Swarthmore College

Date: Sep 10 2005
Major: Physics (This Major's Salary over time)
Swarthmore is a great school if you truly, deeply want to learn. Yes, you'll have a fairly typical college experience beyond that - there are clubs, parties, a short (15 minute) commuter train ride to Philadelphia, sports (well . . . kind of), and even a couple of frats (again, kind of). But it's genuinely true that most students are committed to their education. Professors are generally both bright and very approachable, classes are small, and course offerings are diverse for such a small school. You will come out of here knowing much more than you did coming in.

All that said, think hard before you choose to come here. You will work very, very hard (particularly if you're in the natural sciences, but even in other fields). You will be with other extraordinarily smart people. Your grades will suffer, unless you're either exceptionally bright (keep in mind that 6-10 5's on APs and 1480+ SATs put you in the "normal" range) or work all the time. But most of all, you will receive very little recognition for your work. People will ask where you go to school, and will stare blankly when you tell them. No one (including, of course, future employers) will recognize the name Swarthmore, and therefore no one will understand WHY your grades have suffered. (The big exception here, of course, is grad/med/law school - they know the name, and by all accounts, they like it.)

So, think carefully. Do you really, really not care what people think? Are you sure you won't be gritting your teeth when neighbors and acquaintences fawn over the kids who go to Dartmouth or Columbia? Are you sure you won't regret your choice when you start to anticipate the inevitable question, and respond,

Oh, I go to Swarthmore. It's pretty small, and kind of near Philadelphia.

If you answered yes to all of those questions, then great! Swarthmore is truly the school for you. But be sure you're not just answering yes because you think it's the right thing to do - trust me, you'll be happier elsewhere, and there are lots of other excellent schools.