<p>In my experience the key to making it through Swarthmore, and probably other schools, was not getting behind in my workload. I found that if I worked every day on my schoolwork I was not forced to pull “all nighters” to stay afloat. Somedays I spent only an hour or two, other days I would spend six or seven. I had the ability to play sports, work hard and still have a social life. If you are looking for a school where you can go out and party 3 or 4 nights a week, Swat is not your school. However you will have time to have fun and form some relationships that will remain with you for the rest of your life. Swarthmore is hard but the end result is well worth it. I promise that when you are walking at graduation you will not regret the hard work and you will definetly not wish you had gone to a safety school like Haverford…lol!</p>
<p>I don’t know whether this has been asked but:</p>
<p>What makes Swarthmore unique? What are some of the reasons cited for students applying to Swarthmore?</p>
<p>I don’t know if there’s anything really unique about Swarthmore, in the sense that no other college has it, but here are some things that stood out for me:
- I liked the idea of a small liberal arts college, and being from a major city, I wanted access to a large city. Most liberal arts colleges are in the middle of nowhere.
- I wanted a school where the students took learning seriously and the professors took teaching seriously. I think it’s true that at most large universities, or even at medium-sized universities, the professors are there first as researchers, then as teachers. That’s what a researcher at Princeton told me. There are some great lecturers at places like MIT, for instance, but I think it’s the priority for teaching that is different. Again, it’s not like no college has this.
- It’s a very beautiful campus.</p>
<p>I applied because my counselor told me to.</p>
<p>When I finally visited (in February – 2 months before letters were going to be sent out… I had forgotten I had even applied until I was looking over my list of colleges…) I fell in love and felt so stupid for not having considered Swat seriously (for a variety of reasons I won’t go into). Here are some things that I love about the school. Although I’m not a student yet, I try to view the Swarthmore experience (from afar) with a balanced perspective, i.e. part wide-eyed naivet</p>
<p>My daughter just completed her freshman year. (Hi Interested Dad and thanks for your help!).</p>
<p>Okay here goes:</p>
<p>RD Acceptance letters - She was an “early write” receiving a thin envelope in March. April 1st “this is the big fat envelope” followed.</p>
<p>She worked hard at Swat. In high school she was a brainy big fish in a small pond. At Swat she was an average small fish…
The workload is not easy and the grading tough (hence the tee shirts in the bookstore for sale that state, "Anywhere else it would have been an “A”.
I spoke with a Swat prof I met last week and she agreed the intensity is there. However, it is nit competitive between the students , rather self challenging. The students are very supportive of one another.
I’ve met many of her friends and they are intelligent (yet unassuming). The one thing that I felt from my contact at Swat was the passion of these students and their genuine desire to share it.</p>
<p>My daughter is a self proclaimed “nerd” in that she LOVES to learn and NEEDS challenge academically.
She does not party. However, at Swat she was constantly busy.
She not only had classes but managed to fit in campus jobs (tour guide, spec host and web ambassador), perform in so many Drama Board productions I lost count, write a charter with a friend and start a new club, write several stories for “The Phoenix”, write the “Pteradactyl Hunt” piece for the Swat website, perform in a friend’s film, deliver Ninja Grams, play Fall soccer, and join Swing Dance (they travel into Philly once a week and join UPenn’s and UDelaware’s clubs to dance.
That isn’t including all the “hanging out” times. Watching movies, playing board games, celebrating each others birthdays (they bake in the dorm kitchen), etc.
Her biggest problem was time management. Especially after catching swine fly and being immediately quarantined for a week. The first semester is pass/fail and I would imagine it is to allow the students to have the time to fully grasp the workload/intensity, time management etc.</p>
<p>She has made wonderful friends from all over. She was one of the lucky ones to have three of the best roommates ever. She had a single in the quad. She had it for the whole year because the roommates collectively decided it wasn’t worth the hassle of switching.</p>
<p>She is a CA this year so you incoming freshmen may be in her group.</p>
<p>On Move In Day - Parents are basically kicked out by 5. This is done to help them bond and acclimate. They have an intense week of orientation (so don’t be hurt -like I was lol - if you don’t hear from them much, if at all, that week. Remember when we return home and pass their empty room with a tear (or five) in our eye they have just been thrown together with all new people in a whole new place with a whole system to learn probably for the first time since kindergarten (and they got to come every day then!)</p>
<p>Transportation to and from the airport can be pre-arranged with the Swarthmore shuttle van. We used that on Move In Day. They generally also run it on student breaks.<br>
I have stayed at the Days Inn in Springfield (next town where Target and Shopping is). It has been recently renovated and is safe and clean. They have an airport shuttle (not sure if they would pick up at Swat). If you stay there try to get a room toward the back and upstairs - much quieter. Also there are coupons on Roomsaver.com.</p>
<p>Also since we get an employee discount with FedEx we shipped her dorm items and then flew. The campus post office stored them for us until we arrived and several of the CA’s helped us move them to her room.
There is a coin laundry in the dorm. Try to leave them a roll of quarters. This year I bought the new Purex sheets that you use in the washer and dryer so no lugging liquid detergent to the basement.
Her bed was on risers so there was plenty if storage room underneath. I bought rubbermaids to stash away winter stuff etc.<br>
Her room had a basic bed, a tall dresser, a low bookcase, and a desk. The desk had a shelf and a bulletin area built in. Her closet was quite small (Wharton) but that varies. We got those over the door hook racks for extra hanging space.
She used a wicker hamper which hid the dirty clothes from view and smell lol but had a removable bag inside to take downstairs.
They have very limited space so don’t overdo it. It’s a dorm room. And they accumulate “stuff” during the year. Remember you’ll be picking it all up next May and taking it home!! Lol</p>
<p>I read about a mouse “infestation” before she arrived and freaked. Lol
You have a large population of kids living together (snacking). My daughter and her roommates were diligent about using containers to keep any critters away ( and didn’t have any problems). Okay…shhhh…I tucked a roach bait station in the bottom back of her closet, behind her desk and against the wall under her bed.
She did tell me they had lots of stink bugs this year. They don’t bite or hurt you, but stink if you kill them.
She and her roommates chipped in to buy a mini fridge. You can go to Essie Mae’s in Tarple after Sharples closes. The pizza place in the ville Renato’s has awesome pizza. They also have good hero sandwiches. There’s a place called “Occassionally Yours” that has good healthier fare but closes fairly early. There is a breakfast/lunch place “Vicky’s” which is good and cheap. There is also Hobbs which now serves dinner. Not sure about the Chinese place in the ville but the Co-op rocks. Great fresh food big selection albeit a bit pricey sometimes. They have an outdoor eating area. There is a fantastic farmer"s market on Saturdays with fresh produce from local farms, fresh baked yummies etc. Of course there’s always Dunkin Donuts.
The laundromat in the ville is filthy.
The ville is quiet but it’s green, with friendly citizens and gorgeous homes.
The SEPTA at the bottom of campus will take you into Philly in about 20 minutes. If you go to the 30th Street Station there is the Bolt and Megabus lines that run to NYC in two hours for cheap (we actually scored $1 fares on a special). New buses, free wifi, electrical outlets to charge your phone, laptop, iPod.</p>
<p>Gc414
You will love Swat from your description! Good luck!</p>
<p>As for politics, when I read Swat described as “The Kremlin on the Crum” (which btw was written as from Henry Kissinger in the 50’s during the “commie scare”)
I was concerned not due to my political views but because I wanted my daughter to be able to study and make her own political choices.
While I’m sure current events have been discussed with other students/friends as well as perhaps religion, she has not encountered a “majority” belief.</p>
<p>Well I have certainly spoken here (just trying to answer questions from my daughter’s and my experience.
Bottom line is Swarthmore us an excellent school. The professors, staff, location, academics, ECs, and most of all, students are superior.</p>
<p>Sorry…one more thing. They gave each freshman a potted plant during orientation. They are on break in October for 10 days and then there’s winter break for a month. Aquaglobe!</p>