Haverford v. Swarthmore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore has a stronger reputation - it makes a difference!

How?

Swarthmore is a well established feeder into top PhD programs. Haverford and Bryn Mawr are excellent schools, but Swarthmore is arguably the nation's top producer of PhDs across the disciplines per capita, and the intellectual rigor and academic expectations of both the students and faculty reflect that.

Hmmmmm. I went to BMC and if you are a woman, it's hard to beat a women's college for PhD prep into the hard sciences (ALL of the good opportunities go to women) or BMC specifically for certain disciplines like the classics, archaeology, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Last year when I toured with my kid it was the only school that started the tour with an acknowledgement of stolen land AND made us wear masks on the tour even while outside. To me it felt a bit much.“

We’re registered Dems and it’s too much for us, too. I guess it’s very generational, but I also find that the more white the organization, the more likely there are these performative declarations. Will be visiting both next week.

2 other schools that have the land acknowledgement in recent visits:

Michigan
Colorado State

All govt sponsored meetings in Australia (both parties) start with a land acknowledgement. It is totally a thing.

UVA stolen land plus slaves lived under this building. So performative. Obnoxious. Give it back then.

Well....they can give free tuition. That is what Georgetown is doing for the descendents of slaves that it profited from.

[Anonymous]

I think of them as peers, but Swarthmore does seem to be more popular these days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Where are Jewish kids going to?

Brandeis and Cardozo are pretty safe bets to avoid the most horrific forms of anti-Semitism (and are indeed allowing kids to transfer there). The South as well, ironically. For next year, my rising senior is will not be applying to UC schools, SLACs like Oberlin/Haverford/Pomona/NESCAC, Columbia (obviously) and most of the CA schools. There's anti-Semitism everywhere, of course, but no need to go to a school which supports the baying mobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We toured both. I thought that Swarthmore was gorgeous, but definitely has the rep that kids want to sit around and intellectualize for fun.

Haverford we had the most pretentious tour guide ever and it was ponderous and off-putting. No one looked particularly happy there either. In addition, the Quakerism means that the kids are sort of running the roost. They heavily think that the kids are driving the bus. I didn't love that.

Both schools have Quaker origins:
https://www.haverford.edu/religious-spiritual-life/haverfords-quaker-character

https://www.swarthmore.edu/interfaith-center/quaker-tradition-swarthmore

[Anonymous]

Swarthmore just announced they’re moving this weekend’s graduation into Philly rather than disrupt the encampments. Disgusting. As an alum will not be touring with Junior DC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore just announced they’re moving this weekend’s graduation into Philly rather than disrupt the encampments. Disgusting. As an alum will not be touring with Junior DC.

Haverford held their graduation this past weekend on campus with minimal disruption. I was there on Friday to move my child out of their dorm and there were no protests or encampments on campus.

[Anonymous]

Is it possible to have a thread here that doesn't degenerate into 25% Israel/Palestine kvetching and 25% wokeness/DEI bemoaning? I agree with some of you and disagree with others, but I think all of you need to find more suitable outlets for your dead-horse beating. Let it go already.

On the actual topic at hand, I think of Haverford as Haverford/BMC because of the close relationship of those two schools. Both have scholarly and intellectual leanings and produce a disproportionate number of PhDs.

I've heard that the actual workload at Swarthmore is no different than Williams or Pomona. And I didn't get the sense that Swatties were different breed from other elite LAC students. Or at least they don't start that way. They certainly seemed like normal kids at Swatstruck. My DS really liked Swarthmore and came extremely close to attending, and he's fairly normal and extroverted. But, for whatever reason, Swarthmore certainly seems to be more self-aware of its "academic intensity" reputation than its peers, and it appears to bleed into the culture a little. The best spin I can put on this phenomenon is that most Swatties are genuinely interested in their academic subjects and their desire to study is largely organic and self-imposed. I also think most Swatties have a social life, but I cannot deny that it certainly seems like some Swatties succumb to the academic demands in an unhealthy manner. One of the bigger differences between the Quaker Consortium schools is Swarthmore's mega-endowment, the results of which are seen in Swarthmore's vast resources, financial aid, cash-free campus, and student opportunities. Does your student want to study medieval architecture in France for the summer? He can probably get Swarthmore to fund a trip. Anyhow, despite its grinder reputation, I think Swarthmore is a great school and fits a broader array of kids than many assume.

[Anonymous]

I chose Swarthmore (not pronounced Swath-more, at least by students) over Haverford many years ago so I assumed things would be a lot different now. But reading this thread it really doesn’t sound like too much has changed.

I liked Swarthmore’s campus more and it just seemed a little bigger than Haverford. I also liked that there was a train station on campus to go into Philly. There isn’t much to do in the surrounding area but you don’t really need to go off campus for much. You can even take a walk in the woods and still be on campus.

Haverford is right next to Bryn Mawr and close to Villanova so there is probably more of a college scene than there is at Swarthmore.

There was a decent amount of interaction between Swarthmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr. I went to some good free concerts on the Haverford campus. We also trekked over for some heated basketball rivalry games.

In terms of the grind, Swatties sort of dig into the reputation but there were plenty of chill people around who enjoyed having fun. That was more my crowd. I can’t think of any PhDs from my friend group but lots of JDs, MDs, and a couple of MBAs.

It was really hard to get an A, which may not be the case any more. For me, it was good mental preparation for the law school curve. If you can’t stomach the thought of ever getting a B, then it may not be the right place for you. But when you get an A you know you’ve earned it.

Also the honors program with small upper level seminars and external examiners is unique to Swarthmore.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Last year when I toured with my kid it was the only school that started the tour with an acknowledgement of stolen land AND made us wear masks on the tour even while outside. To me it felt a bit much.“

We’re registered Dems and it’s too much for us, too. I guess it’s very generational, but I also find that the more white the organization, the more likely there are these performative declarations. Will be visiting both next week.

2 other schools that have the land acknowledgement in recent visits:

Michigan
Colorado State

All govt sponsored meetings in Australia (both parties) start with a land acknowledgement. It is totally a thing.

UVA stolen land plus slaves lived under this building. So performative. Obnoxious. Give it back then.

I do not know exactly where I stand on land acknowledgment. It does seem performative. But there is a wide gap between “go back to how things were 500 years ago” and acknowledging that there was harm done to the original Americans.

What we choose to celebrate does say a lot about us. If we decide we no longer wish to honor confederate generals, that indicates that society is moving toward a different understanding of its past. Same with the land acknowledgment. Doesn’t mean that to contextualize our past and our history means that we have to give up our present.

The irony is that the original Americans weren't exactly peace-loving people. Any existing tribes at the time of the first colonial settlements replaced earlier tribes through warfare and conquests and wars among the tribes were commonplace enough. So who was really the "first" is always an unknown.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Woke and woker. Hard to tell which school hates Jews and Israel the most right now, but I think Haverford is currently in the ascendancy, given that a bunch of its Jewish students are suing the entire college for fostering an extremely anti-Semitic campus: https://www.inquirer.com/education/haverford-college-antisemitism-lawsuit-20240516.html

I don’t think a Jewish student would feel comfortable at haverford right now.

My Jewish kid is going to BMC next year, and I've been following all the stuff going on. Have not been thrilled---to say the least. However, there seem to be more Jewish students than I thought, and it looks like a fair number of them have been participating in the protests. It seems like only the minority are not participating.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Last year when I toured with my kid it was the only school that started the tour with an acknowledgement of stolen land AND made us wear masks on the tour even while outside. To me it felt a bit much.“

We’re registered Dems and it’s too much for us, too. I guess it’s very generational, but I also find that the more white the organization, the more likely there are these performative declarations. Will be visiting both next week.

2 other schools that have the land acknowledgement in recent visits:

Michigan
Colorado State

All govt sponsored meetings in Australia (both parties) start with a land acknowledgement. It is totally a thing.

UVA stolen land plus slaves lived under this building. So performative. Obnoxious. Give it back then.

Well....they can give free tuition. That is what Georgetown is doing for the descendents of slaves that it profited from.

Kudos to President DeGioia for this initiative. There's a lot of shade thrown at Georgetown on this board and other college boards, but I have a lot of respect for this effort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I chose Swarthmore (not pronounced Swath-more, at least by students) over Haverford many years ago so I assumed things would be a lot different now. But reading this thread it really doesn’t sound like too much has changed.

I liked Swarthmore’s campus more and it just seemed a little bigger than Haverford. I also liked that there was a train station on campus to go into Philly. There isn’t much to do in the surrounding area but you don’t really need to go off campus for much. You can even take a walk in the woods and still be on campus.

Haverford is right next to Bryn Mawr and close to Villanova so there is probably more of a college scene than there is at Swarthmore.

There was a decent amount of interaction between Swarthmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr. I went to some good free concerts on the Haverford campus. We also trekked over for some heated basketball rivalry games.

In terms of the grind, Swatties sort of dig into the reputation but there were plenty of chill people around who enjoyed having fun. That was more my crowd. I can’t think of any PhDs from my friend group but lots of JDs, MDs, and a couple of MBAs.

It was really hard to get an A, which may not be the case any more. For me, it was good mental preparation for the law school curve. If you can’t stomach the thought of ever getting a B, then it may not be the right place for you. But when you get an A you know you’ve earned it.

Also the honors program with small upper level seminars and external examiners is unique to Swarthmore.

Please tell me you only use "Swat" with your fellow alum. It's so obnoxious to use with folks who have nothing to do with the school - as if we're supposed to know your inside language. It's like the old money New Englanders and NYers who ask, "and where did you summer?"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I chose Swarthmore (not pronounced Swath-more, at least by students) over Haverford many years ago so I assumed things would be a lot different now. But reading this thread it really doesn’t sound like too much has changed.

I liked Swarthmore’s campus more and it just seemed a little bigger than Haverford. I also liked that there was a train station on campus to go into Philly. There isn’t much to do in the surrounding area but you don’t really need to go off campus for much. You can even take a walk in the woods and still be on campus.

Haverford is right next to Bryn Mawr and close to Villanova so there is probably more of a college scene than there is at Swarthmore.

There was a decent amount of interaction between Swarthmore, Haverford, and Bryn Mawr. I went to some good free concerts on the Haverford campus. We also trekked over for some heated basketball rivalry games.

In terms of the grind, Swatties sort of dig into the reputation but there were plenty of chill people around who enjoyed having fun. That was more my crowd. I can’t think of any PhDs from my friend group but lots of JDs, MDs, and a couple of MBAs.

It was really hard to get an A, which may not be the case any more. For me, it was good mental preparation for the law school curve. If you can’t stomach the thought of ever getting a B, then it may not be the right place for you. But when you get an A you know you’ve earned it.

Also the honors program with small upper level seminars and external examiners is unique to Swarthmore.

Please tell me you only use "Swat" with your fellow alum. It's so obnoxious to use with folks who have nothing to do with the school - as if we're supposed to know your inside language. It's like the old money New Englanders and NYers who ask, "and where did you summer?"

Not PP, but isn't blazingly obvious from context that "Swat" and "Swattie" refer to Swarthmore, one of the titular subjects of this thread? In midst of so much off-topic rabble, PP offered one of the few insightful, firsthand accounts in this thread, and yet DCUM still finds a way to find fault.

[Anonymous]

Inside language or not, I don’t really talk about my college unless someone asks. Like in this thread.

In my experience nobody cares about (and few have even heard of) the liberal arts college you attended, no matter the reputation. If you are into humble bragging, you would be getter off selecting a bigger school.