rd decisions are in!! big decisions to make now

Colleges and Universities A-Z Swarthmore College
101

<p>Marlgirl:</p>

<p>At this point, it probably makes sense to only visit colleges that have accepted you.</p>

<p>If you have to visit Swat in early April, odds are that the letter will have arrived by the 1st OR, if not, you could call/e-mail your regional adcom and get the answer by explaining your situation.</p>

<p>HOWEVER, I don't know why you would be upset to miss a couple of days of high school to go to Ride the Tide and have some fun. Trust me. Ride the Tide will beat two days of high school, hands down.</p>

<p>I'm not suggesting that you blow off the rest of Senior Year and become a crack head or something, but would skipping high school really be the end of the world? What are they gonna do, give you a bad college recommendation for less than perfect attendance? High school, for all intents and purposes, is over. </p>

<p>Once you guys get an acceptance letter, you're college students!</p>

102

<p>When is Ride the Tide?</p>

103

<p>Mid April. I think it was April 18th last year.</p>

104

<p>April 21 & 22nd. I'm curious as to know what this open-house-ish thing will consist of. I wanna meet some professors, so I kinda need to know... well, I don't need to know, but I really really want to know.</p>

105

<p>marlgirl,
I can't remember when exactly the letters came last year, but I am pretty sure it was on or before April 1 (we live in the midwest, so CA could take another day, I guess). If you were planning to visit at the beginning of April, I think you should be able to find out if you were accepted by then. The administration at Swarthmore seems pretty informal. You could try to call them even now, explain your situation, and ask for advice.</p>

<p>As for Ride the Tide -- I am sure it can be fun and all to attend the official "admit weekends" at various schools, but if the purpose of your visit is to find out what the school is really like, it is not the best choice (that goes for Stanford as well). Again, I am sure it's a lot of fun, just not really representative of the actual "life" there.</p>

106

<p>
[quote]
I'm curious as to know what this open-house-ish thing will consist of. I wanna meet some professors, so I kinda need to know... well, I don't need to know, but I really really want to know.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>It consists of almost another freshman class full of "specs" descending en masse on the Swarthmore campus for two nights. You sleep in dorm rooms -- just about everybody will be hosting a "spec".</p>

<p>During the day, there are activities set up. For example, the "Swat Women in Science" club does an afternoon building and launching model rockets, and so on a so forth. Most departments do an open house. You can go to the regularly scheduled classes (varies somewhat due to the hoardes!). But, better yet, the college sets up a series of lectures by professors from all the departments just for the specs. These would be representative of a class room lecture, but on a "self-contained" topic so that you have some idea what they are talking about without have done 8 weeks of reading.</p>

<p>There are also panel discussions with professors and students -- the kind of affair where they tell you something about Swat, why you should enroll, why you shouldn't -- and then take questions.</p>

<p>There are scheduled times to meet with Financial Aid.</p>

<p>There's a lunch where a couple of Swat professors join each table of "specs" so you can chat informally and shoot the breeze. This lunch was actually when my daughter was able to figure out the Calc course placements.</p>

<p>At night, there are entertainment options which are reprentative more of a school night than a weekend (i.e. the campus is asked not to take "specs" to parties where alcohol is served and they mostly comply). There are trolley tours into downtown Philly and South Street, accapella group performances, comedy sketches, open houses at the various groups (Asian, Af-Am, etc.).</p>

<p>You basically get a schedule of events, any of which you can do or not. So, if you would rather set up your own appointments, you can.</p>

107

<p>andi -- i've always wanted to play two-piano music, but never had the time to.. I think Saint Saens' is awesome!</p>

108

<p>yay! i got in. i'm puerto rican, which is probably why i heard early..</p>

<p>stats:
-girl
-1500 SAT (800V, 700M)
-4.59/4.0
-11/c. 480
-800 writing, 800 us history, 780 lit, 760 math 2c sat 2's
-5's on bc calc and us history
-leadership in amnesty international, various art and lit groups
-decent common app essay, pretty rockin' why swat. it was my favorite college essay.</p>

<p>right now swat is my number one but it changes day to day, flipping between swat and u of chicago (where i also got accepted, yay!). i got in at kenyon (with a scholarship) and grinnell (with a scholarship)...it blows that the places that give me $$ i don't want to go to...</p>

109

<p>nngmm, thanks. I agree that it seems that the admit weekends aren't the most accurate representation of what the school is really like, if nothing else because there are a large population of prospective students there. Thus my desire to visit over spring break... I got a letter today saying they didn't have my fin aid info when I didn't ask to be considered of fin aid (at least not on the common app for sure) so I'll be calling this week anyway. Btw, do you think that means that I'll be admitted? Would they bother to send out the info if I'd been rejected? Waitlisted? Or are the fin aid and admissions offices totally disjoint? <em>crosses fingers</em> I suspect it doesn't mean anything. Oh well. We'll see what happens.</p>

110

<p>Alas, no one college visit is likely to show you all sides of a school. For example, my daughter's first overnight at Swat was a relatively sedate Monday night in the dorm. Some studying, a birthday celebration, pizza taste testing for a review of the local delivery places in the student newspaper. She fit right in.</p>

<p>Her second visit (during last year's Ride the Tide), she was hosted by some kids in one of the Lodges (picture Hansel and Gretel's cottage with four Swattie girls and a gay guy living there) who pooled all the money they received for hosting "specs" and threw a party out on the lawn that started late afternoon and lasted until security politely asked them to turn down the Bali chants they had been blaring on the stereo and move it inside at about 1:00 am.</p>

<p>A steady stream of Swatties dropped by throughout the evening and my daughter got to talk to a ton of kids in a very social setting (if you get my drift, I don't want to get the hosts in trouble). She saw a completely different side of Swat (and came home with very little sleep and some hilarious tales). Had a blast that time, too.</p>

<p>The two visits could not have been more different, however. Luck of the draw. Fortunately, the sum of the two experiences made her like the place even more.</p>

<p>Ride the Tide is a better opportunity to meet a lot of professors, hear from the Pres and the Deans, etc. But, it is a little crazy with 300 extra kids on campus (the freshman class is only 370). A regular overnight is a little more subdued and provides more opportunity for one on one conversations.</p>

111

<p>My take on it:</p>

<p>Yea, so open-houses are kinda fake. But generally, if you're smart enough to get in, you're smart enough to figure out what's there normally and what's not. Either way, you do get a feel for what the student body is like, which is what I'm really going for.</p>

<p>The mentor's take on it:</p>

<p>Yea, it's fake. They put their best foot forward. If that doesn't impress you, then you realllly shouldn't be there.</p>

<p>I personally will do Ride the Tide, because then I don't hafta pay or organize my own transporation/events, etc.</p>

112

<p>"I got a letter today saying they didn't have my fin aid info when I didn't ask to be considered of fin aid (at least not on the common app for sure) so I'll be calling this week anyway. Btw, do you think that means that I'll be admitted? Would they bother to send out the info if I'd been rejected? Waitlisted? Or are the fin aid and admissions offices totally disjoint?"</p>

<p>I'm actually wondering the same thing (though not exactly in the same situation). Does anybody know when the admission and finaid offices start to communicate? thanks!</p>

113

<p>^i was wondering the same thing before. i got my "missing finaid information" letter about a month ago, and to be honest i was surprised because i didnt think they would bother figuring out every single applicant's aid award knowing that so few of them are accepted. it would be a huge waste of effort and a pain in the butt, so i think it's a pretty good sign if they contacted you about missing info (just my opinion)</p>

114

<p>
[quote]
They put their best foot forward.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>In Swarthmore's case, they really on have one "foot" to put forward. It's not like they bring in a big events planning firm. </p>

<p>Although "Ride the Tide" is larger in terms of numbers of visitors, I don't think there is anything atypical or "gussied up" about it. Even if the college wanted to put on the hog, the only resources they really have are their students, professors, and staff. It's a fair representation: warts and all.</p>

<p>I think the same thing applies to most small LACs.</p>

115

<p>marlgirl,
This is really funny. My daughter got the same "your fin. aid folder is empty" letter last year (she also did not apply for fin. aid). My guess is that it is a good sign. My daughter sent an e-mail to her admissions officer reaffirming her interest in Swat after getting that letter. I doubt that it mattered - I believe that the decisions were made by then, but who knows?..</p>

116

<p>Who is the appropriate person to email to clear this up? Or should I just wait and call the fin aid office tomorrow morning?</p>

117

<p>I'd call the admissions (and not the fin. aid office). That way you can also use it as an excuse to find out your admission status (tell them that you want to arrange a visit over your spring break, but don't want to come if you are rejected). They will tell you if you need to talk to fin. aid office.</p>

118

<p>nngmm, what exactly would I say/ask? Is there really a chance that they'd tell me if I was admitted or not this early?</p>

119

<p>I think you can tell them that you got this letter, even though you did not apply for fin. aid, and ask if you need to contact fin. aid office about it. You can tell them that you were waiting for the admission decision in order to finalize your plans for the visit in the beginning of April, and ask if this letter means that you will be admitted (so you can make reservations for air travel). They might tell you that they don't give this information over the phone, but you probably can find out at least when exactly the decisions were/will be mailed...</p>

120

<p>Did anyone who is not an athlete and is white (a non minority) get a likely letter? Are they just for athletes and minorities (and they consider asians to be minorities)? Just wondering... Thanks!</p>