Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 22:50     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For music, Yale. For math, Swarthmore. For graduate school, Swarthmore. For industry, Yale.


I'm very confused by all these comments that a slac is better for going to grad school. I went to yale for my PhD and can't recall any peer that went to a slac for undergrad- nearly all from r01 universities where we had lots of undergrad research experience ( Harvard, stamford, Duke, cornell, nyu, university of florida, etc)






I did my PhD at Hopkins. 1/3 of my cohort attended SLACs, and they were by far the best prepared. All but one are now tenured professors, one at Princeton.


Curious what field... I'm intrigued by this as in my field there's just less research being done at slac to join in on
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 22:39     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP back to add that DD is not anticipating a career in music. She's thinking a professional career (actuary? CPA? lawyer?) so the draw of Yale Music is less. Lots of great thoughts here. We are taking a break from the family discussion tonight. I suspect she'll commit to one and tell me after the fact. I do support her either way. The danger in me telling her what to do is the risk that she will blame me if she doesn't like whatever she chooses. She and I are very close, but I am not willing to risk that. This is the first truly adult decision of her life and I'll guide her, question her, research for her, but I won't decide for her.


I have not followed this whole thread but if it were my child she would be going to Yale even if she wanted Swat.


I would never force my kid to go somewhere just for the name. And I went to Yale.


Yale is not just a name.


I am pp. it’s more like I don’t love swat for various reasons and would put it below many schools, whereas Yale is Yale. I think kids sometimes lack perspective in making important decisions.


DP here. You are certainly entitled to your opinion. But I find it perfectly reasonable to pick Swarthmore over Yale.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 22:22     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP back to add that DD is not anticipating a career in music. She's thinking a professional career (actuary? CPA? lawyer?) so the draw of Yale Music is less. Lots of great thoughts here. We are taking a break from the family discussion tonight. I suspect she'll commit to one and tell me after the fact. I do support her either way. The danger in me telling her what to do is the risk that she will blame me if she doesn't like whatever she chooses. She and I are very close, but I am not willing to risk that. This is the first truly adult decision of her life and I'll guide her, question her, research for her, but I won't decide for her.


I have not followed this whole thread but if it were my child she would be going to Yale even if she wanted Swat.


I would never force my kid to go somewhere just for the name. And I went to Yale.


Yale is not just a name.


I am pp. it’s more like I don’t love swat for various reasons and would put it below many schools, whereas Yale is Yale. I think kids sometimes lack perspective in making important decisions.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 22:13     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP back to add that DD is not anticipating a career in music. She's thinking a professional career (actuary? CPA? lawyer?) so the draw of Yale Music is less. Lots of great thoughts here. We are taking a break from the family discussion tonight. I suspect she'll commit to one and tell me after the fact. I do support her either way. The danger in me telling her what to do is the risk that she will blame me if she doesn't like whatever she chooses. She and I are very close, but I am not willing to risk that. This is the first truly adult decision of her life and I'll guide her, question her, research for her, but I won't decide for her.


I have not followed this whole thread but if it were my child she would be going to Yale even if she wanted Swat.


I would never force my kid to go somewhere just for the name. And I went to Yale.


Yale is not just a name.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 20:41     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP back to add that DD is not anticipating a career in music. She's thinking a professional career (actuary? CPA? lawyer?) so the draw of Yale Music is less. Lots of great thoughts here. We are taking a break from the family discussion tonight. I suspect she'll commit to one and tell me after the fact. I do support her either way. The danger in me telling her what to do is the risk that she will blame me if she doesn't like whatever she chooses. She and I are very close, but I am not willing to risk that. This is the first truly adult decision of her life and I'll guide her, question her, research for her, but I won't decide for her.


I have not followed this whole thread but if it were my child she would be going to Yale even if she wanted Swat.


I would never force my kid to go somewhere just for the name. And I went to Yale.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 20:37     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:DD is torn in deciding. She likes the beautiful, smaller campus of Swarthmore and the arts programs but she doesn’t know if that’s enough reason to turn down the name of Yale. Majoring in music and math. I would say a touch immature for her age where a smaller feel might be the difference between surviving and thriving. Don’t know how to advise her!

Thoughts?


I don't know much about Swat (just one tour and agree the campus is lovely), but Yale is known for its arts programs. Yale is a very artsy place. Still, I'd say to go where she feels most comfortable. I'm a Yale grad, and my own kid is at a SLAC.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 19:49     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
You'd be an idiot to go to Swarthmore over Yale College.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 10:11     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Sounds kind of like our neighbor. He went to Yale for math and studied piano there. Started a piano collective at Yale.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 09:02     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For music, Yale. For math, Swarthmore. For graduate school, Swarthmore. For industry, Yale.


I'm very confused by all these comments that a slac is better for going to grad school. I went to yale for my PhD and can't recall any peer that went to a slac for undergrad- nearly all from r01 universities where we had lots of undergrad research experience ( Harvard, stamford, Duke, cornell, nyu, university of florida, etc)



Because they are over-represented statistically when comparing graduating class sizes.

https://www.swarthmore.edu/institutional-effectiveness-research-assessment/doctorates-awarded
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 08:56     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:I can’t imagine passing on Yale.


+1
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 08:27     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
I can’t imagine passing on Yale.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 08:11     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For music, Yale. For math, Swarthmore. For graduate school, Swarthmore. For industry, Yale.


I'm very confused by all these comments that a slac is better for going to grad school. I went to yale for my PhD and can't recall any peer that went to a slac for undergrad- nearly all from r01 universities where we had lots of undergrad research experience ( Harvard, stamford, Duke, cornell, nyu, university of florida, etc)



I got my PhD from MIT (top school in my field). Class of about 20; 5-6 from LACs, the rest from international schools and US universities.
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 06:53     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:OP back to add that DD is not anticipating a career in music. She's thinking a professional career (actuary? CPA? lawyer?) so the draw of Yale Music is less. Lots of great thoughts here. We are taking a break from the family discussion tonight. I suspect she'll commit to one and tell me after the fact. I do support her either way. The danger in me telling her what to do is the risk that she will blame me if she doesn't like whatever she chooses. She and I are very close, but I am not willing to risk that. This is the first truly adult decision of her life and I'll guide her, question her, research for her, but I won't decide for her.


I have not followed this whole thread but if it were my child she would be going to Yale even if she wanted Swat.


But it's not your child, so maybe if you read the entire thread you'd understand OP's very valid and good reasoning why she supports her child's decision. 🙄
Anonymous
Post 04/28/2025 05:42     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:For music, Yale. For math, Swarthmore. For graduate school, Swarthmore. For industry, Yale.


I'm very confused by all these comments that a slac is better for going to grad school. I went to yale for my PhD and can't recall any peer that went to a slac for undergrad- nearly all from r01 universities where we had lots of undergrad research experience ( Harvard, stamford, Duke, cornell, nyu, university of florida, etc)




I did my PhD at Hopkins. 1/3 of my cohort attended SLACs, and they were by far the best prepared. All but one are now tenured professors, one at Princeton.
Anonymous
Post 04/27/2025 22:53     Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:Can you say more about how/why your DC felt Pomona students are brilliant? I think the laid back vibe can make it seem like students are less brilliant at Pomona than the intense students at schools like Swat. I don’t believe it myself but can be deceiving…

The student quality is high, the culture just doesn’t lean towards competitive/rigor boasting. Pomona is still a very difficult institution- students just don’t spend their days talking about it; everyone knows it’s hard. How we know they’re brilliant? Their outcomes are great.