I am currently a junior in HS and am almost sold on applying ED to Swarthmore but I want to ask about the math program. Although I’m not completely sure, I am thinking about becoming a professor, probably in mathematics. I am currently taking AP Calculus BC and will likely take math courses at the state college next year. I’ve read much about how the math program at Swarthmore is great, except because it lacks graduate level math courses and aren’t heavily GRE focused the students, although brilliant, are compromised from getting in top PhD math programs. There also a complaint on a physics forum (although the same would likely apply for mathematics) that the poster didn’t think the LAC he was attending had enough classes for him.
I would highly, highly appreciate it if someone could give me their or a family member’s/friend’s experience in the math department. I recognize that it is highly likely that there are other students who made it in with some undergraduate mathematics courses under their belt. Thank you!
I don’t have personal experience in math (I was an Engineering major 30 years ago-- went immediately into an EE PhD program at Stanford), but this article from a couple years ago shows that Swarthmore is 10th in the country in per capita mathematics PhD production, which is not shabby. http://www.thecollegesolution.com/the-colleges-where-phds-get-their-start/
I am a math major at Swarthmore, and I can say that the math department here is very strong. I personally took BC calc as a high school senior but I know some people who had linear algebra/multivariable prior to attending and they still found Swarthmore upper-level math courses/seminars challenging when they became college seniors. Lots of students have graduated to pursue PhDs in math at top universities. Professors here are very nice and helpful too, and many students do research/coauthor paper with them over summer. It’s a super supportive and collaborative community, and if you want to become a math professor, Swarthmore is really a great place for you to consider.
Hi! This might be a bit late, but I am also currently a math major at Swarthmore, a senior, and just finished the process of applying to and picking a grad school for next year.
Swarthmore does lack grad school classes, this is true. However, I did not find this to be a detriment at all - I ended up getting into the vast majority of schools I applied to, including one that is widely considered a very, very top program, and I know plenty of math major friends who have gotten into very well-named schools. Generally, Swarthmore is super well known in the academic community and is a great place to be if grad school and academia is your future.
Your concern about grad classes was answered above mostly - we have very challenging classes, and we actually have access to Bryn Mawr and Haverford, which does have math grad classes if you still want to take them. The GRE, similarly, is not weighted very strongly by grad schools, and generally, even though Swat students aren’t GRE focused, they do very well.
As far as number of classes, we have access to Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and UPenn classes, and I’ve never felt once that there were too few classes - quite the opposite, I feel like I’m graduating still not taking all the classes I would’ve loved to. Ah well, must make choices.
I’m happy to answer more questions about the math major.