<p>:)</p>
<p>That was amusing.</p>
<p>how do they decide which dorms we end up in?
are int students teamed up with other int students?</p>
<p>can indicate lifestyle preferences, habits (early to bed, early to rise <grin>), recreational pursuits, etc. will be sent this summer and that you are matched with someone similar in a residence hall that has something of a similar "atmosphere" to your preferences. Just my understanding, though, I could be wrong.</grin></p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<p>Bill</p>
<p>And to tell you the truth, Myrt Westphal the housing Director does a FANTASTIC job of matching people. You need not worry at all, Abhay.</p>
<p>My son says he has yet to meet an unsatisfied customer of this housing lottery at least for freshmen.</p>
<p>I read recently that Myrt was kicked upstairs to an associate dean position and Swat is in the process of replacing her with a new housing guru. Let's hope they find someone as dedicated!</p>
<p>Internationals get to move in a couple of days earlier then everyone else, which is a huge advantage :).</p>
<p>Nooooo......Myrt got replaced??? Too bad. She actually does a LOT of due-diligence. Her kitchen table is not used to cooking during summer.</p>
<p>why is moving in earlier an advantage?
do we get to choose the rooms?</p>
<p>Rooms are assigned for freshmen, based on answers you give on your housing preference forms.</p>
<p>International students arrive for a special orientation a couple days before the other freshmen arrive. They use this special orientation to cover a lot of logistical things about living in the US (like opening bank accounts, etc.). </p>
<p>As a result of getting to know each other during this orientation, international students tend to form friendships with other international students that continue because of the fairly strong presence of international groups and activities on campus. I think that varies with each individual student, as well. It's a pretty big adventure. Some kids probably feel more comfortable jumping right in. Others probably need the security of hanging out with other foreign students.</p>
<p>I don't think that Swarthmore necessarily go out of their way to assign international students with other international roommates, but a lot of that would depend on the particular countries and languages involved.</p>
<p>There is a Foreign Student Advisor in the Dean's Office. My guess is that you will get a good deal of communication from this office beyond what the normal US freshmen receive.</p>
<p>My advice to you would be to think of going off to Swarthmore as the most fun you'll ever have in your life, because I think it probably will be. Get in touch with the Nepalese "student ambassadors" at Swat to put yourself at ease about all the little logistical details. When you arrive, put yourself in a frame of mind of jumping right in with both feet and making friends with everybody on your hall in the dorm. The only freshmen who don't make friends at Swarthmore are those who hang back and stay to themselves out of shyness or whatever. </p>
<p>From what my daughter has described, the kids who go do dinner with their dormmates, hang out, watch movies, play cards, and generally socialize with those around them make instant friendships and have a wonderful time as freshmen at Swarthmore. It seems that Swatties, in general, tend to be pretty friendly, inclusive kids.</p>
<p>Hey Abhay,</p>
<p>I was almost an international student because I was set to complete high school in Jakarta Indonesia, but my father got a job here in D.C. and i came back early (10th grade). I got in Early I to swarthmore. I'm familiar with the whole international orientation because my brother (attending upenn) went to it a few years ago. I just wanted to assure you that even if rooms are not assigned based on international or non-international (which i don't think they are as interesteddad pointed out) most people (including me) are extremely excited to make friends with and learn from international students. I look forward to meeting you!</p>
<p>abhay-- did you also get into macalester? i noticed you on that forum as well, i think. are you going to swat edII instead?</p>
<p>im going for swarthmore ed 2.
i have withdrawn my app from all other colleges.
i didnt remove my name from all other forums. it tedious work. sorry for that.
abhay</p>
<p>Hello everyone! I just got my acceptance in a pretty cool way ... I was down at Swat this weekend staying with the xc team, and while my host was in a seminar I was just wandering around. I was sitting in the little stone promontory near the amphitheater when my mother called me saying I got a letter from Swarthmore. I told her to open it, and apparently I'm in. Awesome news.</p>
<p>Congratulation, beneth the climb! I can imagine how cool it is to hear the "admitted" news ON CAMPUS! :)</p>