Swarthmore College Top Questions

Yes.

I would say that intelligence and passion are definitely true. Everyone here is incredibly smart and want to apply that intelligence to the real world, especially in activism-related activities.

Weird = yes. Nerdy = maybe.

The campus is so diverse there are no stereotypes that hold true throughout. Except that we're really damn smart.

To a certain degree. I'd say about one third of the students here are geniuses, and they (because of their superior intelligence) go out drinking at least two times a week. These people seem to have a fetish about peeing on stairs during parties. Another third are people like me, who have made it here by sheer luck and sweat, and can only keep up by sitting in coffee bars and doing large amounts of extra work. The other third are in the middle. From what I hear, Swat used to be a very strange community. However, coming from an Arts school, it seems pretty normal to me. We have our jocks, our preps, and our punks, just like everybody else. The stereotype of niceness is usually true. Sometimes it is a bit smothering, especially when you are off looking for a good, roaring and emotional filled debate. Swat has a thing about being quiet, except when people are drunk. Then people will roar, but they don't debate. At least not coherently.

The nice thing about Swat is that the stereotype is mostly true, so the school attracts people who fit the description, and a safe and comfortable environment is fostered, where nerds can be nerds, and people can be relatively socially normal, despite everything being awkward.

Generally. The bubble may be easily burst, however.

Swarthmore is a school designed really for a certain kind of student (though, mind you, it doesn't stop the school from creating a highly diverse student body). This student thoroughly enjoys work and spews passion like a hose covered by a child's thumb. Though students are slightly awkward, I'm convinced that this 'awkwardness' or quirkiness leads to a few more laughs, and brings vibrancy to the community.

most of the students at swarthmore are very nerdy but generally not introverted. mt students are open to meeting new people and the majority of the population at swat are extremely friendly (sometimes it seems unreal how nice people are here). cliques exist, but most groups are open to including new people. for example, i would feel no hesitation to sit down at a table in the dining hall full of people i don't know. at swarthore we have a term, "swat goggles." this refers to the tendency of swarthmore students to view a fellow swattie of average attractiveness as more good-looking. most students develop swat goggle pretty quickly into their first semester. then when back in the real world, outside of the swat bubble, where very attractive people are more common, a swarthmore student may feel overwhelmed by the number of apparently extremely good-looking people. but what swat students lack in looks, they make up for in engaging conversation and good hearts. swarthmore is definitely NOT all work, no play. many students feel like they are always busy with academic work or extracurricular activities but this may be because swat students have diverse interests and therefore tend to get involved in very many activities and are equally passionate and dedicated to all the groups. thursday and saturday nights at swarthmore are the most "social" nights of the week. i definitely feel that i am getting an amazing education and challenging myself on a very intense intellectual level yet i don't feel like i am missing out on the partying aspect of a typical college experience. i would actually say that i go out socially and party more than a lot of my friends from high school who go to state schools or other less academically elite colleges or universities.

80{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of the time? Yes!