<p>I’ve visited both (and got accepted into both), and ended up choosing Swat. </p>
<p>Swarthmore is one of the only lib arts colleges that offer a BS in engineering instead of a BA in 4 years of schooling. It’s an incredibly rigorous program. And the economics department is top notch as well. Chemistry is the only really bad thing to study at Swat. At Vandy, you’d get the BS in engineering in more than four years, but it’s hard to say which program is better.</p>
<p>Swat is pretty much considered a grad school place. People who go there generally do get into the grad schools of their choice. I forget the absolute percentage, but it’s impressive. So is Vandy’s overall, but I’m not sure about engineering specifically. </p>
<p>People from Swat do very well in grad school. “It would be an A anywhere else” is a common term. Meaning that the work is very thorough (and difficult) and prepares you for grad school programs. </p>
<p>Neither is a bad school. Both have names that impress the right people. Vandy is probably better known among people in general, but employers know what Swarthmore is, and that’s the thing that matters. It’s the atmosphere that you have to think about.</p>
<p>Vanderbilt is a more typical “college” in the sense that Greek life is big, parties are common, and the students are very . . . college student-y: clearly intelligent but less prone to doing academic things outside of the classroom. It’s also very sports oriented. About an equal mix of liberals and conservatives, though leaning toward the right since it is in the South. The stereotype is that they’re all rich white Southern gentleman jocks and debutantes. It’s not exactly true, like all stereotypes, but upon my visit the students seemed less interested in academics and more interested in social life outside of class. It’s also right in the middle of Nashville, a lovely city, and the surrounding area is very nice. Upon visiting, most people talked about a party that had happened the night before.</p>
<p>Swat, on the other a less typical liberal arts college. Greek life is almost nonexistent (I think there are two frats in total with about 40 members each), parties are still common but in less places, and the students are generally of the intellectual sort, the types who continue class discussions into the dining hall. Sports are considered more of a past time, and while people are involved in them and love them, the school as a whole isn’t as peppy as far as sports are concerned. Mainly liberals and libertarians from what I gathered, though conservatives do exist. The stereotype is that everyone is a “quirky” and intellectual nerd. The students are intellectual and deeply involved in politics/activism, and while there were plenty of “quirky” people, there were “normal” ones as well. It’s in a suburb of Philly, and is very lush and has the small town feel. Upon visiting, people talked about a live action role playing game that happened the day before where they pretty much pretended the school was Hogwarts and they taught magic. </p>
<p>It depends on what type of place you like better. Both are great schools with good networks that will help you out tremendously. It all comes down to the vibe.</p>
<p>So you have the more “normal” Greek life, city, good classes but less political involvement life of Vandy or the “quirky” intellectual, suburb, that’s into activism that is Swat.</p>
<p>I chose the later after visiting and seeing that, at least in my experience, that the students of Swat are much nicer (and more fun to talk to) than the ones at Vandy, for what it’s worth.</p>