I don’t see a lot of CURRENT threads about Swathmore. My son is very interested but he likes his social life just as much as hard work.
Can a current or recent alum shed some light on the goings on? I know that if you party you can find the party crowd just as if you are not into parties that you can avoid them. I am just trying to get some real info on the party scene.
If you are not comfortable posting it you can dm me 
my r is missing in Swarthmore 
then you are pronouncing it like a local I’d love to help you out, but I’m just an alum; I’ve got a kiddo there now but he doesn’t really share such info with me I do know (from reading the papers) that the school has been trying to promote more social events that don’t involve tons of alcohol. I imagine that is about as successful as one might think it is.
Getting real info is rough! Thanks for your help!
I suggested that my that my son visit his Temple friends if he got bored. Finally, in sophomore year he hopped on the train. He prefers Swat parties because they tend to be themed. The two fraternities are creative. Students can obtain permits for designated spaces and must provide party protocol. I am happy that the college exerts control. Temple parties seem to be apartment gatherings.
He visited a South Philly night club … But seven and seven crowd was not his cup of tea.
It is good that the college not promote tons of alcohol. Forty years ago we were content with a keg in the basement.
I’m a current student. The party scene is not bad, but if you’re looking to have a different experience every weekend, this probably isn’t the best place. There are really only ~5 party spaces, and only 2 of these get used consistently. Every week there’s pub nite on Thursday (sometimes Friday), which has beer and music in a cafe. Usually on saturday one of the frats will throw a party, typically again with beer and music. There is a group called NuWave on campus right now which aims for more inclusive party spaces (though the frats aren’t quite like other bigger schools, they can still be uncomfortable for some students). So most weekends NuWave might throw a themed party with wine. It’s unclear how long NuWave will last, though–many campus groups tend to dry up after a few years when the original leadership graduates, etc. That group started last fall (I think), so it’ll likely be around for at least a couple more years. There’s also Olde Club, a music space, which infequently (maybe 5-6 times a semester) has concerts with a keg or something. There also tend to be lots of pregames in ppl’s rooms (especially if you live in Willets)
Some people do go to Philly or Penn or whatever for parties, but that’s relatively infrequent. The train stops running around midnight so it’s a little inconvenient. It definitely happens though. It’s a little easier to get to Bryn mawr/haverford because the bus system stops running at like 2 am, but their scene isn’t really much more developed than ours
All that said, I don’t really go to parties that much, so I guess take what I’m saying with a grain of salt. My friends who party seem relatively happy. But classes definitely do take precedence for just about everybody. Feel free to msg me or ask more questions here if u want
Edit: forgot to add, there are a few big once a year parties that much more of the student body participates in, like Halloween and “worthstock” which is an all day music concert the weekend before finals in the spring. These are much bigger campus affairs, more like half of campus instead of 10% (or something like that I don’t really know numbers)
@Capsaicin Thank you very much for taking time out to answer my question! You were very clear and I am now able to get a better sense of the scene! I also appreciate the info on Philly and the trains. Have a great summer!
No experience with Swat but I will say that there are many great live music venues in Philly if your son is into the music scene.
Just to add to this, while there are always campus wide parties on Thursday/Saturday, teams and clubs also throw their own parties!! They tend to be very creative, inclusive, and super fun! This includes club sports and groups that students sign up for after getting to Swat. Pub night may be repetitive, but it’s certainly not the only thing going on during weekends on campus!
Does anyone know why the Men’s Lacrosse frat has been closed? Is it a permanent closing?
Current Swarthmore freshman here! I don’t know much about the frat, but I have heard that it will be open again second semester this year! @57special