Struggling to Decide Between Two Opposite Schools (USC vs. Swarthmore)

College Search & Selection
1

Long post, but please skim it and grace me with your thoughts!

I’m deciding between the University of Southern California and Swarthmore College.

These are opposite schools in almost every way (although USC maintains a very small student-faculty ratio in their engineering program despite their huge undergrad population). Although the vast differences between my final two choices may be a sign that I just don’t know what I want out of college, I can honestly say that I see the pros and cons in both extremes. And I’m in a pickle.

I visited Swarthmore first, hoping beyond hopes that I would fall in love with it. It’s an academic think tank known for its intense, hardworking, and intellectual students. Its reputation scares me a little bit; I don’t know if I’ll sink or swim although I plan to work harder than ever before in college. I was excited for my visit because, on paper, I think it was the “best” school I was accepted into. I have many interests (although I am 80% sure I want to major in Computer Science with a minor in some sort of media studies) and the liberal arts curriculum would give me ample space to explore different courses. It has a good CS program, however course selection is limited and it may be a little more theoretical than I would like.

I didn’t fall in love with Swarthmore. I am a big proponent of diversity- a trait which I originally struggled to find among the students. Beyond the huge spread of ethnicities, it seemed as though many of the personalities fell into a cookie-cutter formula of charming, obscure interests coupled with slight social awkwardness. Towards the end of my time there, however, I began to meet upperclassmen who broke the generalization. I also really liked many of the students on my Swarthmore class Facebook page and had a lot in common with them.

All-in-all, I think I’m irked by the intensely academic environment itself. Swarthmore seems like a bubble in which people grow as students but not necessarily as individuals. I’m afraid my hard work will barely be enough to hang on in the notoriously rigorous classes at Swarthmore whereas I might be able to shoot above and beyond at USC, seizing opportunities outside of the classroom and exploring new subjects with a more multilateral approach. Working hard in class is important to me, but I don’t want to be bogged down under a torrent of work when I could be creating relationships with new people, ideas, and extracurriculars.

USC, on the other hand, seems to provide a more complete college experience. Although some aspects seem a little hokey to me (ie. “Fight on!”, the two-finger v-for-victory symbol, and the Spirit of Troy being the self-proclaimed “Greatest Marching Band in the History of the Universe”), the computer science department was more application-oriented (which I think I like) and there was still enough space in my curriculum to earn at least a minor in their premier film/cinematography school. It seems to have a wide diversity of people, but I’m a little uneasy about how important the football games are in the school’s social life. I like sports but I don’t know if I could get as excited about them as most students seem to.

I could see myself at USC. It seemed like a place that would inspire me to try my hardest both in and out of the classroom, but I didn’t get to talk to many of the students when I visited. I was very excited for Swarthmore before I visited because everyone on the Facebook page seemed really cool. I am not as sure if I will be able to find people I click with as much if I go to USC, especially since I’m from the northeast, but that’s probably just nervousness speaking.

Anyways, I REALLY NEED INPUT! Especially since May 1 is right around the corner! How have your experiences been at either college? Do you think the intensely-academic impression I have of Swarthmore is at all exaggerated? I’ve heard students tend to take a semester off of school at Swat simply because the rigor becomes too much for them… However I’m not one to shy away from a challenge! Would future employers value one degree of the other? Are there other factors I should be considering in my decision (besides the obvious like location, weather, etc.)?

Any advice?

Thank you all so much, the college confidential community has helped me out tremendously both on these forums and talking to other users in real life. Best of luck to anyone else struggling to decide.

2

First, be aware that Swarthmore would not have let you in if you could not handle it. The 4 and 5 year graduation rate is quite high there, higher than USC in fact. The real downside (for some the real upside) is the small college experience. Some people love it, some don’t. You need to resolve that question for yourself.

USC is a good school but unless you are planning to go into the film industry, Swarthmore will be a superior academic experience. A Swarthmore degree will mean more to grad schools and professional schools. At Swarthmore you will have very small classes and know your professors personally, while for most classes at USC your classes will be larger and your primary relationship will be with a TA (and the TA will be the one grading your work, not the professor). Only you can weigh what the value of that sort of thing for you.

(for the record, I have no connection to either school)

3

By my reading, it seems clear that you prefer USC. Read your own post again. I hear negatives for Swat and none for USC, which isn’t exactly a slacker school. I think your concerns about intensity are valid. My kid marked it off the list for that reason (not that she was ever going to get in, btw.) Re name recognition, I have to say I had never heard of Swarthmore until I moved to the northeast. And I am very sure there will be lots of people at USC from the northeast. With such a large school, you are sure to make friends, but you can make friends with kids from Oregon and CA, not just the northeast.

4

My DS is a freshman at Swat. When he came home for Fall Break he said that he loved the professors and the classes, but nearly all the students were nerds. Some of the athletes were not quite as nerdy, but the kids on his floor were terminal nerds. Ugh. Kind of like what you said and I really liked, “cookie-cutter formula of charming, obscure interests coupled with slight social awkwardness.” By Winter Break he had amazing friendships with all sorts of people and couldn’t wait until his 3 weeks at home was up. By Spring Break he was wishing he could afford to go to this or that place with the people on his floor. He’s never worked so hard or loved to learn as much. He’s turned on to his work and what he will learn in the future. He has two complaints: he can’t triple major…and the campus is pretty small. He goes into Philly occasionally but it gets expensive for someone who’s pinching pennies. (He now knows he needs to save more money from his summer jobs). I don’t know much about USC, but you’re right, they are very different. If you want larger, being in a city, more school spirit, then USC is your place. If you want to become a true intellectual, I think Swat may have an advantage.

5

I went to Swarthmore for my undergraduate degrees and I initially did my masters in Computer Science at USC, before I switched to Mechanical Engineering. I initially started my masters in CS, because I was a Software Engineer at Disney. It was one of the worst departments I’ve ever been apart of. Professors don’t care about about their students and they are significantly behind the times when it comes to new technologies. I love to learn, but USC really killed my motivation, because I knew I would never need to know what USC was teaching. I also knew that I would be laughed at if I tried to implement teachings from USC. Swarthmore allows its professors to create their own classes and promote their students learn what they want to learn. If you want to go to USC it should be for a media degree or culture. Swarthmore also has very strong ties to technologies companies, such as Google.

6

You want to like Swarthmore.

But you actually do like USC.

There is nothing wrong with wanting to attend a school because of a combination of personal and academic factors. USC is no slouch in the academic department - you won’t be missing out on a good education there. But it sounds like it also has a bunch of other traits you want in a university.

The only positive you had to say about Swarthmore was that on paper it’s the “best” (meaning most prestigious") college you were admitted to. Forget about that. USC is plenty prestigious, and it’s a great school. Besides, that doesn’t really outweigh the bad things - you don’t like the environment. Whether or not you can thrive it isn’t 100% determined by your academic profile - it’s also your fit with the environment. You probably have the academic chops to succeed at Swarthmore, but you are already aware that the environment feels too intense and overwhelming for you. The bit of your personality I can see in this post seems well-suited for the medium-sized university atmosphere of USC and its placement in LA.

Here’s all you need to know:

Trust your gut!