I live in a small town in Colorado and due to geographical factors likely can only go to the east coast once for a tour. To attempt to make the trip itinerary work, Swarthmore has been moved to the weekend (is much further south than the other schools I’ll be touring). What can a person do at campus on a weekend and is it worth it to still go even if I can’t tour or go into a class? Thanks for all help.
The second time we visited Swarthmore it was on a weekend. You can pick up a walking tour guide just outside the admissions office if you get there when the office is closed. The campus is gorgeous, and walking around can give you an idea of the distance between buildings, the hill, and the outdoors athletic facilities. We happened to be there towards the end of the summer when international students were moving in, so the campus wasn’t quite deserted.
The place felt very different without a lot of students around. Sleepy, park-like. Bits of the gardens were completely deserted by everyone but the butterflies.
Do you like gardens and woods and trees? Are you a photographer? Swarthmore campus is lovely, and if the weather cooperates then you will find a lot of things to photograph and fresh air to breathe.
They give a good tour. The people who spoke at our information session at our first visit were funny, self-deprecating, smart, and nice. If you can manage to be there and get a tour it isn’t wasted time.
It may be that the admissions staff can rustle up someone to give a quick weekend tour if you call them well enough in advance. Let them know about your conflicts and availability and interest and they might be able to help you. It can’t hurt to try.
We very much enjoyed our second trip to Swarthmore even without a guide and without entering any of the buildings. But I am not you and I don’t know what you like and what you are looking for in a college. And I have no idea what the weather might be like on your Swarthmore trip. If it is at all pleasant outside, you should go.
Thanks. We’ll be sure to call to see if we can get a tour and if not still venture to campus. The arboretum aspect of campus is a huge draw to the campus for me over similar LACs.