<p>This is for parents and attending students:</p>
<p>My daughter has been accepted to Swarthmore, she is resisting because of these issues. I need unobjective opinions.
1) Hygiene is not the students top priority. People go for days not bathing?
2) As she has been working so hard in high school, why should she have to work hard in college especially Swarthmore?
3) Lots of drug scene going on in Swarthmore?
4) Students do nothing but debate on political issues, most of them are tree-hugging people?
5) School so small if you are mad with someone, he or she would be in your face every minute of the day and make your life miserable.</p>
<p>Her other choices are Wellesley, UC Berkeley and UCLA</p>
<p>I guess I'm wondering why she applied to Swarthmore if she feels that way about it! It sure is the polar opposite of UCLA or Berkeley! It is a small, beautiful suburban campus. I will let InterestedDad fill you in on everything else Swat-related. If your D is resisting, then it is not the school for her.</p>
<p>If your daughter felt this strongly, why in the world did she apply? I do not attend Swarthmore but my son applied to the school and we researched it very carefully. He was waitlisted.</p>
<p>In response to your questions I would say this:</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Kids are not into fancy clothes and designer bags. This school has a heritage through the Society of Friends that stresses simplicity and equality.</p></li>
<li><p>Why shouldn't she work hard at college? I doubt that the workload at Wellesley, Berkeley or UCLA is going to be that drastically different.</p></li>
<li><p>Yes, you can find drugs. The most frequently abused drug is alcohol. You can also avoid it.</p></li>
<li><p>A lot of kids at Swat are liberals. They have an interest in the world around them. Since my kid is a vegetarian and cares about ecology, I guess that makes him a tree-hugger in her book. </p></li>
<li><p>A smaller school is an intense environment. You will develop close friendships with those whom you live and study. At Swat, you also have the option of getting away and going into Philly.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>I am truly curious what she wrote down in her "Why Swat" essay if she has this many negative impressions of the school.</p>
<p>as for #2: During my d's search she concluded that Wellesley was no party either. It's a very tough school as well.</p>
<p>Everyplace has its strong and weak points. As one obvious example, Wellesley has no boys. The UCs might well have class sizes and likely relationships with professors that are very different than the LACs. You just have to make lists like this for each school and see which warts you can best tolerate. IMO.</p>
<p>Another point she might want to consider:
number of upperclass electives actually offered in various departments of interest. As school size decreases, course selection generally does as well. Suggest look at the actual schedule of courses being offered for next semester and compare.</p>
<p>Wow, what a list. I know a good deal about S'more because of family and friends who have taught and attended there. </p>
<h1>1, how ridiculous. give us a break.</h1>
<h1>2 and #3 are somewhat exclusive of one another. In fact, there is not a lot of partying going on. S'more students are obsessively driven when it comes to academics. If your d doesn't want to work, it's not the right choice.</h1>
<h1>4 liberal? Uh, yes.</h1>
<h1>5 if you are mad at someone and can't deal with being around them, you'll have problems wherever you go.</h1>
<p>My son is a sophomore at Swarthmore. I agree with the others who have stated that your daughter probably should not go there if she feels that way. Swarthmore is not for everyone. People do discuss a whole range of issues at 3AM at night and you do need to work hard.</p>
<p>My daughter went to Swarthmore. Her years there were fantastic.
FWIW, my daughter is politically uninvolved. (NOT even moderate. . .just not political.) She is not a tree hugger, and makes me laugh because she says her favorite plant is grass. And she means the green kind that you roll down the hill on. She hated any drug use, and only was bothered by it one semester when some fellows in the room next door used and failed to turn off their alarm clocks, which they set at all hours . . .she and her friends rarely drank a drop, but partied without the substances. Soemtimes they partied complete with formal wear, as in cocktail party attire but the drinks were without alcohol. She studied hard, but she loves to study, so that was a positive. And, FWIW, my DD is about the cleanest person I have even known in terms of hygiene and I have NEVER heard her complain about her peers' hygiene.</p>
<p>Just our experience, but if your daughter is throwing up lots of reasons not to go, the real truth may rest beneath the surface, and she may want to go somewhere else!</p>
<p>Tree-hugging? Hmm if youre not tree-hugging when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not tree-killing by the time you're 35, you have no brain. LOL.</p>
<p>Have you posted on the Swarthmore board? Since there are mostly parents here, you might not get any student responses. Off hand, I can't think of any Swarthmore CC'ers who visit the Parents board.</p>