Swarthmore College visit

Senior news staffer Seimi Park visits Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania, where she has chosen to attend in the fall, and writes about her experiences on campus that lead her to this decision.

Swarthmore College is a selective liberal arts school that specializes in engineering and political science majors. Ranked 7th in the nation by Forbes and ranked #3 in liberal arts schools by US News, the school is known for its rigorous academics and prestige.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to visit Swarthmore for their admitted students’ event, Swatstruck, which includes student panels, activities fairs, class visits, and more.

Located just 10 minutes from Philadelphia and within very close proximity to Washington D.C. and New York City, I expected the campus to look very industrial and urban, but I found that the opposite is true. Swarthmore was built within an arboretum and features acres upon acres of wildlife.

I started my day off by visiting two classes, Comparative Politics and Research and Analysis. Both classes had around 10 students and were more discussion-oriented instead of lecture-based. One advantage to attending liberal arts schools is the low student-to-teacher ratio, which allows students to build very close relationships with their professors.

After classes, I had lunch in the Sharples dining hall where I got to talk to current students about their favorite aspects of the school. Many noted the abundance of scholarships and grants for unique internships and research opportunities. The Lang Center for Civic and Social Responsibility, located on campus, helps students connect to these resources.

Despite the heavy focus on education, Swarthmore students have time for a range of fun activities, whether it’s spending the day exploring Philly, watching the games of the many Division III sports, or joining a wide variety of clubs, from The Daily Gazette newspaper to the Mother Puckers, a club for those interested in recreational ice hockey. There is virtually something for everyone and you will never be bored.

Most importantly, every student at Swat genuinely cares about his or her education and wants to learn, not for the sake of getting a high GPA or recognition, but simply to know more about the world we live in. Attending the event with such intelligent and motivated people inspired me to work even harder. I want to be the kind of person worthy to go to school with such incredible peers and the sense of community I felt is why I will be attending Swarthmore College in the fall.