Hey everyone! Decided to make a thread for Swarthmore College since there was no forum for this current year for transfers. With the application due date looming by, lets use this thread for any questions, concerns, comments, or just some fun conversations!
Hey! Thanks for making this. I’m currently a freshman, and will be applying to transfer to Swarthmore this fall. Are you applying as well, @armadaswim?
Also, has anyone already asked for letters of recommendation? If so, do you feel the instructors you’ve asked will be able to give you glowing letters, or most likely just generally positive ones? I feel like recommendations are a question mark for transfer admissions—the best candidates I could ask would only be basing their opinion on a single semester’s interaction. Is that fairly standard for sophomore transfer applications?
@koletang Hey! Yup, I am applying as a junior transfer this year. I actually applied as a sophomore transfer last year and was waitlisted, so giving it another go this year! For the most part, it’s hard to ask professors to write you LOR’s, so I asked my TA’s to write my LOR’s instead. This year, I’ve managed to connect more with professors, and have been able to obtain LOR’s from one of my professors with whom I have a close relationship with and a TA who is an alumni from Swarthmore.
As a sophomore transfer, I say don’t worry about it too much. I think most colleges realize that you are only a freshman and just want to see your involvement on campus. I don’t think it would hurt to ask a TA or professor for one LOR, as long as you think the LOR won’t hurt your application.
Hope this helps!
Best of luck to you. It sounds like you’ve done well since applying as a freshman–if I’m waitlisted this year, I’ll probably apply again as well.
Your advice about LORs and extracurriculars makes sense; given only a semester, they’ll probably wanna know more about a student’s involvement on campus, since closer connections with profs often stems from longer term, discipline-specific research involvements.
Even though I know it’s a pretty scattershot indicator of success, may I ask what your stats were as a freshman applicant? I have a 4.0 college gpa, 1570 sat, and a 3.7 gpa from high school (unweighted, rigorous courseload).
@koletang Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner! I just saw your post, so better to answer it now rather than never.
I consider my stats to be pretty good. Right now, I have a 3.84 college GPA at a top 25 college (according to US news and world), 2200 SAT (old format), a 3.96 HS GPA (unweighted, with 9 AP and 4? IB classes). As a freshman applicant, my HS GPA and SAT were the same, but my college GPA was a 3.76. Not too much of a difference, but I’m relying more on the other components of my application to help me stand out, particularly my LORs and extracurriculars.
Hi there! Also a transfer applicant!
@butfirstcoffee hello! yay another joins our small crowd 
Hi @armadaswim ! Have you had a chance to visit Swat? I’m not from the area so I’m wondering what it’s like there! I did an interview but didn’t learn a whole lot other than it’s very tiny and the professors are awesome.
@butfirstcoffee I did visit during my winter break. Honestly, it’s really nice. Everyone’s friendly, it has that nice close knit vibe that I’m looking for, and the campus itself is beautiful. It was really cold, but most of the time are spent indoors anyways. Hope this helps and lmk if you have any other questions!
Also applied to Swarthmore for Fall 2018. Definitely a reach but worth a shot! Good luck to everyone!
I just received an IDOC request for financial info. Anyone else get the same?
Not me. BTW everyone, decisions came out May 15 last year!
Btw, where else are you guys applying?
@koletang what do you mean? did you receive an email from IDOC? I didn’t receive anything. Did you send in the financial aid paperwork before? lol idk why they would ask again
@koletang still waiting on Swarthmore, Claremont Mckenna, and Colby. Have already been accepted to USC and Chapman and rejected from Pomona
@koletang Applied to a good bunch but still have BC, Swat, Georgetown and Cornell left. Accepted to Vandy and W&M & waitlisted basically everywhere else
@hopeful112 yeah I sent in everything before, I guess I forgot something
Good luck to everyone! Decisions should be coming in next week
Notification date is May 14 at 7:00 ET!
GL everyone, it sounds like they had more applicants than usual, judging by their email last week.