Swarthmore College
Reviews

Not Strict

Not strict. If you want to drink during parties you can. If you are underage, you have to be slightly more careful. Although it is very rare, once I saw a girl getting cited. If you want to relax and watch a movie, feel free to take over a classroom when no one is around. I don't even know what academic strictness means.

Really Unique

At Swarthmore every kid is really intelligent, but there is every variety of kid in every way. There are your true nerds, your partiers, the gamers, the musicians, etc. There is a place for everyone here. I've met some of the most fascinating people imaginable (or unimaginable). In addition, everything at Swat is included in tuition. Swarthmore is practically looking for ways to hand out money. My hall got a dinner in Philly paid for. I feel so lucky I get to attend Swat.

Athletics

I don't participate in sports but A LOT of the campus does. It's not very competitive and it's easy to walk on. I've gone to a few games and they are fun but not a school-wide social event. Sports facilities are top notch though the gym leaves a lot to be desired.

Scholarships

Swarthmore gave me an almost full-rise scholarship. Swarthmore has a large endowment and the Administration values its students.

Endowment Certainly a Benefit

The college is very willing to help its students and I am overall pleased with the staff's helpfulness. The problems I've encountered with financial aid have mostly been due to my family's situation and the difficulties that has created in trying to get the aid I need.

Casual

Alcohol is certainly the most popular choice. If you stay within campus, there is substantial freedom as to your actions. Drug usage is usually limited to smoking, and people are very tolerant and open to whatever you choose to do, whether it be to partake in it or not at all.

Difficult but Not Impossible

There is a wide array of course options, although there is a push on campus to provide even greater course diversity. The workload is difficult, but it largely depends on you and how much you're willing to invest in it, especially regarding how many extracurriculars you're going to join. Professors are very available, and there are numerous resources for students, including a student in every residence hall trained in answering questions about academics (a SAM, or student academic mentor).

No Problem at All

One of the things I like most about Swarthmore is that everyone here truly wants to help you. Whether it's the deans, Public Safety, or the RAs, no one is out to get you. It's virtually impossible to get in trouble unless you end up in the hospital, have a serious drug problem that interferes with academics/community functioning, or are running a club out of your dorm room (no, really). Even then, we have a dean whose sole job is to help you with alcohol or drug abuse problems and with any legal issues that come up. He'll even go to court and talk to the judge for you. RAs never bust anyone, but they do keep an eye on you because they really care.

Not the Best for College Students

There are plenty of excellent restaurants nearby, particularly in Media—not so much in Swarthmore itself—but the delicious food comes with a substantial price tag (maybe $12 to 16/entree). So, if you're looking for a nice place to go with your parents, a date, or just a group of friends, there are a lot of possibilities. My major complaint is that the options for college students are limited. For late(r) night options, there are basically only two pizza places and two Chinese places. While the pizza places are pretty good, I'm not a fan of the Chinese restaurants. If you're willing to shell out a little more money, the Indian restaurant in Media delivers and is delicious (especially the samosas!).

Dining Monopoly

There's only one dining hall on campus: Sharples. The food varies. Sometimes it is good and sometimes bad. Perhaps a little competition would provide Sharples with incentive to be a bit more consistent, but for the most part, the food is fine. If you do get tired of Sharples, there is a snack bar where you can use meals at certain times of day. Points can be used at the coffee bars in the Science Center and Kohlberg. Overall, the food is decent, so I really have nothing to complain about except for that it gets a bit bland and boring after a while.

Better With a Car

The "Ville" itself is safe but doesn't have a whole lot—a coffee shop, an expensive grocery store, and a handful of places to eat—so you probably won't spend a lot of time there. However, we're in a dense suburban area, so there are tons of great restaurants, malls, movie theaters, etc. The college provides vans to those places but a car allows the most flexibility. And of course, Philly is right there and a great city with amazing museums, concerts, and cultural events. The only hard part is finding time to do any of those things.

Great, but a Little Too Self-Obsessed

I love Swarthmore. The professors are generally awesome, and the classes are interesting and surprisingly varied for a small school. The only thing is, I've found the professors have a tendency to disrespect the students' time. Like, if they can't make a class time, they'll try and move it, maybe to a Saturday or a Sunday, or to reading week, rather than just apologizing for not being able to make it or giving you an assignment instead. I find that rude. I figure when I sign up for a class, I agree to show up at certain times. That's frequently ignored here.

Pretty Safe

I have never felt unsafe at Swarthmore, but then there have been a couple break-ins since my freshman year. Also, perhaps because the school is normally so safe, we don't have a blue-light system or anything. Personally, I carry Mace, just in case. Call me paranoid.

TERRIBLE!

I thought that coming from New York I would have no problem with the weather at Swarthmore, but it is REALLY COLD! I still can't get used to it. Now that I live off campus, it will be even more difficult to get to campus. Since the shuttle is so unreliable, I usually have to walk to class. This is a really difficult and agonizing thing to do in the bitter cold, and it will be even worse when the sidewalks start getting icy. Even when it rains I can hardly get to school without getting soaked to my knees since the sidewalks are so uneven and susceptible to flooding.

Need Improvement

The computers work fine—when they work. I frequently have problems printing, and various services (e-mail, student accounts, library site) are down just when I need them the most. I frequently lose my Internet connection even in academic buildings, even though it is said that the entire campus has high-speed Internet access. Printing is free, which is a plus, as long as the printers at the library are not jammed (this happens a lot) and the printer in my dorm is not out of paper (which also happens a lot). Copies are quite expensive, and the only alternative is going to the very slow PCs and using the scanners.

Need Work

The academic buildings are great. However, the dorms are really dilapidated and in need of major renovations. Among the dorms I have lived in or visited, all of them have moldy bathrooms, filthy carpets, and generally dusty or dirty atmospheres.

Free Shuttles, Bus, and Train

There are free shuttles that run to the movie theater, shopping mall, and Philly. Many students take the train, which is moderately expensive ($10 to get to Philly and back). The bus is a slightly cheaper option and also accessible option, although they tend to run around 10 minutes late.

No One Feels Pressured but...

The presence of weed and alcohol on campus is obvious. The administration and RAs turn a blind eye to most partying, which is convenient for those who partake, but can be disruptive for those who don’t. Of course, depending on the dorm you are in, your experience with Swarthmore’s party life can be very different. Parrish is known for being a quiet dorm, while Willets reeks of weed and booze every weekend.

Not Strict

As far as parties go, as long as everyone is safe, public safety stays out of it. The school thinks of the students as adults who get to make their own decisions about partying.

Somewhat Limited

The selection in the Ville is somewhat limited, but that is to be expected in such a small area. The pizza and Chinese food are just fine when you want something delivered.

Just Close Enough to the City

The Ville is an easy walk past the train tracks. There isn't a lot to do there, but it's nice to be able to get off campus. It's also extremely easy to get into Philly on the Septa.

There Are Parties Every Weekend but No One Is Obligated to Attend

Swarthmore parties are mostly centered on drinking but you are not forced to drink and can have fun without consuming alcohol if you have friends who will do the same.

Gorgeous for Most of the Year

Swat resides on the Scott Arboretum. Consequently, the weather and landscape usually syngergize to make you feel like you're at a summer/day camp. Winters can be tough sometimes, but snowfall has been sporadic in the past, while last year was ridiculous. The year before, there was only one major snow, though.

&Quot;Greek&Quot; Life

Swat's TWO frats make up the entirety of its Greek culture, although the popularity of the two are on the rise, both with the campus as a whole and with prospective pledges. Still, these are Swat frats, which means they aren't as hardcore as frats at other schools, which can also be a bad thing if you're looking for more fratty life. Just like with all things that receive funding on campus, the frats have to accept ANY Tri-Co student who comes to their doors, be it a student from Swat, Haverford, or Bryn Mawr, and as a result, they don't maintain guy-girl ratios at parties.

Save Money

You're required to live on campus your first two semesters. After that, a small percentage of Swatties do move off campus. Sometimes, it's for social reasons. For example, a lot of the hipsters/their friends live in this off-campus building called "The Barn". A lot of these people also moved because off-campus living is cheaper, and that's why people, in general, live off campus. Part of it is that you're not automatically on the meal plan anymore, but meal plan aside, I think it's also inherently cheaper living off campus as well.