<p>I think my "Why Swat" essay is going to focus around the people there and how much I "clicked" with them; after all, when it comes down to it, that's what really grabbed me about the school and why I want to go there as much as I do. Does this work? I'm just trying to be honest about what I like about the school and why I want to go there, and hope it'll be good enough :) Achat and Interesteddad, you are both so helpful.</p>
<p>Yep. I can definitely say that approach can work!</p>
<p>Consider writing about specific people, by name. If you want to be really clever, you could have each one personify some broad quality you like about Swarthmore.</p>
<p>My daughter came home from her overnight visit and we just talked about each person and the one thing that was most striking about the experience of meeting them or sitting in their class, or whatever. As luck would have it, when she wrote down the one thing for each of four or five people, she had a bullet list that matched up with the viewbook pitch.</p>
<p>There are a lot of different approaches to the Why Swat? essay that can work. But, common to all successful ones seems to be communicating some understanding of what makes Swat tick and presenting some personality that lets the adcoms picture you as a Swattie.</p>
<p>I agree with Achat that the essays don't have to be literary classics. Some little "spark" is more important than polished prose, IMO.</p>
<p>Dear Jaimie17,
I realize that you live far away from Swat, and may have not had a chance to visit. I think that if at all possible, Swarthmore is such an unusual place that a visit is really critical to see if the "fit" is correct. When we went for an information session with my son (just finished sophomore year) I was struck by what was said during that session. We had visited "all the usual suspects," HYP, AW(S) and it was just different at the Swat info session. I just pulled out my little notebook where I wrote down things from our various college visits. The quote that struck me then was that Swarthmore is looking for "someone who is academically excited by the learning process." I remember kicking my husband in the shin at that point because it described my S exactly. When he went for an overnight and attended classes, he was able to use those experiences to help him write his "Why Swat" essay. For instance, he wrote about the excitement of an Intro Astrophysics class that he sat in on fairly early in the morning, mentioning the professor by name. (He's a political science & history dual major.) If you can't visit before you have to write the "Why Swat" essay, follow the other leads you have been given on this site and read anything and everything you can find about the school. Best of luck to you and all the other "specs!"</p>
<p>Thanks so much, momof3sons! I do realize that you just can't replace the opportunity of getting a sense of the campus in person, but, as you noted, my location in NorCal makes this difficult. However, I am hoping to visit Swarthmore and a few other east coast schools in the fall before I apply. Hopefully this will give me some new insight. Until then, from what I have read and heard Swarthmore remains at the top of my list.</p>
<p>Also, if you have a moment, I would love to hear what your's and your son's experience has been like at Swarthmore so far. Any complaints, glowing praise, words of warning or wisdom, etc. Thanks so much!</p>
<p>Hi Jaimie17,
When I asked my S about his impressions of Swarthmore he said, "I like it. It's a good school. (S)he should go there." Now, that may not sound like much to you, but it is high praise coming from him! He said that if you give me an idea of what you might like to study and what type of extracurriculars you are interested in, he can be much more helpful. That being said, I can tell you that in his first two years he took such an interesting load of courses, showing in my mind what a true liberal arts education is all about. Everything from Discreet Math, to Harmony & Counterpoint, to Economics, to Beijing & Shanghai, to Comparative Politics, to Hebrew for Text Study! He had courses with 6 students in them, courses with 30 students, and everything in between. You can't go to Swarthmore and hide! He sings with an a capella group, is involved with a number of political causes and does volunteer work, among other things. He is surviving quite nicely. He thinks he has been challenged there (a first in his academic career) and says that the professors are generally very accessible. I asked him about the stereotype of Swat being a campus of "quirky intellectuals." He said that's true to some extent, but he would put himself in the normal 50% range. (That's normal for Swarthmore!)Some people would be considered more normal than he is is and as for "really" quirky people, maybe 10% would fall into that category. He describes the campus as being very tolerant. Anyway, I'm rambling on here, so give us more specifics about your interests if you care to and maybe he can be more helpful.</p>
<p>Amazingly enough, I referenced only one specific detail about Swarthmore campus/culture/people in my Why Swat essay. I probably came off as sappily in love with Swat, though, and added in some fairly intellectually cute points here and there. And I was very specific about what I wanted in college, and how Swat was the only real answer. Everyone I have talked to since then seems to have honed in one specific aspect of Swat - history, specific culture, interesting prof, etc. - but I did a general one and did fine with it. The adcoms seem to be open to anything, so long as you do it interestingly.</p>
<p>
[quote]
some fairly intellectually cute points here and there
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</p>
<p>That works, too. One of the best successful Why Swat essays I've read presented three somewhat off-the-wall, but thought-provoking, political ideas and then made the case that Swarthmore would be be great because there would be plenty of kids who a) would actually listen to ideas like that and b) would stay up late arguing why the ideas wouldn't work.</p>
<p>The essay showed a real understanding of the campus culture. I thought it was terrific.</p>
<p>Thanks so much gphoenix,, interesteddad, and momof3sons =) Where could I get ahold of some sample "Why Swat?" essays that worked, just to get an idea of how they're structured?</p>
<p>I think you would be better off to just write what you think. Looking at samples could mess you up.</p>
<p>It might help to just sit around the kitchen table with your Mom or Dad or a friend and describe what you like verbally.</p>
<p>The content is more important than the structure of the essay.</p>
<p>momof3sons, thank you for taking the time to ask your son about Swarthmore! As far as what I (she) wants to study, I am not completely sure. However, I am really interested in the humanities, i.e. writing, ancient civilizations, foreign languages. As for a career I am looking into Law, being a college professor, or some sort of social or environmental activism (I am actually very intrigued by this, but I know very little about it as a career). As for extracurriculars, I love to volunteer at pretty much any community service activity, tutor, and do Mock Trial. These would be my top three favorite ECs, I suppose. Your son's courses sound amazing! I would love to take "Harmony and Counterpoint" or "Hebrew for Text Study" :) . Everything you relayed from your son really fits into what I am looking for at college: a definite challenge, small courses, interesting subjects, volunteering and activism opportunities, and a normal but quirky student body. Would you mind asking him about the study abroad program at Swat? Thanks again!</p>
<p>Here are couple of links about foreign study programs:</p>
<p>For community service, you could talk to Pat James or Debra Kardon-Brown at the Lang Center for Civic Responsibility. Here's a link to the page with their e-mails.</p>
<p>The Director, Jeannie Keith, taught a freshman seminar course in the Sociology department this spring on Community Service and Social Change. As part of the course, each student was assigned as an intern at a local non-profit agency and the final paper was an analysis of that non-profit. It is part of Swat benefactor Eugene Lang's notion that elite colleges should include social responsibility in the curriculum.</p>
<p>Jaimie, sorry it took me so long to respond. Haven't been on in a while.
I think the advice they gave at both the interview and essay sessions boils down to: be yourself. I got the sense that Swarthmore relies HEAVILY on fit and if you can convey how and why you are a Swattie, they'll take you. By the way, you sound a lot like me in your ECs and career goals. What other schools are you looking at? IM me sometime - MackBat818 - I'd love to talk. Most of the people I know hear 'Swarthmore' and go 'What?!? That's a grind school! Why would you wanna go there??' Either that or 'Isn't that all-girls?'</p>
<p>Swatties/parents of Swatties - how have you and/or your child found the Philly connection? Is public transportation good? Do students have enough time to get off campus and do other things? I know this boils down to the individual and time management skills, but in general?</p>
<p>Thanks for the links, Interesteddad... study abroad is pretty key for me, and they were very helpful. Do any (parents of) Swatties know about music/ a- cappella at Swarthmore? I know that Swat subsidizes private lessons off- campus by audition... do you have to be amazing/ on a preprofessional music track to get one of these subsidies? Thanks so much for all the info... it is much appreciated =)</p>
<p>Philly connection is easy. Train station was closer to my D's dorm than the dining hall. She and her friends went into Philly for shopping/dinner once or twice a month. A big group would go celebrate birthdays, usually sampling one ethnic restaurant or another -- everything from Thai to Ethiopian. She also went to the Philly Museum of Art (of Rocky fame) twice this semester, once to see the special Dali exhibit and again to see a specfic painting in the European collection for her Intro to Western Art paper. She hasn't made it to the Rodin Museum yet, but I expect she will next semester as she is signed up for some kind of Modern Art class.</p>
<p>Other kids go to the alternative rock clubs. Others go into the big shows at the arena, like the recent U2 tour. Or, to the Philadelphia Orchestra at the Kimmel Center. Train is convenient enough for most of those as well as to the airport. Also, Swarthmore runs a downtown Philly van on weekend nights which save train fare.</p>
<p>She's also taken a weekend trip to NYC for fun and a day trip to D.C. for a press conference/lobbying day on the Sudan issue. </p>
<p>Different kids get out and around varying amounts, depending on their interests.</p>
<p>Hi Jaimie17,
More info for you. My S said that they revived the Mock Trial team this year. Apparently it had been dormant for some time. There is also a terrific debate team on campus. As for study abroad, he never focused on going abroad, and now that he has been accepted as a double honors major, he seems to think it's really out of the question because of the amount of seminars he has to take within the next two years. He believes that Swat has only a couple of formal study abroad programs that it runs, but thinks that number is pretty normal for a small college. However, students latch on to study abroad programs all over the world run by different universities. He said that there is an office at Swarthmore specifically devoted to helping students set up their study abroad, and told me that the individual department chairs help arrange for credit for courses taken abroad. He guesses that close to half the juniors go abroad for one semester. There are a large number of groups on campus promoting social /environmental activism, and close to 20% of the students actively participate in these groups. For example, my S has traveled 15 hours (each way) on a bus to Georgia to protest at a US Army base (long story!) and also works for various causes right on campus. This past semester he volunteered on Saturday mornings in a nearby town preparing tax returns for low income people. (He was trained first!) Hope this was somewhat helpful.</p>
<p>Hi ladylazarus,</p>
<p>There are auditions for the private lesson subsidies. Basically, if you can carry a tune/play your instrument competently, you will get at least a 1/3 subsidy. There are also 2/3 subsidies, which are not too difficult to get if you play well, but you will most likely not get a 2/3 subsidy in your first semester. There are a very limited number of Garrigues scholarships, which pay the full cost of lessons plus transportation, but they are not awarded to first semester freshmen. Don't be discouraged if you don't get as large a subsidy as you expected first semester, because it is very likely that it will be raised after one or two semesters.</p>
<p>There is also a very strong music department, with a five semester music theory sequence and a good number of music history courses. There are also plenty of performance opportunities. There are 7 or 8 a capella groups on campus; 1 all-male group, 1 all-female group, 2 other co-ed pop groups, a jazz group, a soul group, a Jewish group, and I think there is one more group, which I can't recall at the moment.</p>
<p>(ladylazarus, this reply was actually written by the son of momof3sons, an actual rising junior.)</p>
<p>Study abroad info:
<a href="http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/index.html%5B/url%5D">http://www.swarthmore.edu/Admin/ofs/index.html</a></p>
<p>interesteddad and nngmm-thank you both for the study abroad links, some of the programs look really interesting! Interesteddad, thank you also for the info regarding community service. Would you mind posting that link to the page with the e-mails of Pat James or Debra Kardon-Brown so that I could contact them? I hate to repeat myself, but thanks again, your advice on these boards is really invaluable.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.swarthmore.edu/langcenter/%5B/url%5D">http://www.swarthmore.edu/langcenter/</a></p>
<p>On the subject of music, somebody should probably mention that Swarthmore tilts towards "world music". One of the major music groups on campus is a Balinese Gamelin group -- drums and xlyophone-like percussion instruments with associated dancing. One of the dance troups performs traditional African dance from Ghana.</p>
<p>eclipse0-don't worry about the wait, it just means you have a life outside of CC which is always a good thing :) . Thanks for the relay of advice, it echoes most of what other parents have offered to us "specs".</p>