<p>“I’ve been to the campus; it seems like there aren’t many large food markets nearby.”</p>
<p>The Co-op in Swarthmore village (the Ville) is a great food market–I was just there last w/e & was very impressed with their selections of healthy as well as gourmet food, including fruits & vegetables. The cheese selection is on par with East Hampton’s. It is a 3-min walk from campus.</p>
<p>“Does Swarthmore take legacy into any particular consideration?”</p>
<p>Legacy status is certainly at least a “tip” factor, but I’m not sure how much more than that. Plenty of legacy kids do not get accepted. I understand that the acceptance rate for legacy kids is about twice that for the general pool. That’s about a 30% acceptance rate. Given that legacy kids who apply to Swarthmore are likely quite well qualified stat wise, I’m not sure whether that acceptance rate shows evidence of legacy providing any more than a “tip.”</p>
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<p>People will assume you are liberal. When they discover you aren’t, they’ll be surprised. You’ll probably have to defend and explain your beliefs quite a bit. Unless you choose the wrong social group, however, I don’t think you’ll have to worry about hostility/anger towards your POV–just sincere curiosity over how you ended up with your beliefs and at Swarthmore.</p>
<p>ID: There are, imo, very few knee-jerk liberal professors at Swarthmore. Particularly in the subjects where politics are relevant. While most of the staff probably agrees with a liberal world view, I didn’t run into many over the top Marxists or the like. Halpern has that reputation, but I never took a class with her, so I can’t really say from personal experience.</p>
<p>I’m told, by a reliable source, that Marge Murphy appreciates a dollop of feminist doctrine in every paper! That’s the thing. Swatties are really smart. They know when a professor’s giving them the okie doke with a political agenda. Word gets around. You either choose to take a course from those professors or you don’t. </p>
<p>The whole simplistic construct of “liberals” versus “conservatives” in the CNN style soundbyte coverage of issues is so far beneath the level of reading on political issues that my daughter did in her courses, that it’s almost hard to talk on that level. I did have to chuckle when she was assigned a reading from Pat Buchanan at Swarthmore (or the Kremlin on the Crum, as Spiro Agnew called it…)</p>
<p>Even some the protests are challenging – like the student forum on sidewalk chalkings or this recent Palestinian checkpoint thing (which was fabulous what with the randomly assigned role-playing cards and so forth). Those things make to stop and think, which is a good thing at a college.</p>
<p>Random note: the whole Kremlin on the Crum thing is a myth. I hunted it down for an Ask-the-Gazette a year or two back. Well, I guess it <em>might</em> be true, but no one has any source for the story apart from college folklore.</p>
<p>[Where</a> does “the Kremlin on the Crum” come from? :: The Daily Gazette](<a href=“daily.swarthmore.edu domain has changed”>daily.swarthmore.edu domain has changed)</p>
<p>I remember your story! I’ll have to check, but I think I first saw the reference in the book “Informal History of Swarthmore College”, but don’t quote me!</p>
<p>I suspect that the quote dates back not to Agnew’s time as Vice-President but a decade earlier to the late 50s in the McCarthy period. Swarthmore was a very prominent dissenter of McCarthy’s anti-Communist tactics, pulling out of the federal student aid program when McCarthy passed a law requiring students receiving aid to sign loyalty oaths. Two Swarthmore students (Carl Levin and Mike Dukakis) also made the newspapers with photo of them delivering anti-McCarthy petitions to the Pennsylvania delegation on Capitol Hill.</p>
<p>There’s also a 1955 New York Times article about the son of the first Soviet ambassador to the US attending Swarthmore and later becoming the primary English translator for top leaders like Krushchev.</p>
<p>I dunno. The whole story has a 50s commie menace flavor to it. Who knows? Agnew had been a red-baiter long before he became VP and, in fairness, I think Swarthmore College had had its share of communists during the time when it was in vogue.</p>
<p>It’s probably apocryphal but it certainly has legs; the earliest print reference I could find was in the ninth edition of “The Insider’s Guide to the Colleges” which was published by the Yale Daily News back in 1983. By then it had become the lead sentence of the opening paragraph describing the college, and the words were credited to none other than Richard M. Nixon himself, “about a decade ago.” That one issue of The Insider’s Guide probably gave it the credence it retains to this day.</p>
<p>Read the recollections of Paul Robeson upon being invited to perform, speak, and visit at Swarthmore in 1955 . . . a distinguishing event that burnishes the college’s fine reputation. The chapter “Free Speech at Swarthmore” on pp. 403-404 in PAUL ROBESON SPEAKS, is preceeded by an article in the Phoenix on his visit:</p>
<p>[Paul</a> Robeson speaks: writings … - Google Books](<a href=“Paul Robeson Speaks: Writings, Speeches, and Interviews, a Centennial ... - Paul Robeson - Google Books”>Paul Robeson Speaks: Writings, Speeches, and Interviews, a Centennial ... - Paul Robeson - Google Books)</p>
<p>uhh idk where to post this question but can someone speak to having a car on campus… or having your car with you… in some form… as a student. thanks!</p>
<p>The college strongly discourages a student having a car on campus. As I recall, it is very difficult to get an on campus parking permit. I got one my senior year because I was on some student government committee. You can try parking in the 'ville, and some people manage to do that, but current students can comment more accurately on how well that actually works.</p>
<p>I don’t think you really need a car at Swat. There are shuttles and the train, and if you are really desperate make friends with the few people who do have cars.</p>
<p>Basically, don’t even think about taking a car freshman year.</p>
<p>About 10% of the students have cars, mostly juniors and seniors. There are a limited number of on-campus parking spaces. Priority is given to students who need a car for commuting, off-campus job, community service, etc. If you can’t get one of the college parking permits, then you can buy a parking permit for one of the long-term spaces near the train station from the Borough of Swarthmore. $50 a month.</p>
<p>My daughter had a car for senior year when she got a on-campus space as a senior class officer needing transportation for events. To be honest, a car at Swarthmore is more of a pain than a benefit. One of the great things about Swarthmore is that it has very good public transportation access – rail and air. My daughter could usually fly roundtrip to Boston for less than it would have cost in gas, tolls, and food to drive.</p>
<p>Can anyone tell me about these two majors at Swat?</p>
<p>Could you please send me a private message? I’m a math major, so I can tell you about it.</p>
<p>Can you be more specific? What do you want to know about these majors?</p>
<p>how many hours per day (on avg) would you say a student spends doing schoolwork (so exclude class time, eating, activities… whatever. just pure schoolwork)</p>
<p>I was a political science major and also participated in a varsity sport. Monday -Thursday I typically spent 3 to 5 hours reading or working on papers. Thursday night was usually a short study night since there was usually a decent (for Swarthmore) party to attend. I acutally spent most Fridays studying since I often had athletic events on Saturdays. Saturday nights were reserved for nice dinners, parties, trips to Philly, etc. Sunday was a haevy study day to get ready for the week. So, in answer to your question, it was easy to spend over 30 hours a week on schoolwork.</p>
<p>hey! i’ll be doing a varsity sport too so that answer was all the more relevant. thanks for the response!</p>
<p>How is the balance between work and leisure in this school ? I go to a magnet school where no one can balance work and leisure, as in, either kids have absolutely no social life and shove themselves in a room all day studying, or kids don’t give a darn about school and go around smoking pot and drinking. I’m looking for a college with great academics but also great social events / life.</p>
<p>GarnetTide:</p>
<p>Your hours agree pretty closely with what my daughter estimated for her study schedule, including knocking off early on Thursdays for Pub Nite and Saturdays being the night for going out to dinner or a party or whatever and Sundays being the day to crank it out in prep for the week ahead.</p>
<p>ashkim: There are plenty of people at Swat who manage to find a balance between academics and social life. It’s not healthy to keep yourself locked up in the library all day anyway. There are times when academics can get in the way–you might want to hang out with friends who are all busy doing work. I think some students have to work harder than others and/or care more about academics, but it’s all fine. I’ve managed to get very good grades while still keeping up relationships with friends. Of course, it helps to enjoy hard work :)</p>