School Review: Swarthmore College

Before my visit, I hadn't seriously considered Swarthmore. I read that it was a good school with good academics, so I decided I'd stop by. I am pleased to say that I fell in love with this school and will definitely be applying!

Pros:

The campus is overwhelmingly beautiful. Both a college campus and an arboretum, Swarthmore's campus is an eclectic mix of nature and antique buildings. The architecture is wonderful and the whole campus just made me feel like I was in a Harry Potter movie.

Though Swarthmore feels very rural, it's just eleven miles from Philadelphia--one of the biggest cities in the United States. I love that. I've come to realize that I want the best of both worlds--accessibility to an urban area while still feeling like my college is somewhat segregated from the outside world. Swarthmore definitely has all that. And the best part: there's a train station right on campus that can take you to the city. I went to Philadelphia soon after visiting Swarthmore and really enjoyed the city.

I don't have any firsthand experience, but I do know that the academics are supposed to be superb at Swarthmore. So that's always a big draw for me.

Cons:

The town of Swarthmore is very quaint, but it has a coffee shop and that's all I needed to know. There's also a few restaurants and the essential things like a barber shop and laundromat. But what Swarthmore is missing, Philadelphia (only eleven miles away!) definitely has.

I can't think of any others. Keep in mind that I just walked around campus by myself--I didn't have a formal tour or info session so there may be downfalls to Swarthmore that I'm unaware of.

Pictures (so many pictures):

This was so cool and unexpected. There is a stage out in the middle of the woods with bleachers made of old stone and grass.

They even built right around this cute tree! 

Even the inside looks like a castle! 

This building was unlocked so I let myself in... tee hee! 

Along with old buildings Swarthmore also has a few eco-friendly newer buildings.

Downtown Swarthmore.

Overall:

Swarthmore was an unexpected treasure. I didn't expect to like the campus so much, but I could totally see myself here. Not only is Swarthmore a renowned school, it's small enough to be the center of students' lives but so close to a major city.