Swarthmore College Top Questions

I think that Swarthmore is sometimes small enough to be stifling, but if one gets involved in enough activities or takes the initiative to get off campus and go into Philly or Media (the next town over) every now and then, it usually isn't much of a problem. The town is atrocious; it's a dry borough, with no real restaurants and no food available past 12 or 1. Springfield, about a 20 minute walk away, has a few restaurants and a small mall, and Media, the next town over on the train, is pretty cute and fun. The administration seems to want to help students, but often mentions how tight the budget is, which seems absurd to most students. Sometimes it seems like Swarthmore banks on its great academics to excuse mediocre student life- the dorms are OK but not great, there's only 1 dining hall, the one snack bar on campus is greasy and not great either, the gym is functional but small and with old equipment. But on the flip side, at least we have those things. Another good thing about Swat is that the school could care less about drinking and marijuana. If a student is a stupid about it then the school has to get involved but otherwise they are happy enough to turn the other cheek and let students make their own choices. There is very little school spirit. The springtime is fun and beautiful, especially when the campus is in bloom (it's also a nationally recognized arboretum). When I tell most people I go to Swarthmore, I get a response like, "Oh...is that a community college?" For the most part, only people who are in academia or have advanced degrees have heard of Swarthmore.

Swarthmore challenges me to think about the bigger picture, as in fostering this critical thinking or metacognitive understanding of things that we do and the places we live in. It is a mostly controlled environment in which we can assert our presence as students and in the process, develop the skills and gain the insights to make a difference in the world. The administration is receptive and welcoming, but their flexbility and openness do end at a certain point. While I do think that Swatties often question and redefine norms, that is not the case for everyone. More recently, I'm finding that the newer students are more immature than in years past. There is still a certain degree of immaturity, childishness, and oppression that certain privileged populations exhibit, that may be more prevalent and accepted on other campuses.

The best thing about Swarthmore are the people and the atmosphere. You are surrounded by brilliant, motivated, and diverse group of people, yet everyone shares the same sort of passion for something unnamed. We often discussed it at school, but the unnamed connection between Swatties has something to do with love of learning (even if you don't admit it), thinking, and being challenged. When I meet Swatties outside of school there is something that bonds us and conversations with once strangers can easily become four hours chatting like old friends. As for size, it's about right. There are times when it can feel suffocating as you keep seeing the same people everywhere. That's when you go abroad or make efforts to meet people outside your circle of friends. But, the smallness of school really allows you to build community. It also makes a huge difference in the quality of education. We may have less breadth, but the interaction with teachers is unparelled. You may hate the fact that you can't hide from your professor, but the smallness of classes forces you to be really involved in your education (This isn't to say that you can't get away without doing the reading or skimming, you most certainly can, just pick your classes for that wisely). I spent most of my time on campus bouncing around between the buildings in which I had classes, Parrish, Sharples, the fieldhouse, my dorm, McCabe, Science Center Commons, and working outside when it was beautiful. The best part was when I figured out that I could work outside late into the night, perched on the steps of Parrish that are have lights that go on in the evening. I was a bit of a nomad at Swat, especially in my study habits. Most of my friends could be found in 3-4 places on campus, I continually switched up my spots, depending on how well I was focusing in a certain area. One of my favorite moments at Swat was walking outside of McCabe library one night int he midst of studying for my Honors exams. As I walked out of the library, the stars were shining, and a string quartet was playing on the steps of Parrish Hall. It was beautiful. There I was, all stressed out over exams and the music was a pause, a moment of silence in the otherwise frantic day. That's one of my favorite parts of Swarthmore - it's easy to get wrapped up in you as a student and the small worries and fears and stressors and then, there is one moment where you see someone bagpiping or you notice the flowers that sprung up outside your window or you run across a friend you haven't seen in a while and have a three hour conversation debating philosophy outside the rose garden. It's that one moment that you remember why you love the place. That's probably the trick about Swarthmore. How do you keep it in perspective? You are there to learn, you have probably always done well in school, or could have done well if it interested you enough. It's easy to get caught up in the papers and the pressure that you mainly put on yourself. But if you can step back from time to time, it is a beautiful place and something you won't ever run across again once you leave.

Most people's first reaction to Swarthmore is "the campus is sooo beautiful!" Which as an arboretum it is, especially in the spring. But more than just being a pretty place, our campus is just one example of how the college really makes an effort to make Swarthmore the most inspiring academic environment possible. But its the people that come to Swarthmore are what make it great. I've learned more about myself and shaped my ideas from talking with my teammates on runs, and Sunday morning breakfasts in Sharples than in many of my classes. Most people haven't heard of Swarthmore, usually people get that face like "oh, that's nice" as if I go to a community college. But I'm okay with that--I'm not at Swarthmore to impress people, I'm here because I've found a community of people that I respect, admire, and trust. The college can feel small sometimes, its only 1500 people, but I like walking into the library and knowing the names of half the students in there.

The best thing about Swarthmore is all of the educational opportunities at hand. If I could change one thing it would be the variety in social life - on the weekends there is one thing to do: go to paces - and if you don't drink that's out of the picture. Academically speaking, the size of Swarthmore is perfect, socially it's SMALL. When I tell people that I go to Swarthmore they are amazed - it is an amazing school after all.

Big Chair

People here are very open and receptive everyone. with a somewhat small community people get to know each other and even if you don't know someone you have probably seen them around somewhere. close access to philly with a train on campus. Students are called "Swatties" because of our uniqueness. there is no other place like swat. most people complain about the dining hall, but it isn't that bad, all you can eat.

We try to do too many classes and activities, and we complain about our work all the time. Just about everyone gets really stressed out pretty often, but there are plenty of people who let off steam by partying – you still find a social scene even if you not into discussing philosophy or playing D&D. People aren't usually money-power-career oriented like at the Ivies; we actually care about what we're studying. Yeah, we're overwhelmingly progressive, but people still say and do some really ignorant things that show that it is somehow possible to spend four years here and still not confront class, race, gender and sexual privilege.

Swat is a great liberal arts school and it does prepare you for grad school. the school pretty much gives you the opportunity to do whatever you want to the fullest extent. The school as an administration is pretty laid back, most mistakes are forgiven, alcohol policy is extremely lenient. But , the school is so small, Septa is getting more and more expensive. If you do not want to go to grad school, or are not into science research, careers services does a poor job connecting you to potential careers/interships/jobs/connections. The health center, while not always extremely helpful, is very convenient and they will eventually get it right. There is not a lot of school pride, though we have just created a mascot, but i would say more people were mobilized to vote than to go to even a swat haverford BBALL game.

Swarthmore's great. There's pressure to do well and work hard, but no real sense of competition. People are very willing to help each other out by sharing notes or study guides, editing papers, etc.