<p>I have been admitted to both lafayette and Swarthmore and I want to make sure that I make the right choice between the two. My intend field is engineering but it is not confirmed as I yet to test my passion in engineering. I aim to gain a broad range of knowledge and know really diverse and great group of people.</p>
<li><p>Swarthmore has a population of 1500 while that for Lafayette is 2000. Does population make much difference? Do fewer people indicate the kind of bore after a while?</p></li>
<li><p>There are quite a number of business courses in Lafayete. That said, it seems that Swarthmore is more idealistic and Lafayette is more worldly and practical place. Or does that really matter? Personally, I want to attain both practical skill/knowledge like that in business as well intellectually-stimulating environment. Does Swarthmore prepares a person well for dealing with a complex, commercial world?</p></li>
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<p>3.If you know much about both schools. Can you give comparison between these two schools in terms of intellectual atmosphere, if people are down-to-earth or arrogant and conceited? And how well do you think they prepare a person with an social-entrepreneurial mind.</p>
<p>Any comments will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.</p>
<p>Highly preppy? You must be thinking of a different school. Like any top-tier college or university, Swarthmore certainly has its share of wealthy students. But, it is about the least "preppy" school you'll find. Not many popped collars or Coach bags.</p>
<p>63% of the accepted students this year are from public high schools. 52% are minority students, plus another 7% or so internationals. 15% are first-generation college students.</p>
<p>I visited Swarthmore once when I lived on the East Coast. The kids there did dress fairly preppy, and while eating at the cafeteria, seemed kinda clique-ish. That's just the impression I got from being there a few hours, so it might not be a very accurate perception of the culture there.</p>
<p>Swat is a bit more "hippie-ish" than Lafayette, by far. Lafayette is preppy. Swat is liberal...Laf tends towards the conservative. Swat is very close to city...Lafayette is somewhat near a city and in a town. Swat is about 50/50 men/women...while Laf is more like 60/40.</p>
<p>Are you sure you are talking about Swarthmore? In Philadelphia? It's actually a running gag at the school (in April Fool's spoofs and the like) that the students are the antithesis of "preppie". From the students I've seen at orientations, loading and unloading dorm rooms, eating in the cafeteria, "preppie" would not be a description I would use.</p>
<p>I thought they looked preppy because the high school I go to has so many skater punks, goths, "hippies," and generally not so well dressed students. In fact, almost every LAC/private school I've been to has preppy looking students (to me), so it's probably just a difference in frame of reference.</p>