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JP,
I guess you have to choose whether to "listen" to current students and parents on this board or "listen" to rumors. But, since you're going for an interview next week when school's back in session, perhaps you'll be able to pick up a "vibe" which will help you with your decision. Do you think it might help if I could persuade my S to actually input an answer. He's a really straight shooter and won't sugarcoat it. Do you have a question for him as a senior having spent all 4 years on the Swat campus?
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<p>Hey! I am listening to you, and I certainly trust you more than the rumors. I'm not trying to suggest that you're unfairly representing your son's experience. Swarthmore's my clear first choice college right now. I just thought that before I sign up to spend a few years there it's worth trying to get as much information as I can from as many different people as I can.</p>
<p>btw, I visited once already, at the beginning of the college process, and the "vibe" that I got was overwhelmingly positive. If it hadn't been, I wouldn't have spent so much time listening to every "rumor" I could find, positive or negative.</p>
<p>Really, I hope I didn't offend you. It's not that your view doesn't matter to me- it's that I've already taken into account, and valued, your overwhelmingly positive experience. Isn't it fair to see if there might be another side to the story, though?</p>
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Isn't it fair to see if there might be another side to the story, though?
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<p>Sure. </p>
<p>Truth be told, in any given year, there are 1475 sides to the story on campus -- and most of those 1475 probably have strong opinions about pretty much everything!</p>
<p>My daughter would probably give me the evil eye, but I think parents may, in some cases, bring a little more perspective to the party because we see policies and actions of the school in a broader context. For example, when my daughter had the flu, the nurses put her up in a private room with a TV and fed her chicken soup and ginger ale for two days. I don't know if my daughter truly appreciates how few colleges or universities would show that kind of caring. </p>
<p>Maybe she does. I know that she says the professors are too lenient with extensions on papers and stuff. She told one last spring, "don't even think of offering me an extension, I just wanna get the thing done!" Half of her friends e-mailed final papers or take-home exams to the professors from home! She approaches end-of-semester exam crunch time pragmatically. She makes a schedule, figures she has "x" number of hours for a final paper in one course, knows about what grade she can get on a "x" hour paper, and proceeds to put "x" hours into the paper, get it WA'd, make a few revisions, and move on to the next thing. Just get 'er done.</p>
<p>JP2249,
Absolutely no offense taken! Of course there would be another side to the story. There will be kids everywhere who realize that they have made the wrong decision. On of my S's closest friends from freshman year transferred to Penn because she realized that Swat was just too small for her. That's why I made the offer that if you have a specific question, I would try to get my S to sit down at the computer and answer it himself. But I certainly get the feeling that you have done a lot of homework in investigating colleges and you are open-minded enough to take all opinions into consideration and then make a well-reasoned decision for yourself. Good luck with the whole process!</p>
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JP 2249, are you definitely applying ED?</p>
<p>i'm thinking of doing the same--but it's a bit different for me bc i just decided tonight (haha)
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<p>I'm not definitely doing anything- I'm far too indecisive to make up my mind for sure until the last possible moment. The Swarthmore supplement is the only one that I've filled out so far, though, and there's probably a 75% chance that I'll apply there early. I just got back from a great visit to Swarthmore- and a great visit to Haverford that rekindled my interest in that school.</p>
<p>Well, for one thing, anything that you've heard about the beauty of the campus is absolutely true. It was a cold and gray day, but still stunning.</p>
<p>As for the culture of the school, I unfortunately didn't get a chance to stay overnight so I'm really not sure how much I can say. I mostly just saw students instead of meeting them. Most of the students in the lounges and snack bars were reading from huge books, but they seemed perfectly happy to be doing so. Coffee and energy drinks everywhere, so probably not much sleep being had. The few students I talked to directly were quiet but friendly. Most seemed very unconcerned about their appearances- everyone was obviously wearing the first remotely clean clothes that they had found after waking up that morning, rather than carefully constructed outfits. There were a huge number of Swarthmore sweatshirts around- but whether that's evidence of school spirit or of students who didn't want to go farther than the bookstore to shop for clothing, I couldn't say. Either one's fine with me.</p>
<p>The admissions officer I talked to for my interview seemed maybe a little less enthusiastic than my interviewers at other colleges, but since this was the first time that I've been interviewed by an adult rather than a student, there isn't really a fair basis for comparison. She was definitely polite and helpful. </p>
<p>The snackbar food was fairly depressing. If you're choosing a college based entirely on the quality of the snackbar, I'd recommend Pomona or Middlebury.</p>
<p>Yeah, my son is a freshman and loves Swarthmore, but certainly isn't impressed with the food. He was just home for fall break with a list of requests for both home-cooked and restaurant food. I think I gained 10 lbs this past week!</p>
<p>i find the food at sharples to be just fine albeit a tad repetitive. i enjoy sharples more for the ambiance that allows me to totally chill out with friends who don't live in my hall or dorm. </p>
<p>regarding the quiet and friendly comment, i think we're all friendly, but the decorum of certain buildings don't lend themselves to loud displays. on the other hand, the students may be quiet because they were tired, i know i am, especially with midterms having just concluded.</p>
<p>lastly, to ilovefish: are you out of your mind? how can you apply ed to a place you will live at for the next four years without having seen it? I understand doing that rd and getting around to it later, but ed plus acceptance plus not liking the place later equals screwed. i think swarthmore is beautiful and am having a good time (although i have to admit, i'm not used to quite the volume of work i'm getting here) but swarthmore has a vibe that is not for everyone, you must make the effort to see it if you're going ed i think.</p>
<p>i'm applying ED after many weeks/months of thinking. talked to counselor and many people who go to swat and read online posts all that stuff and i know i would pick it over any other school</p>
<p>my vibe? here goes. like many colleges and universities on the east coast, red staters may need time to adjust. this place is very liberal...and cold. the sun definately does not shine 24/7 here. also swat is really small. in two months, i already know over half of my incoming class. try that at nyu. don't take that to mean that everyone knows your business. frankly, i don't think anyone cares. the small size could be stifling for some. jp is correct that people don't seem to feel the need to dress up. there doesn't appear to be any outward displays of designer fashions (although i admit that i may not recognize it if it were apparent.) i haven't noticed any displays of status on campus either. i wouldn't know if the person next to me in class goes home from break on his family's jet or the families 1978 pickup. there is a high volume of work assigned in class. i didn't think so at the beginning, but it all seemed to come at once. i'll adjust. vibe? small, liberal and cold. thomas wolfe certainly didn't have this college on his mind although chester is nearby</p>
<p>Yeah, but there was a thoughtful Republican student editorial in the school newspaper this week! The Daily Gazette hasn't reported any Phoenix op-ed writers being tarred and feathered since the paper came out.</p>
<p>On the workload: after two years, my daughter says that she has to work hard. She has found three things help:</p>
<p>a) select a balance of courses each semester. For example, don't take four heavy reading courses at the same time. Pick professors who assign interesting reading!</p>
<p>b) learn to prioritize. Do the primary reading that you know will be the main topic of discussion in the next class. (Hint: if your professor wrote the book, it will probably be a main topic of discussion!) Skim (or skip) the secondary readings as necessary. I don't think any professors at Swarthmore expect students to read everything they assign for every class. She said that prioritizing is particularly useful during finals week, when she allocates "x" amount of time for each paper or exam and tries to stick to it. That prevents the trap of spending "x times 4" amount of time on a paper when doing so won't make any different in the outcome based on local knowledge of the professor.</p>
<p>c) Keep chopping wood. She has found that a regular routine of going to the library after dinner helps...and still leaves time for late-night socializing in the dorm or at pub night on Thursdays. Many people did that when I was in college back in the stone age; I think it's a good plan and helps prevent being suckered into a night of video games or poker.</p>
<p>thanks for your insight on swat. i honestly love everything you said in your post about swat.
i think there's a general consensus about swat. i love learning, your large number of discussion-based classes, and definitely the small community. and i guess i am taking a risk by applying ED since i have never visited the campus but i think that swat is a school that i would take this chance for. so...i hope to see you next year! </p>
<p>(btw, i actually like the fact that the sun doesn't shine 24/7. i'm a bit sick of eternal sunlight and ready for seasons!)</p>
<p>In general, I think it's best to visit before applying ED. However, my impression is that what you see is what you get with Swarthmore. I think its reputation, marketing materials, and guidebook descriptions are honest. After two years as a Swarthmore parent, I would say that the actual experience closely matches the "pitch". There haven't been any surprises.</p>
<p>i would really like to visit, but it's all the way across the country so i really can't. however, thanks for telling me that what i see is what i get with swat because what i see, i like!</p>