<p>Hi, I am looking for some input from parents and (current and past) students on whether students like my son is a good fit for Swartsmore. He is still wondering if he wants to apply to Swarts. I think he wanted to apply last Fall but after viewing the CD school sent, he changed his mind. The CD was unfiltered interviews/recording by the students. I think he was a bit intimidated by the students. They seem so "all-together." He has good stats in terms of GPA, test scores, and such but he is a poor writer (only got 8 or 9 on his ACT). He is not into school clubs but likes community service work. He is an introvert and somewhat quiet person by nature. By the way, he wants to study bio/pre-med.</p>
<p>I would love to hear some input based on your experience. I want to find a small school where he can open-up more and challenged but dont want to put him in a situation where he will not be successful. Any thoughts you may have are greatly appreciated. Thanks.</p>
<p>I don’t have the answer to this question but I’m interested in hearing what other more knowledgable people think. My daughter was deferred from the ED round, but still hopes for a Spring acceptance. She is not really big on ECs either. She really likes to spend her time on academics, that’s her actual passion. </p>
<p>I’m not sure where kids who are academically gifted but short on ECs are supposed to go- it seems like all the colleges stress ECs, leadership, sports etc.</p>
<p>FromMD: It’s hard to say whether or not your son would be a good fit for Swarthmore. I don’t know much about him or what kind of environment he’s looking for. There are plenty of quiet people at Swarthmore – I don’t think that would be a problem. He should keep in mind that Swarthmore is a very small college, and he would have to be comfortable seeing the same people around him all the time, including people he may not like. </p>
<p>4yorkshiremen: I think it’s definitely important to get involved in extracurricular activities or sports. if you’re going to attend Swarthmore. The vast majority of Swatties are dedicated to both academics and extracurriculars. But there are some who aren’t that dedicated to academics, and there are some who don’t really do extracurriculars at all. I think people who are very involved in academics and extracurriculars on average end up much happier at Swarthmore than those who aren’t. But of course how happy someone ends up at Swat depends on the individual.</p>
<p>It sounds like your son IS involved in EC activities: his community service activities. These are every bit as relevant as school-based clubs and positions. He can and should highlight his involvement and interests in his application. Also, since you live relatively close by, he definitely should visit the campus, eat in the dining hall, hang out in the science commons (where many of the Bio majors work in groups on homework assignments), and generally absorb the atmosphere. He’ll be able to tell a lot about his fit for the school and its students.</p>
<p>OP, I think it’s important for your son to remember that Swat is obviously not going to choose introverts, but extroverts and people who are good at talking about themselves for these promotional videos. If he is feeling intimidated, I would say to him that a bunch of students that come to Swat are probably intimidated at first. However, most find their way quickly and jump right into ECs and academics, finding a way to balance it all, introverts and extroverts included. That being said, being intimidated is one thing, but if you think your S will have trouble managing the inevitable stress that comes with a top-tier LA school like Swat, then that would be grounds to reconsider the application to Swat, I think. </p>
<p>In terms of deciding whether he will be successful, I think admissions does a pretty good job of selecting students that have the ability to succeed at Swat. I certainly don’t think that shyness and Swarthmore students are mutually exclusive. You will find other introverts on campus, just as you would at any other campus, not any more. So, if he makes the decision that he can handle the stress and will not let the intimidation scare him from taking advantage of the school’s resources, I would leave it up to admissions to decide whether he has the potential to be successful.</p>
<p>4yorkshiremen, I don’t know if I would qualify as more knowledgeable, but in my opinion, I think these days schools in general, and definitely Swat, are looking for students who have demonstrated ability to take on commitments outside of their academics and balance them successfully. It shows the ability to handle what is expected at Swat and be a contributing member of campus and extracurricular life. That being said, you say your daughter’s passion is academics, but does your daughter have any specific passions within an academic discipline? I would suspect admissions would be looking for some sort of involvement in an academics-related school club, such as Science Olympiad, academic bowl, Intel (provided her school offered it), etc. Having a passion for doing homework, studying, and getting good grades unfortunately just isn’t enough these days.</p>
<p>@ momuv2 & rover - Thank you for excellent points.</p>
<p>Yes, he does his share of community service work. I think he has about 500 hours and enjoys doing it. But not the school clubs. </p>
<p>I am sure, if he ends up at Swat, transition will be difficult. While he has done well in high school with bunch of APs and good GPA/test scores, he will have to understand it’s a different ball game at a different level. And I think he does understand…</p>
<p>Can anyone comment on 1st year transition from high school? Does the school provide help to make sure kids are on the right path? Or is it more like sink or swim? </p>
<p>As I read these posts, I am beginning to feel more comfortable about asking him to give it a shot.</p>
<p>There are many, many great resources and programs in place to help students make the adjustment from high school to college. Academically, this includes the pass/fail semester, formal intro science study groups, professor office hours, tutors, WAs (writing associates), and SAMs (student academic mentors), as well an elective course that specifically addresses college-level writing skills. </p>
<p>The thing about most of these resources is that they are available but not mandatory, and sometimes not terribly well advertised. The help is there if the student is willing to reach out and ask for it. Don’t worry too much about him not being able to do the work – if he’s accepted, he’s more than capable of succeeding, so long as he’s willing to work his tail off. </p>
<p>As for introverts, Swat has plenty. They sometimes take a bit longer to settle in and start feeling comfortable than the social butterflies do, but he definitely wouldn’t be alone in that regard.</p>