<p>Swat is my #1 with Reed at a close #1.5. U Chicago is #2, mainly because I haven't visited...at least I got in there!</p>
<p>i loved swat when i visited.</p>
<p>swat is my #3 ... right after harvard and columbia, but i know those two are more of long shots.</p>
<p>i also applied to amherst, wellesley, and binghamton (accepted there).</p>
<p>location is what appeals to me most. philly would be an interesting place to be nearby. the professors are amazingly approachable and caring, and the students are extremely intellectual and yet nice.</p>
<p>From what I gather, Swat is at least as competitive for entrance as Harvard and Columbia, allureNY86. </p>
<p>Big jump from Columbia to Swarthmore, isn't it? They seem to be such different schools, though admittedly I never really looked at Columbia...</p>
<p>arador,</p>
<p>yes, i know they're all competitive schools. but the 24% acceptance rate still mollifies me a bit.</p>
<p>they do seem a bit different. but it's still next to a big urban area, which is important to me. it's still a little on the small undergrad side (columbia has lots of grad students but they're small with undergrad.) they all have superb english departments. </p>
<p>so i do have my solid, well-researched reasons for selecting the schools that i did. it's not an incoherent jumble.</p>
<p>i wasn't going to apply to swarthmore until after i visited, actually. </p>
<p>and i wasn't planning on visiting until they started mass-mailing me stuff.</p>
<p>even if it does seem like a "big jump," perhaps by your criteria, remember that there's no single "right school" for someone. </p>
<p>there could be several viable options.</p>
<p>i was looking for places where i could be freely passionate about what i love doing, and experience a stimulating atmosphere charged by like-minded students.</p>
<p>allureNY86, I'm glad that you choose to apply to Swat. It is certainly a wonderful school-arguablly an even better one than Harvard or Columbia to some people like the EDers including me.</p>
<p>The 24% acceptance does not indicate Swat is "esaier" to get into. Swarthmore's application pool is very very self-selected-- only people who did some college research and want to "sweatmore" would even want to apply. These people tend to be high-achievers from the beginning and thus result in a higher percentage of them getting admitted. In contrast, Harvard and Columbia receive a large amount of applicants who are applying for a "lottery chance" and who are definitely under-qualified. All three are fine schools, I agree with you that people could find "fit" in different ways. As long as you did ample research and find the colleges right for you, go for it!</p>
<p>Good luck in the RDs!</p>
<p>Bowtoserenity is right. </p>
<p>Harvard and Columbia are definitely MUCH harder to get into, what with the admissions rate in the tens to low teens at both places. And no throwing stones at me for saying so here. But so what? You get a fine education at Swarthmore, any way you look at it and it is an 'admissions value' in terms of that and the attention paid to undergrads.</p>
<p>I agree with bowtoserenity. I don't think that a single statistic can determine how hard is it to be accepted. While it is true that Harvard and Columbia admit a (slightly) smaller percentage of their applicants, I can say with certainty that Swarthmore, with its notorious academic rigor and its less "prestigious" standing, has an applicant pool that is very self-selective. Also, acceptance into Swarthmore hinges on more than just empty statistics. It is my opinion that it is easier to score a perfect 1600 on the SAT than to write the perfect "Why Swarthmore?" essay. Overall, I'd say getting into Swarthmore is just as hard as getting into Harvard and Columbia.</p>
<p>hey, thanks guys. yes, swarthmore is definitely a top school, hence the nickname "sweatmore." and the intensity follows the students out of the classrooms as well.</p>
<p>a lot of students do try their luck at columbia and harvard. many new york students apply to columbia simply since it's considered among the best NY schools, without giving much thought as to why. and harvard does have the nice-sounding name, but at a school like swarthmore i'd get much more personal attention from profs. i still think it's slightly easier to get into than the aforementioned schools.</p>
<p>and the "why swat" essay. that really did require a lot of thought. i have to admit, it was harder than the SATs. </p>
<p>but i think mine came out all right (hopefully!).</p>