<p>As the mom of a freshman at Swat, I've been underwhelmed by the place so far. While we all fell in love with the school on the first visit, & I backed my S's decision to apply ED...subsequent visits were disappointing & all I can say is..I have yet to discover what makes this such a sought-after (high ranking) school. I was hoping to get some insight from this site..but find no postings since '06..or am i missing something?
anyway..would love to hear some impressions of the place from current or former students...</p>
<p>Ok, so it should be clear that I DID miss something! new to this site & somehow i got inot the ED discussion from years back, & NOT the recent posts.
I'll slink away for a while, & read the postings!</p>
<p>
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..I have yet to discover what makes this such a sought-after (high ranking) school.
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<p>The school is high ranking for the same reason all high ranking schools are high ranking. Very large per student endowment allows massive per student spending resulting in a high caliber student body and an excellent undergrad program.</p>
<p>The school is "sought after" because it offers arguably the most rigorous undergrad academic program in the country, a very strong campus community, the top diversity in the elite LAC genre, and a near urban location that is appealing to students who want access to the major cities of the northeast.</p>
<p>Or, you can cut right to the chase and go with consumer economics. Last year, Swarthmore provided a $78,000 per student undergrad product and charged, on average $30,000 per student tuiton, room, and board.</p>
<p>What I love about this place is the fact that there's a place for all kinds of people here. All kinds of people are accepted.. even if NOT everyone at Swarthmore might like you for who you are, trust me, at least some will.. whether you're a nerd, a freak or whatever.. trust me.. you'll find someone who share the same views as you..</p>
<p>Virginia, you wrote:</p>
<p>"As the mom of a freshman at Swat, I've been underwhelmed by the place so far...."</p>
<p>I do not want to sound flippant and I ask in earnest with good intentions, is this your first experience with higher ed institutions? </p>
<p>I ask because I have been involved in academia as a high ranking administrator and faculty member for the last 23 years and have not come across very many schools that offer the resources to students that Swarthmore does. I also make this statement as the mom of a Brown BA/Columbia MFA alum and note that I have found Swarthmore to have a more caring and nurturing environment than most.</p>
<p>It is not perfect. No institution is. But it is truly an outstanding and diverse place of learning, heads above most of its peers and deserving of its fine reputation.</p>
<p>I think Virginia's reaction is a natural one. If you happen upon a sleepy LAC early on a Saturday morning there's not much going on. Trees and grass are the same anywhere you go. Almost every elite college has constructed sparkling new buildings within the last ten years. And, contrary to Interesteddad's calculations, most parents don't arrive on campus with a Standard & Poor's audit in their heads - there's either a tangible feel for where the money is going, or there isn't. My advice would be to visit the U<em>N</em>I<em>G</em>O site for Swarthmore (remove the stars from the spelling) and listen to some of the interviews. You'll get a much better feel for the place.</p>
<p>Having visited over 30+ colleges over the past two years, I can easily say that there is no college out there like Swarthmore. S2 absolutely fell in love with it and has applied ED. Everything I have learned about Swarthmore, points in the direction that there is no other college out there quite like it.</p>
<p>oh wait, I just realized the OP wrote that she is already the mother of a frosh. I guess my question is, does the son share the OP's impression?</p>
<p>My daughter, also a freshman absolutly LOVES Swarthmore. While visiting colleges during her senior year of HS, there was no college that even came close for her. She has loved every minute since she got there in August. She loves the student body, the professors, the support systems in place such as the CAs, SAMs, RA, WAs and having upper classmen on her hall to offer advice. She loves the campus, the activities on weekends, the guests who come to Swat, and the access to Philly. Swarthmore has so much to offer, at least for her it is a perfect fit.</p>