Swarthmore is one of the toughest colleges in the country, but it pays off. Aside from major intro classes like Psch 1 and Bio 1&2, class sizes are very small. Professors are brilliant and AVAILABLE--unlike profs at huge research universities, they only teach undergrad and therefore have time and patience for undergrads.
DO: Take advantage of the Writing Associates, your professors and advisor, and first-year seminars.
DON'T: Underestimate the amount of work you'll be doing.
Do you enjoy the experience at your school?
Swarthmore is small and can get feel a little cramped sometimes, and often you'll find yourself with too much work to fully take advantage of all the other things going on. That aside, I love it.
The people here are not only brilliant but really interesting and friendly. Everyone has a pet project. The campus is gorgeous and very walkable, dorms are quite good, and there are plenty of parties on the weekends as well as lectures, exhibits, film screenings, weird traditions, and various other get-togethers.
Do you feel you’re getting value for the money you’re spending on college?
The school is expensive but has a big endowment, which translates to a lot of financial aid. Appealing for more aid does help if you can point out some concrete reasons--I appealed my first financial aid offer and got a better one. About half of the students here are getting some sort of assistance.
Do you have any tips for prospective students?
Take advantage of everything the school offers! Create a project.
Which types of students will excel at your college?
Quirky people who want to work hard academically but are also interested in making some kind of social change.
Swarthmore is one of the toughest colleges in the country, but it pays off. Aside from major intro classes like Psch 1 and Bio 1&2, class sizes are very small. Professors are brilliant and AVAILABLE--unlike profs at huge research universities, they only teach undergrad and therefore have time and patience for undergrads. DO: Take advantage of the Writing Associates, your professors and advisor, and first-year seminars. DON'T: Underestimate the amount of work you'll be doing.
Swarthmore is small and can get feel a little cramped sometimes, and often you'll find yourself with too much work to fully take advantage of all the other things going on. That aside, I love it. The people here are not only brilliant but really interesting and friendly. Everyone has a pet project. The campus is gorgeous and very walkable, dorms are quite good, and there are plenty of parties on the weekends as well as lectures, exhibits, film screenings, weird traditions, and various other get-togethers.
The school is expensive but has a big endowment, which translates to a lot of financial aid. Appealing for more aid does help if you can point out some concrete reasons--I appealed my first financial aid offer and got a better one. About half of the students here are getting some sort of assistance.
Take advantage of everything the school offers! Create a project.
Quirky people who want to work hard academically but are also interested in making some kind of social change.