Hi everyone, we are discussing to apply Early Decision to either Swarthmore College, or Middlebury College.
Just to give a brief student profile, my son wants to major in Cognitive Science (only available at Swat), but he wouldn’t mind studying Psychology at Middlebury. (Although he really wants to do Cognitive Science) He also wants to run track, study abroad, double major or major and minor, end the college with Honors, and maybe do research.
Any suggestions please? Which one offers a rigorous and interesting life both in and outside of the classroom?
Has he visited both? Swat has the reputation as the more intense of the two. Some people find it too intense, but it may suit your son. Middlebury is also rigorous and Interesting.
Thanks for your answer. We visited Swarthmore, but havent got the chance to visit Middlebury yet. Though the campuses are similar, Middlebury is more isolated from big cities. (At least is what we’ve been told and seen trough pics )
How about the student life and academic life diversity of options?
Middlebury might be more traditionally collegiate – at least in a way befitting of its NESCAC affiliation (and accordingly fields a few teams such as football and hockey that cannot be found at Swarthmore).
Swarthmore students may arrive on campus with a somewhat greater consistency of academic preparation reflective of the academic rigour your son appears to be seeking:
Given your son’s preference for a major in cognitive science, it seems as though Swat would be the obvious choice for ED. Should he be deferred or rejected in this round, he could then focus on Midd, or consider other LACs that offer cognitive science, in the ED 2 or RD rounds.
It is possible to do all those things as that’s what my D is doing. She has been doing research for two years at swat and studied abroad. She is a double major doing honors thesis though she doesn’t do a varsity sport she is captain of her club sport and involved in a performance group. She goes into philly a few times a month for fun and to media, pa as well. While incredibly busy if you are organized and persistent you can balance the rigors of swat.
Middlebury is beautiful but is in the boondocks. For a student who loves the outdoors, skiing, and hiking, it can be a good fit. It is a little jockier and preppier than Swarthmore.
Swarthmore - also beautiful - is about a 20 minute train ride away from Philly with great dining, a great art and live music scene, as well as easy train/bus access to NYC and Washington, DC. Less preppy, a little more liberal and social justice oriented.
Middlebury has 1,000 more students than Swarthmore, 2500 vs 1500. Swarthmore is part of the Quaker Consortium which offers the opportunity to take classes at Haverford, Bryn Mawr and UPenn. Opportunities to study abroad, run track, do research, etc. exist at both schools.
My son visited both and found both to be appealing in different ways. He also found significant downsides to both. I personally visited Middlebury but not Swarthmore.
Middlebury is beautiful. It is far from major cities and difficult to get to. My son is interested in Social Sciences with an international focus and Midd is very strong in those areas. Middlebury looks and feels like a traditional New England college. Middlebury is politically liberal but lacks the intense social justice warrior feel of Swarthmore.
Swarthmore is also beautiful but in a different way. Its location really appealed to my son. He loves the idea of being close to a city for weekends but not living in the city itself. The social justice warriors didn’t really appeal to him. Swat has an honor code which can be a plus or minus depending on the student. My son likes an honor code but some kids really hate the idea.
Both are academically rigorous and attract smart students. Both have opportunities to run track. Have you been in contact with coaches? Are your son’s times good enough for him to be competitive in college? I don’t know the track landscape as well as lacrosse but I would imagine track is a bit easier to navigate because times are known and can be compared.
I think that for your son the academic fit is more important than anything else. If he doesn’t have a clear number one maybe you should skip ED entirely.
Since you mention track, it is significantly easier to make most sports teams at Swat. NESCAC athletics are pretty competitive by D3 standards. But having said that, I don’t know the details for your son’s event at either.
Swat is more intense, I think. Having Philly so accessible is nice. But then, so is Vermont in a different way. Students at both are smart. This is more about fit than quality of school.
Middlebury is a fine school but the location could be an issue for some students, not only for its isolation but also for the climate. You might want to visit before making an ED commitment.
What an amazing college experience is your D achieving! It is exactly what I want my son to go through. He is very organized and knows how to manage his time, so there’s no problem about that. Thanks !
Well, he definitively wants diversity among the students, as well as interesting and modest classmates. Also tranquility in campus, but not boredom. He really likes the location of Swat and opportunities that the location provides.
Thank you.
Thanks so much for your answer.
My son feels the same way as yours regarding Swat’s location. He likes honesty, and values respect, but doesnt want to live in a very strict social environment. What do you mean by an honor code? Do students at Swat expect specific social standards? Also, do students at Middlebury promote cultural diversity?
His times are competitive to be in Swat’s team, but a little less competitive for Middlebury.
he wants to be challenged, and have fun. Swat looks like having both. Middlebury’s greater isolation feels like a disadvantage.
His timed are really average, even slow, but competitive enough for Swat.
Yes, we are planning to visit before making a decision. But if regardless of the campus, my son already knows thst he prefers Swat, there is no point on commuting.