Simmons College

I will be perfectly honest that I have not enjoyed my time at Simmons College. For starters, the loneliness and isolation you feel on campus is too much. Since many of the students are adult learners and commuters, there is not very much of a community on the Residence campus. Those who do live on campus oftentimes go home or visit their boyfriends on weekends. I have found it difficult to maintain a social life and make friends at Simmons, let alone find someone to study with in the library. This school is best suited for working mothers or those wishing to earn a degree at an older age. The fact that there are so many older students in my classes has affected my undergraduate experience tremendously. For instance, I had to do a group project with a woman who had absolutely no patience with me, and oftentimes expressed dissatisfaction with my work; the age difference was a good 30 years or so. I have found that the administration automatically defends the older students, while acting as though undergraduates like me are the problem.

I should mention that if you have a learning disability or find yourself struggling academically, then this is not the place to seek help. I exhausted every available resource in disability services and student life, while also meeting frequently with my professors. However, all anyone offered to do was give me extensions and petition for incomplete grades. They never once tried to help me come up with strategies for spending less time on my work. I felt like I constantly had to fight for simple requests that would just take a few minutes of their time.

The scheduling has been problematic. I had a night lab that oftentimes finished at 10 pm. (It's not safe to walk back to the Residence buildings alone at night). I have found that there aren't enough professors who teach in the Biology and Nutrition departments. Consequently, few of these classes are taught per semester and class times often conflict with those in other departments; these constraints have made it very difficult to create a desirable schedule each semester. Also bear in mind that if you decide to switch majors by the end of your sophomore year, then it is nearly impossible to graduate on time. This is due to the scheduling constraints and lack of course offerings. Consequently, you end up wasting time and money. This school is designed for Nursing and Physical Therapy majors who know exactly what they want to do from start to finish. For these reasons, I am transferring to another institution with more academic prestige and a better course selection.

Lastly, the library resources at this school leave much to be desired. Though Simmons is well-known for its school of library science, it's troubling to me that it is not even a member of the Boston Library Consortium. I have found it extremely difficult to complete assignments due to the lack of available resources. I have had to request numerous interlibrary loans, which take a while to come in. I have made use of every library source from databases and eBooks to journal articles and books in-print.

If you are one who seeks a true, well-balanced college experience, then definitely look elsewhere. Also take into consideration that the retention rate is a low 83%.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2012

Surrounding City: A-, Innovation: F

My first undergrad degree did not help me, everyone said the major I chose would lead me to a great career as a PhD. They were very wrong. A PhD with my major can barely get a paying job and most have to settle for unpaid internships! So after years of working in a related field I went back to study nursing. This was an even worse idea. The nursing professors were unprofessional. The administration (especially Dean Beal) is appalling. I emailed all of my nursing professors and never once received an email back. The program was so flawed I left. I spent thousands of dollars at this school and feel very cheated. Although, it was my fault to try to go back to the same terrible place.

Alumnus Male -- Class 2000