Elena
Swarthmore is not for everybody. Often it feels more like a prep school than a college, especially given its manicured lawns, the fact that it has one dining hall, and also the fact that 99{4a082faed443b016e84c6ea63012b481c58f64867aa2dc62fff66e22ad7dff6c} of students live on campus. To enjoy Swarthmore, you must be looking for a campus with a strong sense of community, because you will know everybody and everybody's business by the end of your first semester at Swat.
What does draw people to the campus is that you get to know your peers and your faculty well. Class sizes are small and professors are generally interested in teaching and working with students.
Chelsea
Swarthmore Community
Regarding size, some would say that this school is entirely too small. However, personally, I have to say that I enjoy are fairly small size. It is nice to know that if I go to dinner or out to a party that I am almost guaranteed to see someone I know. I think it is cool that I can recognize so many people on campus because it gives Swat a more close-knit feel, which is nice considering how moving to college can be such a drastic transition.
Mary
My most important advice about Swarthmore: don't come here if you're unhappy. Swarthmore doesn't make people unhappy, but it does have a tendency to make things worse unless you're a pretty happy person in general.
Dale
For me, the best thing about Swarthmore is the people. I have met some of the most intelligent, interesting, and amazing people here. I am often amazed at the things my classmates have accomplished and thought of. Swarthmore is small, meaning you will get to know most of the people you see on campus. People will argue if this is a good or bad thing, but I think it really let's you to develop close relationships and feel like part of a community. In addition to the students, most professors are awesome and really care about their students.
The most common complaint at Swarthmore is that you have too much work to do, which is sometimes true, but also Swatties always take way too much on and usually thrive in these kinds of situations.
Jerry
Swarthmore is a small liberal arts college in Swarthmore, PA. You usually know everyone else. When I tell people I go to Swarthmore, Swat for short, they assume I'm really intelligent. They are impressed. Some say that they wouldn't think that I would go to a school like Swat because people are kinda "hippieish". I spend most of my time on Swat's campus because there's always a lot of work to do. Swarthmore definitely has its own culture and way of life, but I enjoy it. I have good friends.
Aaron
The school is a small school, which for me is just right. There are enough people here so that i don't know nearly everyone, but on the other hand I am more than a face in the crowd. I think part of the great thing about a small school is the sense of community that arises, and the poeple here are extraordinary. They are all great fun, helpful, and nice. This includes the faculty and professors who are always available to talk about academics or anything else.
As for the school itself, half the people I talk to about Swarthmore have never heard of it, but the other half congratulate me on a great school. It is a 20 minute train ride from philly, but on the other hand really doesn't have it's own college town. Ii'd say one of the most frequents complaints is the food. It isn't too bad but repetitive. If you are willing to cook a little yourself, you can make a much larger variety of food, and it isn't so bad.
John
The school is really small. There is way too much gossip and some people feel like elitist and hate athletes. I think with such a huge endowment we need to spend money to better the lives of students. I would improve the food. Improve the workout facilities and the entire fieldhouse. I spend most of my time on campus but it is great to get off campus for a change of pace. Swarthmore administration seems to do well. The financial aid though is stingy again with the amount of money this school has. I have friends that are looking at transferring to other top name schools simply because Swarthmore fails to provide them with the adequate funds that other schools can.
Claire
The best thing about Swarthmore is the people. Hands down. Unfortunately, the school is really small (about 1,400 people total) but once you find your crowd, you don't really seem to mind. Because the school is so small, people generally try to stay drama-free (otherwise you find that you see that person everywhere and it's really awkward). In terms of dating, sometimes I wish that we had a graduate school because as a girl, once you get to be a certain age the pickings get slim.
Ryan
Not too many people have actually heard of Swarthmore..it's small and the surrounding down isn't too great, but there's always enough to do on campus. The administration is pretty approachable, though I've only talked with them once. School pride isn't a big thing here, but we like it that way. If we have to complain about something, it tends to be about work