Anonymous
04/27/2025 22:52
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 it’s statistically true.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 22:41
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
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)
Anonymous
04/27/2025 22:35
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
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.
This is the right thing to do. She needs to own the decision. Too often parents (wrongly) force their thinking and aspirations and biases on their children.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 22:11
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
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.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 22:07
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
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.
If she chooses Swat and does not like it, she will regret giving up Yale. If she chooses Yale and does not like it, at least she knows she gets to say she goes to Yale.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 21:48
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
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.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 21:37
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
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…
Anonymous
04/27/2025 21:16
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both are great schools. Among the Ivies, I really like Yale. But, personally, I think the "opens more doors" notion is a fallacy. The same high-achieving kid will be able to do whatever they want to do in the future at either school. And if there were employers who turn their nose up at an amazing school like Swarthmore, why would you want to work with such insufferable snobs anyway? In that vein, one advantage of Swat is that there will be a smaller percentage of kids who chose brand over fit. My DC is at another WASP and one of its best qualities is the brilliant-but-laid-back nature of the student body. That said, the majority of Yalies I've personally worked with have been pretty cool.
Differen poster here. Just so you’re aware, Swatties are definitely not laid back.
Brilliant but laid back can only apply to Pomona and Amherst, definitely not Swat or Williams.
I was the PP and I was referring to Pomona. But my kid liked Swarthmore too. I think the intensity rep is somewhat overstated through the internet echo chamber.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 20:31
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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?
If she selects Swarthmore, be sure to purchase a Yale hoodie to prove that she got in as know one is likely to believe her otherwise.
Quite a few kids turn down Yale for other Ivies and top SLACs. Yale has lost some of its academic prestige. It's basically Brown now with a larger endowment and a worse location.
Um no
DP but what really is the major difference between Yale and Brown-they're pretty similar other than Yale's residential college system which I'm sure impacts the culture. Both have strong programs in the humanities and a more lax, supportive academic culture.
I work all over the world. Everyone knows Yale. No one really knows Brown. Brown has a relatively have a lax academic culture but Yale definitely does not. I have a kid at Yale and a nephew at Brown. Other family members have gone to both as well.
Why would you say so? Every alum from DS's high school that's gone to Yale has reported back it's much easier and chill compared to high school. It really doesn't have a reputation for being academically rigorous.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 19:37
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Both are great schools. Among the Ivies, I really like Yale. But, personally, I think the "opens more doors" notion is a fallacy. The same high-achieving kid will be able to do whatever they want to do in the future at either school. And if there were employers who turn their nose up at an amazing school like Swarthmore, why would you want to work with such insufferable snobs anyway? In that vein, one advantage of Swat is that there will be a smaller percentage of kids who chose brand over fit. My DC is at another WASP and one of its best qualities is the brilliant-but-laid-back nature of the student body. That said, the majority of Yalies I've personally worked with have been pretty cool.
Differen poster here. Just so you’re aware, Swatties are definitely not laid back.
Brilliant but laid back can only apply to Pomona and Amherst, definitely not Swat or Williams.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 19:04
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
^ bad advertising for my Yale degree in English 
Anonymous
04/27/2025 19:02
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote: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?
If she selects Swarthmore, be sure to purchase a Yale hoodie to prove that she got in as know one is likely to believe her otherwise.
Quite a few kids turn down Yale for other Ivies and top SLACs. Yale has lost some of its academic prestige. It's basically Brown now with a larger endowment and a worse location.
Um no
DP but what really is the major difference between Yale and Brown-they're pretty similar other than Yale's residential college system which I'm sure impacts the culture. Both have strong programs in the humanities and a more lax, supportive academic culture.
I work all over the world. Everyone knows Yale. No one really knows Brown. Brown has a relatively have a lax academic culture but Yale definitely does not. I have a kid at Yale and a nephew at Brown. Other family members have gone to both as well.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 19:00
Subject: Re:Swarthmore vs. Yale
2 amazing choices! I have a kid finishing up at Yale now, for her it was a fantastic fit and experience. My best description of it was an absolute firehose of opportunity (academic, cultural, social) and that’s just what she was hoping college would be. I can also imagine how that could be overwhelming for some kids and a smaller environment would feel like the right thing at age 18. I hope if your dd is really feeling like Swarthmore is more of the home she’s looking for these next few years she’ll trust her gut and go there. I really believe that for undergrad being in the right place (fit) is so much more important than the brand name.
Anonymous
04/27/2025 18:51
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:This must be a joke.
Yale.
Of course.
The topic had been going so well . . .
Anonymous
04/27/2025 18:43
Subject: Swarthmore vs. Yale
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the input. She’s leaning Swarthmore. She did not like New Haven and the large intro classes. She felt like the Swarthmore students were more “like” her. I suspect she’ll choose there. I think she wants me to decide for her which I will NOT do. I tell her she must own her decision but there is no right or wrong one. She likes to work and she is not a big party person. We didn’t love the construction at Swarthmore but most of the campus is breathtaking.
She loco.
OP, you are not alone. My daughter chose Amherst over Yale after bulldog days this past week but I felt like she was begging for me to tell her what to do. In the end, I knew just from her body language after both revisits what the right choice was but in no way did I want to steer her that way. Best of luck.