Anyone familiar with Swarthmore?

[Anonymous]

Seems like a top-notch small college, but quite liberal. Anyone with first-hand knowledge?

[Anonymous]

Waaaay too liberal. I won't allow my child to even consider it.

[Anonymous]

Swarthmore is wonderful. I prefer Bryn Mawr or Haverford, but Swarthmore is great too.

[Anonymous]

My friends who went to Swat tend to be very smart but rather quirky. They all liked the school and are in touch with many classmates years later. For my DCs it was too weird, liberal and small.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Waaaay too liberal. I won't allow my child to even consider it.

"Allow."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Waaaay too liberal. I won't allow my child to even consider it.

"Allow."

Yes, you read that correctly. I will be paying the bill. No child of mine is going to an anti-Israel institution.

[Anonymous]

I went to Bryn Mawr, took some classes at Swat. Really a fantastic place. Full of bright, thoughtful, interesting students. Great profs, too. No jock culture to speak of, at least not that I saw. I'd be delighted if my son went there.

[Anonymous]

Very smart kids. Very insular-lefty environment. Small but conspicuous stoner clique. There is a certain level of arrogance there. Only one, brand-new, officially-recognized sorority and only maybe 2 recognized, official fraternities; all were actually banned for some time during the 70s or 80s. No football team. It's an intense environment and not everyone would like it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Waaaay too liberal. I won't allow my child to even consider it.

"Allow."

Yes, you read that correctly. I will be paying the bill. No child of mine is going to an anti-Israel institution.

Oh. Dear. God. Its Jews like you who are so fanatical that you will ruin Israel by suppressing dissent. If Israel doesn't make peace with a Palistinian state, it will soon no longer have a Jewish majority and will therefore have to choose between being a Jewish state or a democratic state. I love Israel, and it makes me sick that fanatics like you who suppress dissent are destroying it.

Makes me want to send my DC to Swarthmore.

By the way, do you know what happens when you shove your politics down your DC's throat? Well, you'll find out.

[Anonymous]

Swarthmore is an excellent school. It has a reputation of being hyper competitive and serious, thus distinguishing it a bit from Haverford which has a Quaker background. Not for everyone to be sure, but a terrific place for those who want a more intense environment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Waaaay too liberal. I won't allow my child to even consider it.

"Allow."

Yes, you read that correctly. I will be paying the bill. No child of mine is going to an anti-Israel institution.

Oh. Dear. God. Its Jews like you who are so fanatical that you will ruin Israel by suppressing dissent. If Israel doesn't make peace with a Palistinian state, it will soon no longer have a Jewish majority and will therefore have to choose between being a Jewish state or a democratic state. I love Israel, and it makes me sick that fanatics like you who suppress dissent are destroying it.

Makes me want to send my DC to Swarthmore.

By the way, do you know what happens when you shove your politics down your DC's throat? Well, you'll find out.

You have it backwards. The Palestinians need to make the peace. All they have to do is say that Israel has the right to exist. That does not make me a fanatic, however, your knee jerk response makes me think that you are a fanatic.

[Anonymous]

^ Also not sure it's wise to impute some Hillel club drama to the whole school. Unless I missed something.

[Anonymous]

Also since PP is attempting to paint the Israel/Palestine debate as a liberal/conservative thing (which it isn't - both span both sides,) I can only assume that PP isn't Jewish at all, but is one of those weirdo Evangelical Christian Republicans who have latched onto Israel for their own reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Very smart kids. Very insular-lefty environment. Small but conspicuous stoner clique. There is a certain level of arrogance there. Only one, brand-new, officially-recognized sorority and only maybe 2 recognized, official fraternities; all were actually banned for some time during the 70s or 80s. No football team. It's an intense environment and not everyone would like it.

What you describe sounds like a lot of schools.

OP, I was very impressed with Swarthmore. The academics are excellent. Philadelphia is right there, so it's not as though kids can't escape the campus. (For me the fewer vestiges of Greek life the better.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Bryn Mawr, took some classes at Swat. Really a fantastic place. Full of bright, thoughtful, interesting students. Great profs, too. No jock culture to speak of, at least not that I saw. I'd be delighted if my son went there.

Thanks, PP, for providing some context -- thereby making your post more helpful. I always wonder how many posters on these threads are actually familiar with the school v. just repeating the same old stereotypes.