Swarthmore vs. Reed

<p>Yes, it's one of "those" threads. For an aspiring PhD in life sciences, both schools are great options. How would you choose one over the other?</p>

<p>I would visit each school, talk to students, faculty if you can. Choose the one you like best. At this level it doesn’t matter much.</p>

<p>I had a choice between Swarthmore and Reed, too. In the end, the main reason I picked Swarthmore was becasue it was more affordable, but I also liked Swarthmore’s campus more. Reed just felt too small when I visited. Then again, Swarthmore became very small for me very quickly. The fact that Philadelphia was nearby was also a factor for me, but most people don’t go out to Philadelphia much either… I would agree with vonlost’s advice. It’s more or less impossible for anyone to have any idea of what your experiences at each college will turn out to be, so just pick one based on whatever information you have. I’ve found it hard, when I was visiting Swarthmore, to talk to actual students there, unless you go to some kind of visitation or program specifically for high school students who are trying to decide. Even then, you’ll only get a few people’s opinions, so you should take everything with a grain of salt. </p>

<p>Ignore chat rooms, bulletin boards, rankings, parents and guidance counselors…then flip a coin. In all seriousness, you can’t lose. Take yourself out of the discussion for a moment. Where would you send your best friend, or maybe a younger brother or sister? If they would be happy there, so will you. Again…no wrong answers here. Good luck! </p>

<p>Congratulations! You have two excellent choices. As an alum of Swarthmore and a parent of 2 Swarthmore grads, I’m probably not unbiased. Both Reed and Swarthmore are great liberal arts colleges. Reed is particularly strong at producing future PhDs (but so is Swarthmore). One thing not mentioned yet is graduation rates. From the latest common data sets from both colleges, Reed has a significantly lower graduation rate. </p>

<p>Here are the data, based on the class which entered in the fall of 2007:</p>

<pre><code> 4-year grad rate 6-year grad rate
</code></pre>

<p>Reed 70% 82%
Swarthmore 89% 93%</p>

<p>Looking a the class which entered in fall of 2006 Reed looks even worse by comparison:</p>

<pre><code> 4-year grad rate 6-year grad rate
</code></pre>

<p>Reed 60% 74%
Swarthmore 86% 92%</p>

<p>The one-year retention rates are similar, at 94-96%. I’m not sure why Reed’s graduation rate is so much lower than Swarthmore’s (and other top LACs). Reed may accept more quirky, non-traditionally prepared students. It’s graduation requirements may be tougher. I really don’t know. But the difference in graduation rates is something I would consider if I were trying to decide between the two colleges.</p>

<p>These two threads shed some light on the graduation rates:
<a href=“Graduation Rate - Reed College - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/reed-college/180362-graduation-rate.html&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/reed-college/1192854-why-is-reed-s-graduation-rate-so-low.html”>http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/reed-college/1192854-why-is-reed-s-graduation-rate-so-low.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Both schools are filled with engaged faculty and good people, offer rigerous academic programs, and admit strong and curious students. Graduation rates don’t matter in your decision about which school is a better fit for you. What does matter is how it feels to be on each campus, to observe and talk in each community. Your gut reaction is very valid at this point, given how similar your experience can be at either school.</p>

<p>Our nephew was brilliant and earned great grades at Reed but he was not graduated on time because he refused to fulfill their PE requirement. As I understand, he was not alone in his decision to ignore Reed’s requirements. Thought he didn’t need a diploma…until he realized that he did. He satisfied the PE requirement a few years later but it was then well beyond the time allowed in those statistics about graduation rates. “Cool breeze” attitudes abound at Reed. He went on to earn a PhD at Columbia and is now teaching. This is meaningless as you make your enrollment decision, however.</p>