<p>I am attempting to decide among Swarthmore, Kenyon, and U of M for college. I realize that U of M is a very different type of institution than Kenyon or Swarthmore. Nonetheless, I am interested in any insight that may make my decision a bit more informed. </p>
<p>My planned area of study is biochemistry and I wish to swim in college, which will be possible at Swarthmore and Kenyon but not at U of M. </p>
<p>As of right now, I'm leaning towards Swarthmore. I would greatly appreciate any help!</p>
<p>Have you visited any of these locations? Kenyon is in a small town in the middle of Ohio. Swarthmore is a suburb of Philly with a train at the foot of the campus. Totally different feel and totally different education experience. As you already said Michigan is totally different, so to compare would really not make any sense. Both schools will give a good education, but it depends on the level of intensity you are looking for with Swarthmore being more intense in my opinion. As a swimmer, I know that Kenyon would be attractive as swimming is a big deal there. You really need to visit and get a feel. Your college education is not just one piece only about the classes you take, but at least at a LAC, a total experience. Only you know what you are really looking for and how you want to distribute your time and energy. Good luck.</p>
<p>A very wise and knowledgeable man once told me that you will not get a finer undergrad education anywhere in the country than you will at Swarthmore. You will find classmates from all over the country and all over the world at Swarthmore, less so at UMich. Obvious stuff-UMich will give you the “rah rah” of great Big 10 sports and sports are somewhat of an afterthought at Swat, except to those on the teams. I have always heard that Kenyon is terrific for creative writing if that is your passion, but it is not the easiest place to travel to.
Workload at Swarthmore is pretty intense, classes are small, campus is spectacularly beautiful. You have three very different choices. There must have been a reason you applied to three such different schools. What were you looking for when you applied?</p>
<p>As a former Swarthmore swimmer, my totally biased advice is to go to Swarthmore. But seriously, I would expect the biochemistry program at Swarthmore to be significantly stronger than at Kenyon. Of course Swarthmore and Michigan are completely different, and that choice depends more on your taste for the LAC versus Research University environment. But especially if you think you might want to go on to graduate school, which essentially by definition take place at a university, why not get the best of both worlds by attending a LAC for your undergraduate education?</p>
<p>Definitely do Swarthmore. I say UMich only if you expect to do PhD in biochem and want to start doing research and taking grad classes ASAP. Swat is more prestigious too, which can help on the job market.</p>
<p>As a Swarthmore graduate, I would suggest seriously thinking about going to Swarthmore and everything that goes along with such a school. True, you’ll have smaller class sizes, professors will be more accessible and there will be some other comforts associated with going to such a tiny school. However, if you are “mainstream” and not overtly intellectual, Swarthmore could end up being a disappointing experience. It definitely attracts a certain type of student…liberal, odd, interested in a PhD future. Make sure you are this kind of student (unless you’re on a sports team). Just my 2 cents.</p>
<p>OP, you already know that Swarthmore offers excellent academics. It is also worth noting that some 20% of Swarthmore students are varsity athletes. (The number of students who participate in club and intramural sports is comparable.) Athletes at Swarthmore are true student-athletes, and many also take part in extracurriculars in addition to their sports. </p>
<p>An post by interesteddad has some useful numbers about athletic recruiting and admissions.<br>
<p>I personally would definitely choose Swathmore. But I think you should really try to get the feel/ vibe of the campus to see if you would really like it there!</p>
<p>I’m not sure about Kenyon, so I can’t really provide you insight on that.
But I lived in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and my parents were graduate students at U Mich, so I’ll tell you what I’ve heard
For U Mich, expect your classes to be huge (at least, for economics). My parents told me it takes more than 30 mins for roll call. Your classes will be (mostly) taught by TAs, your tests will be graded by TAs, and your questions will be answered by TAs. Now, this isn’t to say that U Mich faculty don’t love to teach; its just that some are more concentrated on conducting research/testing out theories/publishing papers. This makes U Mich an excellent school for graduates (this is my parent’s opinion) but not so much for undergrads who really want to hone their academics. U Mich, however has a lot of school spirit, fabulous location (Ann Arbor), and a ton of people to meet (It is in the Big Ten). Go Blue!
With the urging of my parents, I applied to Swarthmore. The campus is gorgeous, but I’d say there’s a lot to do in Ann Arbor than Swarthmore (in terms of walking distance). But don’t ignore opportunities at NY and Philly. Swat only has undergraduates, and the professors are amazing. You can easily change your major, your classes will be small, so if you plan on skipping classes, this school is probably not for you. The cliche saying goes, your professor will know your name.
Anyways, have fun choosing!</p>
