Swarthmore College Top Questions

I chose Swarthmore after many campus visits and overnight stays at a host of different institutions. This, for me, was the best way to go about the college selection process because it allowed me to find my "fit" in the most organic, natural way possible. Given how prominently one's 'college experience' figures into the grand arch that is one's life, the veritable existential crisis one goes through when choosing a school cannot be understated. Under such circumstances it is hard to "follow your heart" or "go with your instincts," especially when it seems that statistics are screaming the obvious superiority of school X over schools A,B, and C. With all that said, though, I think that finding one's fit is the best way to go. Discovering and choosing a school that really speaks to you, strikes a chord with you, or just has a "je ne sais quoi" appeal to it, and then going with that inclination, paves the way for a college experience in which you are engaged daily, and in a substantive way--not just by the classroom experience, but by the much more important stuff that goes on outside the classroom as well.

Visiting the college is super important. I reccomend spending the night and sitting in on classes. By visiting you can get a good sense of the atmosphere on campus and how you would fit into that atmosphere. Remember that college isn't only about carrer prep but also about finding out who you are and what would make you happy in terms of a carrer and a life style. You are not going to be the same when you come to school as you are when you graduate, you won't even be the same after your first semester, so be sure to find some place that you will be happy despite these changes.

Look around a lot. Try different kinds of schools, even if you think you know what you want, and do overnight visits. While you're on the visit, see what people do with their time, what they're interested in, how they feel about their school. Don't go somewhere because it's where your parents want you to go, or because you have friends already going there; go somewhere where you like the people, where you think you'll fit in. Don't compromise on academics if that's what's important to you, but then again, don't go based solely on reputation about academics, either -- you may well get a better academic experience at a small, less well-known school than at a "brand-name" school. Look at the course book, sit in on classes. Even if you're absolutely sure you want to do a certain major or kind of major, pick a school where you won't be stuck interacting only with people doing the same thing: exposure to people with different interests is key. In the end, trust your gut -- it's ultimately about finding a place that feels right to you.

The advice that I would give to parents worrying about how their children do in choosing a college and, maybe even more so, how they handle their new life once they're there, is the same as I'd give to the students themselves, which is to say that these things have a way of working out. There's no such thing as a perfect fit, and while it's understandable to worry, people have a way of making their way wherever they go, especially those who have the initiative to be going to college in the first place. There will always be problems with any school, so as long as you can commit to a decision and go into it without too much trepidation, there's likely little to fear. Of course, for parents this means staying out of the decision as much as possible - guidance is all well and good, but this is a decision that children need to make for themselves in order to make it. Conversely, for students, know that your parents have been around longer than you, and that some things they say might just help in your decision.

Please think about the fact that the school you attend will take your money and your time for the next four years. Anything that makes you the least bit uncomfortable during a visit, will make you hate your school after 4 years.