Quad

Key differences on Getting in

  1. 1

    Williams is 2.7× more selective than Smith

    Acceptance rate
  2. 2

    Williams's yield is 8 pts higher than Smith's

    Yield rate
  3. 3

    Williams's SAT midpoint is 50 points higher than Smith's

    SAT midpoint

Admissions

Getting in, fall 2024

Acceptance and yield, test score ranges, test policy, and what each college weighs.

The funnel

Acceptance rate
Williams8.3%
Smith22%
Applicants
Williams15.4K
Smith8.1K
Admitted
Williams1.3K
Smith1.8K
Yield rate
Williams43%
Smith35%

Quad's selectivity

  • WilliamsUltra selective
  • SmithHighly selective

Men and women

Acceptance rate for men and women who applied, where a college reports admissions by sex.

Women admitted
Williams8.8%
Smith21%
Men admitted
Williams8.0%
SmithNot reported

Test scores

SAT total,

Williams
1490–1570
Smith
1420–1540

Axis runs 1300–1600. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

ACT composite,

Williams
34–35
Smith
32–35

Axis runs 28–36. The dark tick marks the national median midpoint.

Submitted SAT
Williams35%
Smith29%
Submitted ACT
Williams17%
Smith14%

Test policy

  • WilliamsTest-optional
  • SmithTest-optional

How they read a record

  • Williams

    The high school record and a college-prep program are required; GPA and class rank are considered.

  • Smith

    The high school record is required; GPA, class rank, and a college-prep program are considered.

What they look at

FactorWilliamsSmith
High school GPA ConsideredConsidered
High school record RequiredRequired
Class rank ConsideredConsidered
College-prep program RequiredConsidered
Recommendations RequiredRequired
Essay RequiredRequired
Legacy status ConsideredConsidered
Work experience ConsideredConsidered
Demonstration of competencies ConsideredNot considered
English proficiency test ConsideredRequired
Other tests ConsideredNot considered
All admissions numbers in the table

Sources:IPEDS Admissions survey, Fall 2024;College Scorecard, Entered fall 2023;College Scorecard, most recent release;Smith College (Fall 2025), Fall 2025About the data(retrieved 2026-10-12)

Figures are the newest each college has published; years can differ between colleges. Each value's ⓘ shows its source and year. Why