<p>Hi, I am an International student in competitive East Asia regions (china, korea, japan - you get the idea). Swarthmore is a need-aware school while Amherst is a need-blind school.
If I apply for Swarthmore (FA) and Amherst (FA), which do you think is easier to get in?
oh and btw, Amherst is harder to get in than Swarthmore according to our school naviance.</p>
<p>Swarthmore, Amherst and Williams are the three most competitive LAC’s in the Northeast in terms of admission (any apparent statistical differences are in actuality negligible). There is some self-selection of applicants that can skew the acceptance numbers slightly (Swarthmore is still probably the most intellectual/academically rigorous college in the country). You should go with what you hope for, both are outstanding, but different.</p>
<p>I believe that Swarthmore is need-blind for international students until they run out of FA money (or close to it), and then they are need-aware for the latter acceptances. So obviously it will be “harder” to get in unless you are competitive enough to be among those first need-blind acceptances. Does Amherst allow internationals needing FA to apply Early Decision? (Swat does, and it can be an advantage if you’re willing to commit to attending if offered enough money–if the need-based aid isn’t enough, you can still decline.)</p>
<p>The above is ONLY true for international students due to the discrepancy in how aid is handled. For domestic students–what Dad2 said.</p>