Swarthmore or Hamilton

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:People have heard of Swarthmore and Amherst. Not Hamilton. Unless you are choosing on price, I'd go for one of those.

Or Bucknell, especially if planning to attend law school.

[Anonymous]

DC liked Hamilton best, but I couldn't get past the word "Hamily." LOL.

[Anonymous]

Amherst if aiming for top law schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Amherst if aiming for top law schools.

I’ve heard mostly miserable things about Amherst. Yes, the kids are smart and the education is great, but half the students are athletes and it’s all very cliquey.

[Anonymous]

Swarthmore is probably the most prestigious, but I am a fan of Hamilton. I know lots of balanced, happy grads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amherst if aiming for top law schools.

I’ve heard mostly miserable things about Amherst. Yes, the kids are smart and the education is great, but half the students are athletes and it’s all very cliquey.

Speaking as someone who works with both of these schools, what you wrote describes Hamilton very well, not Amherst.

[Anonymous]

I'd have thought Amherst would be a blend of Swarthmore (academics) and Hamilton (more laid back), making it the ideal solution.

As it is, choosing between Hamilton and Swarthmore is a non-starter. Unless money is at play, go to Swarthmore.

[Anonymous]

If it's relevant for your student:

Swarthmore still requires students to have the COVID vaccine.

Hamilton and Amherst dropped that requirement a year ago.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's relevant for your student:

Swarthmore still requires students to have the COVID vaccine.

Hamilton and Amherst dropped that requirement a year ago.

You again? Why do you keep commenting on covid vaccinations on these threads? Go away, no one asked and no one cares.

[Anonymous]

Please ignore the comments indicating that Swat or Amherst are "better," "more prestigious," or "more well known" than Hamilton. It's all shorthand for the fact Swat and Amherst have been consistently ranked a little higher by USNWR than Hamilton. But they will all have the same approximate quality of students, faculty, and educational quality.

Also, any of these those schools will provide the same opportunity for your kid to get into a great law school. Law schools don't care where you went for undergrad; they care about what you did there. My co-clerks for an extremely selective judge went to HLS and YLS and both went to state schools outside the top 75.

In short, I'd wouldn't make the decision based on foggy notions or prestige or law school prospects. I'd make it based on things like fit, desired curriculum, and money.

As an attorney, I like Hamilton because of its emphasis on writing. They may not help your kid get into law school, but it will definitely help them in law school and afterward. I think Swat probably has a similar emphasis, but I'm not sure about Amherst. My DS didn't apply to Hamilton for other reasons, but it sure seems like kids and parents love that school.

As for Swat, my DS was admitted and is very seriously considering it. I too was concerned about its reputation for unhappy grinders, but I'm growing more and more convinced that its an echo chamber effect mostly from people who have no affiliation. The first and secondhand account indicate that while it's not a party school, kids can still have a lot of fun. For us, I think it'll come down to DS's experience at Swat's admitted students' day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's relevant for your student:

Swarthmore still requires students to have the COVID vaccine.

Hamilton and Amherst dropped that requirement a year ago.

Another plus for Swarthmore!

[Anonymous]

Swat for sure.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Planning on Admitted Students Day next month. Maybe I’ll see some of you there. Plan is to go and, if it feels great, commit, and if not, head to Hamilton the following week. Thanks, all for the comments. Really helpful.

Good luck for anyone waiting on Ivys.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think Swat draws significantly better students. I am influenced by two recent Hamilton grads I know. Very nice kids but seem a little adrift. Un- or underemployed at present.

This, really.

[Anonymous]

As a Hamilton Alum, I am happy to hear it mentioned in the same sentence as Swat. Hamilton is a little more “preppy” than your other two options, but has tried to change that rep by recruiting more kids from non-boarding school backgrounds. Still will always be a back up for Williams and Amherst, but I must say I got a high quality education that prepared me well for law school and beyond.