Swarthmore vs. Ivies/Stanford

Colleges and Universities A-Z Swarthmore College
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<p>@fhimas88888888 Thank you for such an informative post.</p>

<p>I am not looking to get a job straight out of Swat. I realize that the recruiting at Ivies is much better, especially when it comes to business/finance-like things. However, I am planning to go to grad school, regardless of what college I go to(though I’ve decided I’ll apply to Swat). The top attended grad schools by Swatties are UPenn and Harvard. So I think Swat is the best option considering everything, because I’m not trying to get a (business) job straight after I get my bachelor’s anyway, and I’ll hopefully get into a grad school where there’s good recruiting. </p>

<p>However, there is something I’d like to ask you. You are going to an Ivy GRAD school, correct? In other words, you spent ALL 4 years at Swat, correct? If not, how is the undergrad experience at an Ivy compared to that of Swat? How are the people and the profs and the classes?</p>

<p>When i visited Swat, I loved it. I really can be happy at any college, as long as the people are good. And the Swatties I talked to were some of the nicest, most-down-to-earth people that I’ve ever met. That’s something I that I’ve heard to be existent, but less common at Ivies. Also the sense of community of Swat is something that I’ve heard and experienced to be not as much of a factor at Ivies. </p>

<p>Yes, I realize brand matters. In fact, prestige and name are pretty important to me. It might seem superficial, but they do matter when it comes to employment. However, after you’ve earned your Masters, the ‘brand’-value of where you went for undergrad doesn’t really matter. Where you go for an undergrad education does matter when one is trying to get into grad school, but once you have a masters and are seeking employment, the brand-name of where you earned your bachelors doesn’t really matter(Atleast, that’s what I’ve heard from the overwhelming majority of people). Swat’s grad placement is incredible, so I really don’t have any worries.</p>

<p>If there’s anything else you could tell about the the advantages of an Ivy over Swat or vice versa, please do tell! I’m just curious!</p>

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<p>Yep. Ivy grad school. Spent 4 years at Swat. My sense of the undergraduate vibe at the top ivies is that it’s not as academic as Swat –– people at Princeton, e.g., DO NOT talk about their coursework outside of class –– it’s completely unheard of. But that happens ALL THE TIME –– everywhere on campus –– at Swat. </p>

<p>I maintain that prestige really doesn’t matter much. The people post-college who care are pretty obnoxious. But I say the brand matters with respect to employment. I emphasize that though life is probably more interesting at Swat, it’s usually better balanced at the Ivies.</p>

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<p>What DO the people at ivies talk about? I would think they are the most academic, but you obviously would know better, being that you go to one!</p>

<p>And also, since you went/are going to an Ivy Grad school, why did/does the ‘brand-name’ of Swat matter to you since you’re not seeking (long-term) employment straight out of Swat anyway?</p>

<p>Also, could you differentiate between interesting and well-balanced for me more? Shouldn’t a well-balanced experience be more interesting? Also, I’m not much of a partier; just like to be around good people doing something enjoyable, so well-balanced for me would not really include partying or the likes, just FYI.</p>

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<p>Partying? I dunno.</p>

<p>I perhaps would have sought employment right out of Swat had there been an environment that fostered such an interest. Indeed, when all your friends are talking about academics and going into academia, it’s hard to imagine doing anything different!</p>

<p>Indeed, there’s more to do at school than just party and work. But that’s all I remember doing at Swat (mostly the latter). At other schools you might get some more time to just hang out, talk to friends, have a life, be centered, etc.,</p>

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<p>@fhimas </p>

<p>As I said, I’m not looking to get a job straight out of college, def going to grad school, but what exactly do you mean by going into academia?</p>

<p>And I guess you’re saying at your school you have time to party, work, PLUS hanging out with friends etc.? As I said lol, I don’t party much. I would hang out with friends during that time instead, maybe go out for dinner or something.</p>

<p>Thanks for the posts!</p>

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<p>Agree with the previous posters. I went to grad school at Stanford in science. That school (and I suppose the other large research universities inc. the Ivies) gives many of the research slots to grad students (and post-docs). My lab had no undergrads, only 2 grad students, and many postdocs. Why? Because undergrads don’t have the requisite experience and the PIs want experienced ‘hands.’ Swarthmore has no grad students, so undergrads get the slots, and from what I can tell from having 2 kids there over 7 years, the students who want to do research there get good one-on-one mentoring and are extremely well positioned for med school or grad school afterwards. The science programs at Swat are tough, though, and many fall out early. If you can make it, the possibilities are greater, IMO, than at an Ivy.</p>

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<p>OP, going into academia means staying in the academy, i.e. becoming a professor, teaching, doing research etc.</p>

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<p>Prestige and name recognition are two different things. True, farmers in Nebraska have heard of Harvard & Yale and not Swarthmore, but recruiters in DC / NYC and adcoms in the Ivy League know Swat quite well and it’s on par with the Ivies for the most part.</p>