UPCOMING EVENTS | |
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Follow us on social media to stay up to date on our virtual and in-person gatherings.
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