<p>but no answer to manga on the walls. i'm disappointed.</p>
<p>i have guaranteed proof that even the amazingest earplugs do not block out loud snoring.
and surely you've heard those rumors that many swat students don't bathe regularly in favor of writing papers and things.
and surely you know that many college students, regardless of homework load, don't regularly do laundry.
i do. :(</p>
<p>i'm going to miss my apartment :( :(</p>
<p>okay, as promised: some info about my transfer application. i hope this helps people.</p>
<p>I applied as a transfer from Penn State Schreyer Honors College (I would be a rising junior at PSU but my credits transferred weird and I'm entering Swarthmore class of 2011) with a 3.9 college GPA. I've taken several 300-and 400-level courses and my extracurriculars aren't particularly awe-inspiring: I've been working about 30 hrs/week since age 15, I helped form a club on campus, I volunteer at an animal shelter and work on a presidential primary campaign. I also do photography but haven't won any awards, just sent in samples.
In high school, however, I had a 2.8 GPA and didn't do a single extracurricular.
I basically talked my way in through my essays, as well as filled my paper form application with quirky little tidbits that allowed them to see my personality better. Think non-traditional but very telling answers - use well the short line you have for things like "gender" or describing activities.
My activities essay was about my academic interests, which are simultaneously my hobbies and the fun things I do in my free time. I basically explained them all and talked about the questions I currently tackle in each discipline, and then correlated these interests and questions with my career plans and discussed how I intend to make a really meaningful contribution to our world as well as gain a thorough personal understanding of existence (yeah...it ended up being fairly long. But apparently that was okay).
My personal essay was fairly well-preened and clarified why I messed up so bad in high school, then followed me to college and traced my growth and development: how I realized what I loved to do and how much I enjoy learning (my life's purpose really is to learn as much as possible, and it shows in my day-to-day life). Then near the end I addressed my problems with my current school and how life there wasn't enabling me to reach my potential, but I was really optimistic about changing schools and doing lots of great things.
My Why Swat essay was probably what really did it. Somehow I've managed to visit like a dozen times and have done lot of really nifty stuff on campus. So I talked about all the things I'd done and appreciated and hope to get involved in at Swat, and how much it already feels a part of me.<br>
So that's it. My essays were well-written and not nearly as bland as my summaries, but there were no cutesy metaphors, I handled the personal essay very broadly but effectively, and really really really made an effort to demonstrate to Swat how much I love it and how much I belong there. I made sure that they had no doubt in their minds that I wanted my @$$ kicked with super-cool and intense schoolwork, that I'm incredibly motivated and dedicated and enthusiastic and so forth. And basically, I ignored the guidelines for the essays. They were all pretty long and I stuck my "reasons for transfer" not in my Why Swat essay but in my personal essay, but I had things to say so it worked.
Do things that'll make your application stick out. Swarthmore wants not just really naturally smart kids who were Student Council president, played varisty baseball and were yearbook editor, but kids who have a purpose and LOVE to learn things (or at least can fake it well in an essay), and have a genuine desire to contribute to and benefit from an active intellectual campus community. If you can honestly show them that, it can cancel out a lower-than-average GPA (I mean like, a 3.6 uw...lower than average for Swat), lame SAT scores, a lack of extracurriculars in HS, etc.</p>
<p>if anyone has any more questions or would like further specifics, let me know!! I'll be glad to answer anything...after all, I only want the best at my school next year. :P</p>
<p>
[quote]
i'm an only child and basically can't fathom living mere feet away from someone else at all times. what if they snore? or smell? or throw their stuff everywhere? or put manga all over the wall? or listen to linkin park at 1 am?
[/quote]
</p>
<p>To be fair, you'll be asked about your opinions on sleeping schedules and music and whether your room is for work or play or both in a sheet you fill out, plus space for extra things you think are important, as long as they are still doing those (and they should be). Swat tends to be good with roommates, although since transfers are paired with transfers, there is less of a pool. Either way, we all deal with roommates. It's not that bad, and if it is, you can always get a different room pretty quickly.</p>
<p>thanks, forgetmenots. :) that was a bit comforting.</p>
<p>swatparent, gobackto:</p>
<p>sorry for the delay on my background story.</p>
<p>I'm coming from the University of Rochester. I managed to have all four semesters of credit transferred, so it looks like I will be able to finish on time (2010).</p>
<p>I hadn't declared a major there, but I had finished a math minor and the basic requirements for the pre-med track, as well as a few courses in linguistics and cognitive science.</p>
<p>I'm looking at pursuing linguistics at swat, but if that isn't really practical I wouldn't mind considering something else. I want to study there for the experience. ...which brings up the question as to why I wouldn't stick with linguistics even if I would have to stay for an extra year. Oh, that's right. $$$.</p>
<p>I was actually stunned to be accepted as a transfer student at Swat. Who wouldn't be? I only carried a 3.4. I did take some Quest courses (honors courses available only to freshmen), of which there are very few offered at UR. They were difficult, but my gpa skyrocketed during my sophomore year (3.16, 3.21, 3.76, 3.60 by semester).</p>
<p>I knew that my hs record was outstanding, but I'm not sure how much this set me apart as virtually all Swarthmore applicants share a similar record. I did not read any of the three recommendations I requested to be written for me. </p>
<p>I'm also an athlete (swimming). I did contact the swim coach, whom I had spoken with two years ago during my original college search, and I know she did fill out a recruiting form for me. I was very grateful for her immediate and personal interest in helping me with what seemed to be such an unrealistic goal. It seems everyone at Swarthmore is that way. :)</p>
<p>I am fairly certain that my three essays (Why Swat, Hobbies, and Personal Statement) were the clincher. I poured out a lot of emotions into them, and as I wrote, I realized how unhappy I was in Rochester and how many of my interests, qualities, and aspirations had fallen by the wayside. Some very True Confessions. Writing the essays was an enlightening experience; I had never taken the time to wonder what else was out there after I settled into my new school four semesters ago.</p>
<p>I made the decision to apply on a whim -- on the morning of the day I decided to do it, I had no plans on transferring anywhere, let alone Swarthmore. I had almost applied as a hs senior, but decided against it at the last minute for the very reasons that I now want to attend.</p>
<p>I'm still in a state of shock. This really is a rare and unexpected opportunity. I can't wait to start school this fall!</p>
<p>LACtransferhopes - I just wanted to give legitimacy to the rumor you propagated regarding Swarthmore students letting personal hygiene suffer to spend more time on work. </p>
<p>One week, I didn't shower at all! ...well, I rinsed my hair daily. The rest of my time at Swat I showered daily. </p>
<p>I actually enjoyed that week as I thought my abominable rank stench was a great testament to my industriousness and commitment to my work. ;)</p>
<p>imswim, it is absolutely feasible, and not even particularly difficult, to enter as a junior and complete a linguistics major. Seriously--Ling is one of the most flexible departments on campus in terms of prerequisites, so you could literally come in as a junior, take two linguistics classes per semester, and graduate with a major. No problem. It would be even easier if you already had a few ling classes under your belt. </p>
<p>(disclosure: I'm a ling major...)</p>
<p>Really? When I planned it out it looked like I would have to take about 3 linguistics classes per semester, which made me question how easy it would be. I am coming in with two ling classes. </p>
<p>What am I missing?</p>
<p>Looks like a total of eight LING courses for a linguistics major, plus a senior thesis.</p>
<p>If your two LING courses transfer credit to Swarthmore, then you would have six to go with four semesters to do them. Plus, a senior thesis, which counts as one course fall semester senior year and one course spring semester senior year.</p>
<p>Are you perhaps reading the requirement as the four pre-req courses PLUS eight more courses (for a total of 12) instead of a total of eight courses? If so, I think you are misreading the requirements.</p>
<p>Ah, looks like that is what I did. Thanks for pointing that out. Makes things a little easier.</p>
<p>Just from the way the website was worded, I could easily see how you might have made that conclusion. I know it can't be that way becuse 12 courses plus two semesters of senior thesis would be 14 semesters, which violates the "20 semesters outside of your major" rule.</p>
<p>Having said that, there's still the not insignificant issue of whether or not your two LING credits will transfer to Swarthmore. If I were you, I would think about e-mailing the chair of the LING department sometime this summer, outline the two courses you've taken and start to get the ball rolling on what it will take to major in LING at Swarthmore.</p>
<p>I'd figure out what other majors might be an option based on what you've already got in your pocket and make similar inquiries.</p>