What is the deal with Swathmore?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you have to ask ... Your DC does not have the scores to get in! I'm chuckling at the notion that the parents who are so appalled that Swarthmore is a "leftie bastion" actually have kids bright enough to get in there.

Especially parents who can't spell "morph" or use ellipses correctly, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

One protest does not a "leftie bastion" make - check out the protests at Dartmouth recently. But if OP is really afraid of exposing his kid to different points of view, he could keep DC at home doing MOOCs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have to ask ... Your DC does not have the scores to get in! I'm chuckling at the notion that the parents who are so appalled that Swarthmore is a "leftie bastion" actually have kids bright enough to get in there.

Especially parents who can't spell "morph" or use ellipses correctly, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

One protest does not a "leftie bastion" make - check out the protests at Dartmouth recently. But if OP is really afraid of exposing his kid to different points of view, he could keep DC at home doing MOOCs.

PP had two different protests according to the links? Looks to be more than one protest.

The Darthmouth protest resulted in a complete shut down of the campus. I guess PPsters should be careful since someone will ultimately say that ALL of the schools are lefties.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:very very liberal, this doesn't shock me at all.

Aren't ALL of the SLACs "LIBERAL" ? Whieh isn't?

i think PP meant liberal in a different way than what liberal refers to in LAC.

Williams is the polar opposite of Swat.

That is exactly what I meant. I looked at the NESCAC schools and Swarthmore, withdrew my application to Swarthmore after visiting because of the holier-than-thou liberalism and general sanctimony surrounding the campus.

It seemed the kids there were in turmoil of being spoiled, well educated brats while trying way too hard to be crunchy. IT definitely speaks to a certain kind of student, and its academics are very, very strong. But it's a special place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:very very liberal, this doesn't shock me at all.

Aren't ALL of the SLACs "LIBERAL" ? Whieh isn't?

i think PP meant liberal in a different way than what liberal refers to in LAC.

Williams is the polar opposite of Swat.

That is exactly what I meant. I looked at the NESCAC schools and Swarthmore, withdrew my application to Swarthmore after visiting because of the holier-than-thou liberalism and general sanctimony surrounding the campus.

It seemed the kids there were in turmoil of being spoiled, well educated brats while trying way too hard to be crunchy. IT definitely speaks to a certain kind of student, and its academics are very, very strong. But it's a special place.

PP here. yeah i can see it turning off a lot of people.

that said NESCAC schools are way too 'bro' if you know what i mean so they have pretty shitty cultures to on the other extreme. That said many DC area students seem love that scene so what do i know?

Pomona IMO has the best LAC culture. relaxed, fun, easy-going, not to stressful....i've met many NESCAC and swat grads who ended up not liking their schools but i've never met a pomona grad who had anything bad to say about the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:very very liberal, this doesn't shock me at all.

Aren't ALL of the SLACs "LIBERAL" ? Whieh isn't?

i think PP meant liberal in a different way than what liberal refers to in LAC.

Williams is the polar opposite of Swat.

Not politically -- Williams students and alums (I'm one) skew pretty liberal; stylistically very different though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Seems like the school has morfed from what was a very respective SLACs to more a liberal bastion for the far left.

That's "ok" if that's what you are looking for.

Many people who post here are simply looking for direction/feedback on schools etc. Apparently the information circulating about Swat (of which, it is all 100% true) along with resulting views of parents has touched the nerves of a few die hard lefties......

I think you mean "respectable", not "respective", right?

Yes, Swarthmore is very respectable AND quite liberal -- it has been for a really long time; Swarthmore students were among the most active in the civil rights movement -- no morphing there (I'm guessing you meant "morphed", not "morfed"-- yes?).

[Anonymous]

I graduated from Swarthmore quite a while ago, but I have to say these news items don't surprise me. I thought I was liberal as a teenager, and in fact have been a lifelong Democrat, but I was considered right of center at Swarthmore. For instance, in the '90s there was an angry debate on campus about whether or not there should be an American flag on top of the main campus building. A number of students felt that they could not support what an American flag represented.

It was not a good fit for me in the end, because of its *truly* excessive academic intensity and its failure to direct students to anything other than academia/med school after graduation. It had small classes and I made some good friends, but I can't say I would recommend it for my kids.

[Anonymous]

And you will pay $60,000 a year to have your dc live in this environment for 4 years. Not worth it!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:And you will pay $60,000 a year to have your dc live in this environment for 4 years. Not worth it!

Yes, better send your dc to liberty university!!! Or home school college!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I graduated from Swarthmore quite a while ago, but I have to say these news items don't surprise me. I thought I was liberal as a teenager, and in fact have been a lifelong Democrat, but I was considered right of center at Swarthmore. For instance, in the '90s there was an angry debate on campus about whether or not there should be an American flag on top of the main campus building. A number of students felt that they could not support what an American flag represented.

It was not a good fit for me in the end, because of its *truly* excessive academic intensity and its failure to direct students to anything other than academia/med school after graduation. It had small classes and I made some good friends, but I can't say I would recommend it for my kids.

AFter one gets through all of the prior "useless" posts (several of which were mean spirited) this post has the informtion that the original post had intended to solicit.....thanks for this constructive information

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I graduated from Swarthmore quite a while ago, but I have to say these news items don't surprise me. I thought I was liberal as a teenager, and in fact have been a lifelong Democrat, but I was considered right of center at Swarthmore. For instance, in the '90s there was an angry debate on campus about whether or not there should be an American flag on top of the main campus building. A number of students felt that they could not support what an American flag represented.

It was not a good fit for me in the end, because of its *truly* excessive academic intensity and its failure to direct students to anything other than academia/med school after graduation. It had small classes and I made some good friends, but I can't say I would recommend it for my kids.

I went to a small liberal arts college where I felt like a republican too! But mine was not intensively academic. How did that play out at swart more? Amount of homework?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I graduated from Swarthmore quite a while ago, but I have to say these news items don't surprise me. I thought I was liberal as a teenager, and in fact have been a lifelong Democrat, but I was considered right of center at Swarthmore. For instance, in the '90s there was an angry debate on campus about whether or not there should be an American flag on top of the main campus building. A number of students felt that they could not support what an American flag represented.

It was not a good fit for me in the end, because of its *truly* excessive academic intensity and its failure to direct students to anything other than academia/med school after graduation. It had small classes and I made some good friends, but I can't say I would recommend it for my kids.

AFter one gets through all of the prior "useless" posts (several of which were mean spirited) this post has the informtion that the original post had intended to solicit.....thanks for this constructive information

How nice -- constructive information that just happens to agree with your liberal-baiting post! What a coincidence that it is exactly what you "intended to solicit"!

[Anonymous]

Methinks if OP had led off his request without using words like "shocking" and "needless to say we won't be applying there" he would have gotten much more "constructive" responses.

(And who is "we"?)

[Anonymous]

I am just so sure that OP's dc is choosing between Swarthmore and Dartmouth ...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:very very liberal, this doesn't shock me at all.

Aren't ALL of the SLACs "LIBERAL" ? Whieh isn't?

i think PP meant liberal in a different way than what liberal refers to in LAC.

Williams is the polar opposite of Swat.

That is exactly what I meant. I looked at the NESCAC schools and Swarthmore, withdrew my application to Swarthmore after visiting because of the holier-than-thou liberalism and general sanctimony surrounding the campus.

It seemed the kids there were in turmoil of being spoiled, well educated brats while trying way too hard to be crunchy. IT definitely speaks to a certain kind of student, and its academics are very, very strong. But it's a special place.

PP here. yeah i can see it turning off a lot of people.

that said NESCAC schools are way too 'bro' if you know what i mean so they have pretty shitty cultures to on the other extreme. That said many DC area students seem love that scene so what do i know?

Pomona IMO has the best LAC culture. relaxed, fun, easy-going, not to stressful....i've met many NESCAC and swat grads who ended up not liking their schools but i've never met a pomona grad who had anything bad to say about the school.

Funny, a friend of mine went to Pomona and hated. Transferred to Swarthmore and loved it. So its hard to generalize. My DC won't even visit Swat because its too crunchy and liberal. Prefers the bro culture at a couple of the NESCAC schools. Other kids hate the bro culture and want the Swat culture.