Swarthmore

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Our Swarthmore tour guide actually told the group that: "Swarthmore wasn't my first choice but I'm here because I go for free.".

We had a student panelist at Boston College tell 300 kids and parents when asked "why BC?": "I chose Boston College because I don't pay a dime to go here."

Meanwhile most of the audience was cringing at the thought of paying 90K/year.

Wow! Still developing the ol’ social IQ I guess! One would think tour guides get some guidance.

I don’t think it’s an accident that the guides are so often low income “we pay nothing” students. Highly selective colleges simply don’t care about donut hole families. If you’re not dirt poor or full pay, get lost, go to your state flagship where you belong.

Don't you think it's because the low income kids need jobs for pocket money? And maybe a little because they are grateful to the institution? Plus usually the Admissions office wants to have guides that fairly represent the diversity achieved through admissions so that FGLI and others will feel welcome to apply.

I took a paid tourist tour of Harvard that was led by a FGLI student who said he was on a near full ride. I was impressed by him and happy that Harvard was making it possible for him to attend. Was less impressed by the campus after all these years of hearing about it. My mom considered going in the 60s to Radcliffe but didn't because those were still "separate but equal" days for women. I noticed how that Radcliffe campus was set apart, among other things. She went to unsegregated Cornell instead. So my family is loyal to Cornell now.

[Anonymous]

We had an amazing tour guide at Swarthmore. All the rest of the tours we've done have been mediocre to bad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some tour guides are more than clueless. You have to wonder if there is any training for this important position other than pointing out general places of interest. Some guides come off as pompous a$$es or maybe they are “trying” to be funny?

I have heard students, as well as parents, boast about their full ride when they are paying room and board and have some loans build into their financial aid. Don’t believe everything you hear.

They’re trained to take you around campus and answer a few generic questions. If you need in depth answers, there’s an entire office called Admissions who handles it.

[Anonymous]

I am an alum from long ago but the school’s culture doesn’t seem to have changed that much. Everything being “free” was a pretty nice thing in that the campus experience was mostly the same for students from a wide variety of academic backgrounds. We really didn’t know who were the “rich” kids were which probably isn’t true at a lot of places. No bars or restaurants nearby so the social scene was all on campus.

The pressure cooker reputation seemed exaggerated to me though I probably self selected into a group that was more relaxed about studying. They all went on to do well after graduation.

Easy train access to Philly and DC was a good thing, too.

[Anonymous]

Sorry, I meant to say the campus experience was mostly the same for students from a wide variety of economic backgrounds

[Anonymous]

Can anyone speak to difference in intensity and the social life btw U of Chicago and Swarthmore? My kid likes Chicago but would prefer to be closer to home after being stuck overnight at the airport after trying to fly home this summer.

[Anonymous]

Swarthmore seems to be loaded up today with hippy-dippy NE liberals, impractical wokesters, and high achieving Questbride cases on a full ride. They might be smart, but are not the foundation of a useful network.

If your kid is not getting a full ride, save your money and send your kid somewhere else where they a likelier to be happy and have a job after they graduate.

[Anonymous]

They are currently being sued by a transgender student for kicking them of the track team, but then reinstating them which violated NCAA rules. Expecting Swarthmore to suffer some consequences.

[Anonymous]

We visited Swat. It's still a good school but has become very difficult to get in. 1/3 athlete/legacy, 1/3 FGLI URM, and 1/3 boarding/private kids. The campus vibe is very different from many other liberal arts. Apply somewhere else.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone speak to difference in intensity and the social life btw U of Chicago and Swarthmore? My kid likes Chicago but would prefer to be closer to home after being stuck overnight at the airport after trying to fly home this summer.

My kid likes Chicago and will apply there but was turned off Swarthmore—too small and too suburban. Yes, I know you can take the train into Philly, but but the campus doesn’t have any urban energy. There is barely a town. Also worth mentioning that SEPTA is cutting train service due to financial pressures so trains may run much less often.

[Anonymous]

My kid (not first gen, athlete, or prep school) got into Swat last year RD and was really excited. Then she went to admitted student day and decided it wasn't for her. As other have said, too small, too suburban.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Can anyone speak to difference in intensity and the social life btw U of Chicago and Swarthmore? My kid likes Chicago but would prefer to be closer to home after being stuck overnight at the airport after trying to fly home this summer.

My DD is going to be s senior at Swat. The academics are intense (although not in a competitive way)---most of the student body is serious about their studies, and that's reflected by the limited social scene. There are parties and it's not uncommon for students to head to Philly for a night out, but it's not a particularly fun place. She's having a very different social experience than I had at my SLAC, but she would have been miserable there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid (not first gen, athlete, or prep school) got into Swat last year RD and was really excited. Then she went to admitted student day and decided it wasn't for her. As other have said, too small, too suburban.

Just curious: where did she end up? I suspect my DD will have a similar reaction if she gets in this year.

[Anonymous]

There has been campus Isreal-Palestine conflict. They are not isolated from all that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Swarthmore seems to be loaded up today with hippy-dippy NE liberals, impractical wokesters, and high achieving Questbride cases on a full ride. They might be smart, but are not the foundation of a useful network.

If your kid is not getting a full ride, save your money and send your kid somewhere else where they a likelier to be happy and have a job after they graduate.

Sounds fun.

Oh no! What will I do if my kids interact with the kids of east village bohemians and students passionate about the arts. They need to be suffocated by economics majors and athletes like every other lac.