Swarthmore College

To read more stats, student author overviews, and student reviews, visit
http://collegeprowler.com/swarthmore-college/

Swarthmore at a Glance

Location:
Swarthmore, PA
Setting:
Suburban
Control:
Private Non-Profit
In-State Tuition:
$39,260
Out-of-State Tuition:
$39,260
Room & Board:
$11,900
Full-Time Undergrads:
1,510
Part-Time Undergrads:
14
More statistics . . .
School Website:
www.swarthmore.edu
Admissions Website:
www.swarthmore.edu/admissions
Financial Aid Website:
www.swarthmore.edu/financialaid.xml
Application Deadline:
January 1
Acceptance Rate:
16 %
Admission Difficulty:
Very Hard
Average SAT Scores:
2020–2300
Average ACT Scores:
29–33

Best Things

  • Arboretum and a beautiful campus
  • Close-knit, family-like campus community
  • Free parties (free alcohol)
  • Administration and Public Policy officers are there to help you, not get you in trouble.
  • More best things . . .

Worst Things

  • The feeling of being drowned by the workload
  • No Wawa (the Philly area's most popular convenience store)
  • Lack of dining options (only one main dining hall)
  • Sometimes students are too caught up in their work.
  • More worst things . . .

Most Popular Majors

  • Social Sciences & Liberal Arts
  • Languages and Literature
  • Economics
  • Economics and Econometrics
  • More majors . . .

Overall ExperienceWhat's This?

Swarthmore is not for everyone. However, students who find their niche here are generally happy they came. So, what type of student is Swarthmore College suited for? Well, in the broadest sense, someone who is open-minded, ultra-liberal, and possesses a true passion for intellectual stimulation tends to thrive here. This leads to another important question that must be addressed. What type of student should stay away from Swarthmore? Anyone who considers their normality a personal virtue, conservatives (and most moderates, for that matter), reckless individuals who constantly choose their social lives over academics, students longing for a true big name/big game athletic experience, and anyone who doesn’t care to make a difference in their (and others’) lives probably won't feel as comfortable here.

With that being said, Swarthmore at its worst can make you feel claustrophobic, inept, apathetic, and extremely frustrated. You might even be tempted to heave your laptop out the window of the library at the height of finals week. However, Swarthmore at its best can make you feel like you’re part of a select group as you increasingly come to see the world through a different perspective. Most students here truly comprehend class concepts, while realizing just how much more there is yet to learn. At Swarthmore, you will witness some of the most amazing lectures, performances, and cultural events of your lifetime, and you will meet some of the most intriguing people in the world, and among them will be your fellow classmates and professors. One thing’s for sure: After four years here, your life will be changed, for better or worse, and you’ll have Swarthmore to thank—or blame—for that.

Swarthmore Student Reviews

Overall Experience at Swarthmore College

Swattiehottie

Sociology '14

4.6
A

Fantastic

Swarthmore is awesome. You just can't be scared of trying new things, and maybe sometimes putting yourself in awkward situations. The people are all really friendly and really intelligent. We're not at all like the scary nerds you may have heard about. We really do work hard and play hard. The classes are all incredibly engaging, and there are tons of great opportunities to better your experience in whichever field you're interested in. We have a wide variety of people living here—be prepared to have your views challenged. And to have a lot of fun while you're here!

Nov 08, 2010

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Overall Experience at Swarthmore College

Huzilla

Economics '12

4.2
A-

Play Hockey/Be an RA

MotherPuckers is awesome. Being an RA is awesome. Here are some of my personal pros and cons of Swarthmore:

Pros: A lot of activities that are free, they treat students like adults, an open-minded campus, lots of financial aid, beautiful campus, (mostly) smart kids, French toast at breakfast, seeing the same people over and over again.

Cons: Self-righteous people (people love complaining), hook-up culture, dining services is a rip off and sucks, a few terrible dorms, facilities are lackluster (no cable?), no bar life, seeing the same people over and over again.

Nov 02, 2010

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

Overall Experience at Swarthmore College

iopoku1

Mathematics & Statistics '14

5.0
A+

Overall Experience

Swarthmore makes me feel accepted, entirely. Even though I'm not a member of the tennis, soccer, baseball, lacrosse, or swim teams, I can hang out with them and not feel awkward in the least! This may not seem like a big deal, but as an international student, to feel at home and accepted by everyone is important to me and Swarthmore does exactly that (and more). Also, students have SO MUCH freedom to do whatever they want. RAs are never on your neck for noise or alcohol or whatever it is that the RAs do at other schools (as I've heard about Columbia, Penn, Princeton). This gives students the freedom to do whatever they want alongside giving them some added sense of responsibility. Administration is there to protect you as well instead of bark down your neck for one reason or the other. Same with public safety. Also, Swarthmore's classes are all taught by professors and not TAs, so we get direct knowledge from the best of the best and get supplemented by TAs when we want (by going for the numerous TA sessions available for each class).

Also, the parties here are awesome, so there is a good balance between academics and fun. There's no need to talk about the rigor of a Swat education; everyone knows.

Oct 27, 2010

Comment actions: Rate
Report as inappropriate/inaccurate

More college search features like this can be seen at http://collegeprowler.com/

© 2012 College Prowler