This past week, Simmons College welcomed news staffer and senior Hope Weaver to the city of Boston, MA, for a tour of the campus and to get a feel of life as a college student in the city.

Weaver reflected on her experience at her possible home for the next four years.

I walked up the steps to the Main Building, glancing behind my shoulder to see the faint outline of the infamous Fenway Park and I realized that I’ll probably have to get rid of my Yankees T-shirt. Once inside, I waited for my appointment in the lobby where I was asked for directions, twice. I guess my ‘doe in the headlights’ look wasn’t screaming loud enough.

I’ve always loved big cities. To me, Boston feels like New York City’s cousin from the country, especially where Simmons College is located; mostly because the ride to the college shows off Boston’s picturesque neighborhoods and winding city streets. And, with the campus located right in front of Harvard Medical School, the only thing I could think of was eating lunch on the medical school’s quad and pretending that I was a student there for the day.

Simmons College is a private women’s college, but it feels like the opposite. The college is a part of the Colleges of the Fenway (COF), or a collaboration of six neighboring colleges in Boston’s Fenway area that includes:  Emmanuel College, Mass Art,  MCPHS University, Wentworth Institute, Wheelock College and Simmons. This allows students to cross-register and take classes at any college that is part of COF, creating a co-ed atmosphere in a women’s private college.

The academic environment at Simmons is definitely an interesting one. With more than 80 areas of study available, the class sizes aren’t too big or small, with an average of 18 students. This allows students to form closer relationships with their professors while meeting a wider range of peers in each class.

Also, as an incoming freshman at Simmons, students are given the chance to get to know the city and other freshmen with the Boston Course, a number of courses designed to introduce them to the city in various ways.

Yes, it’s located in the heart of the nation’s best “college town”, but Simmons also offers a wide array of academic programs.  According to US World and News Report, the college is ranked #11 in Regional Universities-North. The most popular programs are Health related Professions and Programs, Social Sciences, Business, Parks and Fitness Studies, and Psychology.

On campus, students can find more than 80 groups to join, including Division III sports. Not to mention all the opportunities that come with living in a city like Boston.

According to simmons.edu, the goal at Simmons is to build up each individual student in order for them to build and discover their inner confidence, eventually learning how to make themselves into leaders. the school aims to help students provide the necessary means to find and harness their own version of leadership.

If any of this sounds appealing, I would highly recommend checking them out.

Ultimately, the only thing that matters when it comes to college is that every student finds a place that feels like home, or at least smells nice. I’ve found that feeling at Simmons, and I hope that everyone is lucky enough to find their home away from home, too.