The Philly Report, Pt. I: Swarthmore

Parents Forum
1

<p>I've been meaning to post about this, but school has been insane and I just haven't found the time. I was in Philadelphia over Columbus Weekend, doing my first few college visits. I hope this is helpful to someone.</p>

<p>Swarthmore was my first college, not counting American University three blocks from where I live, and it was one of my top choices before visiting. That made me nervous. By the time we arrived--in the pouring rain, at the last minute--I was practically hyperventilating. I wanted desperately to like it because not liking it meant reevaluating everything I thought I wanted in a college, and I wasn't ready for that kind of soul-searching.</p>

<p>It was the first day of Fall Break, and the campus was deserted. At the info session our admissions officer spoke very softly. I held my breath and asked about IB credit and art portfolios. Afterwards our tour guide was late, and while we waited I explored the science building.</p>

<p>The hallways were lined with bulletin boards where physics projects I didn't understand shared space with comic strips and nerdy jokes and a small sign that read "SNAPE IS INNOCENT". I fell completely and irrationally in love. I wanted to move into the study lounge (complete with its own coffee bar) and become a chemistry major. The tour hadn't even started and I didn't want to leave the building. </p>

<p>Our guide showed up eventually, but by then I didn't need a sales pitch. I didn't care that it was raining or that the mud was ruining my (borrowed) shoes. It was glorious.</p>

<p>That said, I wasn't particularly impressed with the dorm we saw: a narrow, winding, dimly lit hallway that smelled faintly of cigarette smoke. The room was a cinderblock rectangle, which I understand is pretty standard, but the layout of the building seemed impractical. I appreciated the honesty, though; I know that some schools give misleading information about housing. We didn't get a chance to see the newer dorms, which are supposed to be much nicer. Many of the buildings were actually locked.</p>

<p>Summary:
+
The science building (loved the relaxed atmosphere and study lounge)</p>

<h2>The intellectual atmosphere (even with no students there I got the impression that people work themselves to death, but love every minute of it--that kind of genuine enthusiasm)</h2>

<p>The dorms
Would've liked to see more interiors (library, dining hall, etc)</p>

<p>Verdict:
I loved it. Definitely applying.</p>

<p>Coming up: Bryn Mawr, University of Pennsylvania</p>

2

<p>
[quote]
That said, I wasn't particularly impressed with the dorm we saw: a narrow, winding, dimly lit hallway that smelled faintly of cigarette smoke.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Had to be Hallowell. One of a matching pair of dorms built in the 1960s with maize-like hallways. Pretty much everybody hates the design of the dorm. At least its matching twin, Dana Hall, doesn't have the cigarette smell. Hollowell is just about the only smoking dorm on campus except for one floor of another dorm -- that requires a senior lottery number to get into.</p>

<p>Gotta give the tour credit for not gilding the lily. They showed you what would generally be regarded as the worst dorm on campus. My impression is that Dana (the non-smoking version) is not a bad place to live.</p>

<p>The other "new" dorms are popular because they are very social dorms large open halls and lounges that promote a lot of interaction. The older dorms are popular because, well, they have the charm of buildings built a hundred years ago.</p>

3

<p>interesteddad: That's good to hear. I'm sensitive to cigarette smoke, so that's something I was concerned about. Thanks for the explanation. :)</p>

<p>Like I said, I'm glad they were honest with us and didn't try to gloss over it.</p>

4

<p>It would be very unlikely that you would be assigned to Hallowell as a freshman unless you failed to properly highlight an aversiont to cigarette smoke on your housing questionairre.</p>

<p>After freshman year, the lottery system pretty much ensures fairness. Without going into arcane detail, you are guaranteed to have a lottery number in the top third of your class one year, the bottom third of your class one year, and the middle third of your class another year.</p>

<p>Most Swatties live in three or four different dorms over the course of four years. The only real exception to that would be students who choose to live in Mary Lyons, the large old off-campus dorm, where it may be possible to get a room in the lottery system for three consecutive years.</p>

5

<p>thisyearsgirl, The first buildilng the tour guide took my daughter to was the science building, which wasn't quite finished yet, I don't think. My D had no interest in science, but the things she heard about that building were what first made her fall in love with Swarthmore.</p>

6

<p>My daughter (junior in h.s.) broke out in a big grin when I told her about that! Swarthmore wasn't on our radar before, but it is now! We'll be visiting. Thanks!</p>

7

<p>macnyc, your post made me smile... I'm a huge Harry Potter fan, so naturally the sign caught my attention. :)</p>

8

<p>What HS do you attend? I used to live in the area and went to Wilson for 1yr (moved out of state) a long..... long..... time ago! :)</p>

9

<p>NJres, I'll PM you. There are 50 students in my school's class of '07, and I'd be very easy to identify.</p>

10

<p>Your visit sounds like puppy love - full of excitement, emotion and romance. May your dreams come true and may reality match your expectations.</p>

11

<p><a href="http://phoenix.swarthmore.edu/2005/2005-10-20/living/15496%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://phoenix.swarthmore.edu/2005/2005-10-20/living/15496&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>Pretty cool, huh?</p>

12

<p>Thisyear'sgirl, if you're a Harry Potter fan, you should know that Harry is actually listed as the only male student student at Bryn Mawr, which is brimming with Potter fans. It also looks infinitely more like Hogwart's than Swat.</p>

13

<p>Half of D's house at Smith are Harry Potter fans. I think there are enough that they divide into "fans" and "intense fans." D wore a blazer with Hufflepuff crest as her costume for the House Halloween party.</p>

14

<p>kellymegreener can you stop linking to that site? Almost every one of your posts contain a link to it....do you have anything else to contribute to the CC community?</p>

<p>OT: I'm glad to hear there are lots of HP fans at Swarthmore. Not that it really makes me want to apply (I want to anyway) but it shows that I'll fit in :D I also believe Snape is innocent. If I end up going, I'm hope I'll see thisyearsgirl in the Chemistry department!</p>

15

<p>Not just among students. Here's History Prof. Tim Burke's review of the latest Harry Potter book, posted on his blog last July:</p>

<p><a href="http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=61#comments%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://weblogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/?p=61#comments&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

16

<p>That is sooo cool! Thanks for the link. I love it when professors aren't pretentious and get involved and interested in the same issues that students are interested in.</p>

17

<p>Conversely, I suspect that professors love it when students get involved and interested in the same issues that they are interested in!</p>

<p>Here's an interesting quote from this week's Phoenix about a Visiting Professor's impressions of Swarthmore:</p>

<p>
[quote]
Professor Jack Hoeksema offers different teaching methods and views from Holland. He is not entirely unfamiliar with Swarthmore, however. Before coming to teach here, he already knew many professors and was collaborating with some at the linguistics department. As a professor at the University of Pennsylvania for two years, Hoeksema explained he knew the area and it was not entirely foreign to him. </p>

<p>While Swarthmore may not be entirely new, Swarthmore students are certainly different from what he encountered in Holland. “Students here are certainly more dedicated. I wouldn’t expect everyone to do their homework but here it is not uncommon for 80 percent or even 100 percent to do their homework. It’s not something I’m used to at all.”

[/quote]
</p>

18

<p>I love, love, LOVE Swarthmore! The perfection and academic lovefest there sound great. I will apply if I don't get into Yale early.</p>

19

<p>Thanks for all the links! The power was out for most of the day, so I'm just getting a chance to look at them now. edad, you're right about it being like puppy love -- I felt all warm and fuzzy, haha. kellymegreener, I'm relieved those drawings weren't there when I visited... I don't think my (Christian, fairly conservative) mother would've appreciated them. JTC007, I guess we'll be spazzing out together in the Swarthmore forum next year, then? ;)</p>

<p>From the HP review:

[quote]
I was a little surprised at how simple Snape’s actions at the end turned out to be. It really doesn’t matter now what we find out about Snape later: this pretty well seals the character’s fate and status within the story. He’s flipped to being a straightforward antagonist. Which makes all the effort lavished on Snape up to this point a bit odd, as if Rowling changed her mind about him.

[/quote]

EXACTLY.</p>

<p>(off to read some more...)</p>

20

<p>Kellymegreener:</p>

<p>Count me among those who would very much like to see you get an EA acceptance letter from Yale.</p>