Simmons University

Located in the middle of Boston, the women's-centered Simmons University is a liberal arts center, offering its undergraduates more than sixty majors and programs, including a well-known nursing school. Some courses require field trips and city exploration or internships relevant to the course, while others involve projects that "place students in volunteering jobs to work with the surrounding communities." "Classes involve significant amounts of discussions and presentations," and with small class sizes, students generally get to know all of their peers. Similarly, students enjoy "the ability to create strong personal relationships with professors and advisors" and say that teachers "truly are there for you as human beings, not just professors."

The workload is "heavy, but always doable" at Simmons, and clinicals tend to let students in earlier than many other schools would. "Labs go above and beyond" here, and the school incorporates video lectures into its courses "so that class periods can be more discussion-based." One student says, "Even as a first-year I have already been given multiple research opportunities that amaze and excite me." There are many accelerated programs to which undergraduate students can apply in order to achieve a graduate degree at a faster rate (many at Simmons go on to graduate school), and employers are well-aware of the school's curriculum, which requires every student to partake in "at least one internship, clinical, research [project], or other type of real-world learning." "When I say I attend Simmons, people know I have received a quality education," says a student.

The women here are "generally highly liberal and outspoken," and "you have to find your niche." Students at Simmons are typically "advocates for a number of causes" and are extremely political. A huge number are healthcare majors, and everyone is "incredibly passionate and intelligent [and] invested in the community." This group is "very centered around acceptance of various identities as well as female empowerment," and "there is a theme of personal growth reflected in the gender identity."

There are two campuses at Simmons: academic and residential. The academic campus has "lots of places to study," such as the library, multicultural center, and cafés, but most students stay on the residential campus when classes aren't going on, and more than half live there. Most in this "nomadic bunch" like to use their free time to explore Boston and surrounding neighborhoods, including nearby Fenway Park. "I spend my days living my best city life," says a student. There are no parties on this "very academics-oriented" campus, especially given the "strict drug and alcohol policy." This is a campus of "all-around intellectuals who are serious about their careers after university [who] will more likely be found studying than partying." A lot of students work "either on campus or in hospitals or restaurants." Boston sporting events are popular pastimes, as is going to the gym, and "there is always something to do off campus." Almost all students go out into the city only on weekends, as "there usually isn't anything going on on-campus," and they get discounts or free admission to many events or institutions, like the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum, "both of which are right down the street from campus."