W&M vs UVA vs Swarthmore?

[Anonymous]

Uh, no. https://www.forbes.com/colleges/swarthmore-college/?sh=2bf7fe2e5fad

Lol. Did you pick the ranking that best supported your point, even though it is not even close to the one most often cited? UVA is a fine school if you don’t mind lecture classes with hundreds of students and a more anonymous college experience. For an intellectual kid that wants small classes and discourse, pick Swat. People that know academics recognize that on the whole, Swat will provide a more rigorous education with a more intellectual cohort.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Uh, no. https://www.forbes.com/colleges/swarthmore-college/?sh=2bf7fe2e5fad

Lol. Did you pick the ranking that best supported your point, even though it is not even close to the one most often cited? UVA is a fine school if you don’t mind lecture classes with hundreds of students and a more anonymous college experience. For an intellectual kid that wants small classes and discourse, pick Swat. People that know academics recognize that on the whole, Swat will provide a more rigorous education with a more intellectual cohort.

+1 So impressive that your DC was admitted!

[Anonymous]

I went to Swarthmore, DC is at W&M. I don't think Swat is worth more than double the cost of W&M. W&M seems to offer most of what I liked about Swat (amazing professors, super-smart kids) at a better size. After freshman year, I found Swat to be claustrophobic. W&M offers a wider course selection and a little more room to breathe.

Also, honestly W&M has better name recognition. I have always lived on the East coast and many, many people haven't heard of Swarthmore. Go to the midwest or West coast and almost no one knows it. I know a lot of people on DCUM are dismissive of W&M, but most people know it and seem impressed that DC goes there.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to Swarthmore, DC is at W&M. I don't think Swat is worth more than double the cost of W&M. W&M seems to offer most of what I liked about Swat (amazing professors, super-smart kids) at a better size. After freshman year, I found Swat to be claustrophobic. W&M offers a wider course selection and a little more room to breathe.

Also, honestly W&M has better name recognition. I have always lived on the East coast and many, many people haven't heard of Swarthmore. Go to the midwest or West coast and almost no one knows it. I know a lot of people on DCUM are dismissive of W&M, but most people know it and seem impressed that DC goes there.

That is the trouble with LACs. You really have to be in the weeds with college stuff to know which ones are great and which ones are weaker. And the general population knows nothing about them. That being said, more sophisticated people are familiar.

[Anonymous]

I have a WM kid. He is majoring in IR. Foreign Policy magazine ranks WM as one of the top 20 IR programs in the world (not just US). I have been surprised at just how rigorous the major is, vs what it would take for my kid at a similarly ranked college to get an IR major.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/02/20/top-fifty-schools-international-relations-foreign-policy/

On the humanities side, it’s hard to top WM in IR, government, economics or history. The business school is highly competitive and DS says that lots of kids are pre-law. Being that NOVA sends so many kids, there are also a number of kids who want to be foreign policy wonks in government, think tanks, etc.

I know WM does well in some STEM areas and is beefing up data science. But I don’t know where it shines.

The school is a great size. Not too insular and not huge. DS has had one class of 60-80 3 of first 4 semesters and has one more large class to take. Everything else has been under 40 kids. And these are 100/200 level classes.

He loves it, is involved in some interesting and unusual activities, has great friends and is working hard, but doesn’t usually seem stressed or overloaded. It is a fantastic fit for my kid.

Unlike WM and Swat boosters, I believe there is no one correct answer (and my other kid just graduated from a Swat caliber LAC, which was excellent for her). Your kid needs to get on campus and look at size, fit and the quality of the academics not just in general, but in their area of interest.

WM is nice in that Greek life exists, but it doesn’t take over campus culture.

The reputation of a TWAMP (typical WM kid) is introverted, intellectual, motivated and kind. Is that your kid? And do they want a major where WM shines?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Swarthmore, DC is at W&M. I don't think Swat is worth more than double the cost of W&M. W&M seems to offer most of what I liked about Swat (amazing professors, super-smart kids) at a better size. After freshman year, I found Swat to be claustrophobic. W&M offers a wider course selection and a little more room to breathe.

Also, honestly W&M has better name recognition. I have always lived on the East coast and many, many people haven't heard of Swarthmore. Go to the midwest or West coast and almost no one knows it. I know a lot of people on DCUM are dismissive of W&M, but most people know it and seem impressed that DC goes there.

That is the trouble with LACs. You really have to be in the weeds with college stuff to know which ones are great and which ones are weaker. And the general population knows nothing about them. That being said, more sophisticated people are familiar.

People who are "in the know" will know Swarthmore (and UVA and W&M).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a WM kid. He is majoring in IR. Foreign Policy magazine ranks WM as one of the top 20 IR programs in the world (not just US). I have been surprised at just how rigorous the major is, vs what it would take for my kid at a similarly ranked college to get an IR major.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/02/20/top-fifty-schools-international-relations-foreign-policy/

On the humanities side, it’s hard to top WM in IR, government, economics or history. The business school is highly competitive and DS says that lots of kids are pre-law. Being that NOVA sends so many kids, there are also a number of kids who want to be foreign policy wonks in government, think tanks, etc.

I know WM does well in some STEM areas and is beefing up data science. But I don’t know where it shines.

The school is a great size. Not too insular and not huge. DS has had one class of 60-80 3 of first 4 semesters and has one more large class to take. Everything else has been under 40 kids. And these are 100/200 level classes.

He loves it, is involved in some interesting and unusual activities, has great friends and is working hard, but doesn’t usually seem stressed or overloaded. It is a fantastic fit for my kid.

Unlike WM and Swat boosters, I believe there is no one correct answer (and my other kid just graduated from a Swat caliber LAC, which was excellent for her). Your kid needs to get on campus and look at size, fit and the quality of the academics not just in general, but in their area of interest.

WM is nice in that Greek life exists, but it doesn’t take over campus culture.

The reputation of a TWAMP (typical WM kid) is introverted, intellectual, motivated and kind. Is that your kid? And do they want a major where WM shines?

In undergraduate STEM, W&M is very strong in core sciences like Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Geology, and also interdisciplinary areas like Neuroscience. Almost all science undergraduates do mentored research with faculty. W&M is good in Computer Science, but got a bit of a late start on it. The focus now is on Data Science, which again tends to be an interdisciplinary field, which is where they think they shine. They have worked to house the sciences in an integrated science center for this reason.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a WM kid. He is majoring in IR. Foreign Policy magazine ranks WM as one of the top 20 IR programs in the world (not just US). I have been surprised at just how rigorous the major is, vs what it would take for my kid at a similarly ranked college to get an IR major.

https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/02/20/top-fifty-schools-international-relations-foreign-policy/

On the humanities side, it’s hard to top WM in IR, government, economics or history. The business school is highly competitive and DS says that lots of kids are pre-law. Being that NOVA sends so many kids, there are also a number of kids who want to be foreign policy wonks in government, think tanks, etc.

I know WM does well in some STEM areas and is beefing up data science. But I don’t know where it shines.

The school is a great size. Not too insular and not huge. DS has had one class of 60-80 3 of first 4 semesters and has one more large class to take. Everything else has been under 40 kids. And these are 100/200 level classes.

He loves it, is involved in some interesting and unusual activities, has great friends and is working hard, but doesn’t usually seem stressed or overloaded. It is a fantastic fit for my kid.

Unlike WM and Swat boosters, I believe there is no one correct answer (and my other kid just graduated from a Swat caliber LAC, which was excellent for her). Your kid needs to get on campus and look at size, fit and the quality of the academics not just in general, but in their area of interest.

WM is nice in that Greek life exists, but it doesn’t take over campus culture.

The reputation of a TWAMP (typical WM kid) is introverted, intellectual, motivated and kind. Is that your kid? And do they want a major where WM shines?

In undergraduate STEM, W&M is very strong in core sciences like Chemistry, Biology, Physics, and Geology, and also interdisciplinary areas like Neuroscience. Almost all science undergraduates do mentored research with faculty. W&M is good in Computer Science, but got a bit of a late start on it. The focus now is on Data Science, which again tends to be an interdisciplinary field, which is where they think they shine. They have worked to house the sciences in an integrated science center for this reason.

+1. My kid, who was accepted at WM and went elsewhere, is a geology major. I was shocked when I saw how highly the geology department was ranked and how well their grads did. I would have loved WM, but my kid just didn’t feel it. And that’s important. No one does well in an environment where they aren’t comfortable.

[Anonymous]

For a STEM major, what it it that the Swarthmore supporters believe Swarthmore will provide that W&M and UVA would not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to HYP and Swarthmore is one of the few colleges that seriously impresses me. If it were even money and STEM were not a factor, I'd say swat in a heartbeat. But if your kid is doing STEM, and if the price differential is high, I'd go with a public.

Another HYP grad here and I agree. Swarthmore is in the same league as HYP IMO. I toured it recently and was seriously impressed, for example with the fact that the seniors do something akin to a PhD defense. I also know some very smart and accomplished graduates. One is now a professor at a well regarded school. The caliber of students is going to be a little different at Swarthmore, and the atmosphere will differ too.

So for a family who can swing the money, it may very well be worth it to attend Swarthmore, over the excellent VA state schools. It does sound intense though so not the right fit for everyone. How does kid feel? Where do they want to go? UVA and W&M are both excellent, so it's not like there's a lot of room to go wrong here.

[Anonymous]

All great options- i would pick Swarthmore. Stellar reputation, know the student is hard working and smart.

[Anonymous]

OP here - DC chose Swat!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here - DC chose Swat!

Congrats! 3 good options but that is the "best" choice in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

OP UVA and W&M will have a vast mix of kids. Swarthmore has the really rich kids, the depo-babies.

When I was in Hs the one kid who went to Swarthmore was from a family who made their millions in the Kentucky Derby. And he was a libertarian.

That's what you get there.

[Anonymous]

nepo not depo