Dear Juniors

Congratulations! You’re finishing up what is arguably the toughest year of high school – junior year. You’ve worked hard in class, performed in plays and on the field, organized events and spent time with your friends. Somewhere, during all of that, you’ve started to act on the college ideas you’ve been planning – perhaps you visited a few schools over Spring Break or received some new information from schools after taking the SAT. You’re beginning to narrow your list and, before you know it, you’ll be clicking “SUBMIT.” Here are some things to keep in mind as you’re figuring out where you could spend your college years.

First, let me say this: There is good news. YOU ARE GOING TO COLLEGE. There. The pressure is off. Now the question is: where? Think about your values, your needs and your goals for the future. Then look for a college. Try your hardest not to fall in love with a reputation. Fall in love with a place that shares your vision of your best self. Spend some time getting to know the student population of the schools you’re most interested in – how do they spend their time, what did they do in high school? Google them. Email them. Talk with them in person. You don’t need to compare yourself to them or follow the exact path they’ve created, but knowing the people who make up an institution will give you an idea of how the school’s values play out in an everyday setting.

Now, a few tangible things you can do this summer to prepare yourself for the application process.

- Visit some area schools, perhaps even ones you don’t think you’ll want to attend. There is something to be said for knowing what you DON’T want and why. Take notes and actively listen. Always write down some initial thoughts after a visit; they can be specific facts or experiences, they may also just be feelings. What was unique? What was attractive? Was there anything that surprised you? Before your visit, prepare some questions. Always ask questions! Even if it’s the standard, “What’s your favorite thing about this school?” or better yet, “What have you learned since you’ve been here?”, and I don’t mean in the classroom. Give the people representing a school the chance to reflect on meaningful experiences they’ve had. Stay away from “What would you change?” or anything that brings to mind something negative. Let the tour guide or admissions counselor share with you the things that make them happy – you’ll all be in a better mood because of it and they may remember you fondly.

- Spend time doing something you enjoy this summer. Whether it is taking pictures with friends, volunteering, or an internship, make sure you’re reserving time to just be yourself. You may find that you learn more doing these things than anything else. If you need to, you can find ways to relay the importance of any event in a college essay. We read great essays about traveling to visit family in another place, what you learned from the people you work with, or the influence of a favorite book. Remember, the best essays are the ones that say something about you – who you are, what you believe, and where you’re headed. You may not be able to identify these things if you’re filling your time with what other people think you should do.

- Get a head start on your applications! Figure out who you want to write your recommendation letters, and be prepared to talk with them about it when school begins, or maybe even before the first day. Prepare an abbreviated resume so they’re aware of everything you do. Swarthmore requires two letters of recommendation from core academic teachers – there may be a third person you’d like to write on your behalf, perhaps a band teacher or debate coach. Talk with them too. Pick three topics for your personal statement and write the first paragraph for each. Share them with you family and friends. Get feedback. Work on it! In the end, it should be something you’re proud of.

I am going on the record and saying to students, “Take back the process.” Make it about you again. Stop trying to fit into a mold. With some work and reflection, you can create your own standards and ideas about what you want and why. Good luck! We’re rooting for you.

College Interviews: How to Prepare for a Good Conversation

As we move towards the summer months, it’s time for high school juniors across the nation to start thinking about interviews. Just another item on the to-do list for some, but a daunting thought for others. Whether you fall into the first category or the second, or somewhere in between, don’t worry — we’re here to help!

We’ve written about college interviews multiple times before, but it helps to repeat some of the basics: the best interviews tend to be pure conversations, a back and forth where we want to hear about more than just what you do, but also why you do it. Remember that interviews are not just an opportunity for us to learn about you, but for you to learn about us! This is true whether you’re on campus, at a local cafe, or on Skype, being interviewed by admissions officers, current students, or alumni.

As we’ve written before, take some time before your interview to think about what’s important. Think about your life, focusing in particular on your high school years. What have you spent your time doing, either inside or outside the classroom? What did you enjoy doing the most? When you update family or friends on your life, what do you tell them about?  Cast a wide net: think about your favorite teachers, classes and subjects, favorite after-school activities, and so forth. Now, try to think about why those things are important to you, why you have enjoyed them, why you talk to other people about them. How did you get involved in them and why did you stay involved?

You don’t have to provide exact or final answers to these questions, but it’s a good idea to start thinking about them. Try making a list, write out short answers, or say your thoughts and answers out loud to yourself or a friend. The idea is to become comfortable clearly communicating your interests, passions and motivations to someone you just met. This can actually be more difficult than it sounds! Your interviewer knows virtually nothing about you, whereas you know all about your interests, activities, and motivations. Practice bridging that gap!

Keep in mind that it’s absolutely fine (and often encouraged!) to pause at length during an interview to think about the answer to a question. You also don’t want to go into an interview ready to regurgitate prepared answers, or simply give a spoken resume. Sometimes it’s better to focus on two or three things that really motivate you and are really important to you, than briefly mentioning a dozen activities you’ve been involved in without really thinking about why they’re important to you. That’s why it can be useful to think before you go into the interview: that way, you already have a good grasp on those two or three most important things.

Remember that a conversation includes two people! Pay attention and listen to what the interviewer is asking you. Again, it’s important to not just list off all the thoughts you had when you were preparing for interviews, and listen to the interviewer’s question. Don’t be surprised if the interviewer asks you a question that requires you to stop and think, or if they start sharing their own thoughts. Be prepared to listen to their thoughts and respond with your own. Don’t worry — no one will test you or grill you, but your interviewer may share your interests and passions and want to explore the issue with you. That’s part of what can make an interview so exciting!

On the flip side, don’t feel like you can’t ask questions either! Whether you want to hear more about your interviewer’s thoughts or opinions, or just want them to talk about Swarthmore and how we fit into your interests, a good conversation has questions on both ends. Feel free to engage the interviewer with questions or other doubts.

Finally, also keep in mind that the interview will likely be the most person-to-person aspect of the admissions process. If there is anything that you feel is best conveyed or explained in person that would otherwise not come across as clearly on paper (or on a computer screen nowadays!) feel free to use the interview as an opportunity to fill in any gaps. We welcome anything you may want to share with us.

To summarize, it helps to prepare ahead of time by thinking about what matters to you, what passions

you may have, and most importantly why. At the same time, avoid repeating prepared answers or presenting a spoken resume, and remember to listen very carefully to the question and your interviewer. Also practice makes perfect! It may feel silly at first, but practice with friends, friends of friends, extended family, teachers, or other staff at your school. Find ways of practicing interviews with classmates or other members in your community or neighborhood. Lastly, keep in mind that your interviewer is just interested in getting to know you — relax, try to learn something about Swarthmore from them, and try to have some fun!

Ride the Tide & Junior Visit Day

Greetings from Miami…oops I meant Swarthmore, PA!

Here at Swarthmore we have been the great benefactor of some unseasonably warm weather.  Students have packed up their winter coats in exchange for flip flops and Frisbees.  The beach (Parrish Beach that is) has been packed and is a welcome site for some of our early spring visitors.  As students around the country are celebrating their own versions of spring break, the College has seen a considerable surge in campus visitors.  Families have been greeted by Miami-like weather, budding flowers, and eager deans.  If you have yet to make the trip to campus, fret not.  There are numerous opportunities to connect with us, and the Admissions staff is hard at work putting together some exciting events.

Ride the Tide (RTT)

If you happened to have received “the FAT one”, you are well aware of “Ride the Tide”, Swarthmore’s admitted students program.  This year’s event will take place Thursday, April 19^th until Friday, April 20^th.  We have invited ALL of our admitted students to come to campus and fall in love with Swarthmore all over again. For those attending, prepare yourself for a fast-paced reintroduction to Swarthmore.  We have jam packed those precious 24 hours in order to provide you with a diverse and robust look at your potential home for the next four years.  Our hope is that each passing minute reveals a little more about the campus and leaves lasting memories of what your college career has the potential to be.  Whether you are attempting to get the sense of what it’s like to be an athlete, a physicist, or both, you will have an opportunity to see how each is possible at Swarthmore. Can I let you in on a secret…we admissions deans are just as excited for Ride the Tide as you. After months of getting to know you through your application, we can’t wait to put a face to your name! Just don’t be surprised if we remember what you wrote your essay about, or even your extracurricular activities – we really do love our jobs!

Junior Visit Day (JVD)

Class of 2017, we haven’t forgotten about you either!  Junior Visit Day, which we more aptly refer to as JVD, is slated for Saturday, May 12^th.  While we LOVE Swarthmore, JVD is really all about the student and the application process as a whole.  There will certainly be opportunities to engage with admissions deans, get a closer look at our engineering program and athletic facilities, as well as an opportunity to tour the campus, but we really want to highlight the admissions process in more general terms.  We go over EVERYTHING….the admissions timeline, how to write an essay, tips on the college interview, financial aid, and even a behind the scenes look at the world of highly selective admissions.  Students and parents leave with a comprehensive understanding of the process, and (we hope) are all the more prepared for the upcoming fall.

Whew!  So there you have it.  There are tons of ways to get on campus this spring, but just in case you can’t make it to RTT or JVD, you can always stop by for a tour and information session any day Monday-Friday. Check out our online visit planner to sign up.

Can’t wait to see you!

Student Activities at Swarthmore: A Virtual Roundtable

Spring is here! One of the most noticeable changes on campus this time of year is the proliferation of outdoors activities that go hand-in-hand with the arboretum’s blossoming. In this spirit, I decided to bring together the voices of leaders from four different student activities or clubs on campus to discuss life outside the classroom at Swarthmore. Now I’ve loosely defined “club” in this discussion so as to include a representatively diverse cross-section of the college funded student activities on campus. Thanks to Christina Keller of the Women’s Resource Center (WRC), David Saltzman of Swarthmore Quidditch, Jon Cronin of Sixteen Feet, and Ryane Disken-Cahill, Pat Walsh, Rachel Giovaniello and Kate Aronoff (all four) of Mountain Justice for their participation! Here’s the Q & A:

1. How has being a part of your club differed from your expectations
for extracurricular activities coming out of high school?  What’s your favorite
part of the club?  Or what is something important about the club that
prospective students might not know?

MOUNTAIN JUSTICE: I never saw myself as a particularly socially active person in high school. I was frustrated by issues surrounding environmental injustice but did not know where I could fit in, and I found that in high school I was not surrounded by a very supportive network of engaged students. There were many options to choose from at Swarthmore, and I was fortunate enough to find a group whose work compelled me enough to participate every week. Mountain Justice serves as a great outlet for creative energy and passion for social activism.

SWAT QUIDDITCH: It’s not too often that you get just the right combination of lightheartedness and intensity, whimsy and athleticism. Quidditch nails it exactly. Quidditch is a complex game with four balls and a snitch all racing around at once. To play it well you have to push yourself physically, but at the end of the day, you’re still running around with a broom between your legs and a smile on your face.

WRC: I think prospective students going into Swat probably don’t know how beautiful or useful the Women’s Resource Center space

is since tour guides usually don’t stop by there. We have a wonderful second floor with sewing machines and supplies, open space for student groups to meet, a large screen TV, and computer/printer. On the top floor, we have a library filled with a wide variety of feminist books, and on the first floor, we have a brand new kitchen, a bathroom with health center supplies, and more room for student groups to meet.

SIXTEEN FEET: The biggest difference between high school singing groups and Sixteen Feet is student leadership of the group. My favorite part of the club is the feeling of pride upon completing a difficult task that we set and completed ourselves. Prospective students might not know about the great friendships that are made within the group and the fantastic adventures we have. Just this Spring Break, we went on tour to Miami Beach and sang at schools up and down the East coast, which really brought us closer together in friendship and musicianship.

2. Does your club have a designated space on campus or does it make use of campus spaces for certain events?  If so, how does having that space contribute to your club’s connection to the student body?

SIXTEEN FEET: We make good use of Lang Concert Hall, where we practice and perform. The Crum Woods provide a beautiful backdrop for our concerts, which are always a highlight of the semester for us.

WRC: The WRC manages a given student space on campus and organizes all-campus events primarily, but not solely, based around women. All genders are welcome to reserve and use the space, though women’s groups are given preference. We host open hours with various themes such as knitting, watching movies, or making zines Sunday through Thursday, and weekly coffeehouses on Saturday night that serve as a break or alternative to the weekly drinking/party scene.

MOUNTAIN JUSTICE: We don’t have a designated space on campus, though we make use of the Women’s Resource Center and the LANG Center for Civic and Social Responsibility for meetings and retreats. We also use venues such as the Lang Performing Arts Center, Bond Hall, and the Science Center for hosting speakers and other events. We use space to make ourselves visible during direct actions.

SWAT QUIDDITCH: We play on Mertz field, in the middle of campus where people continually walk by and smile. Some people hop in for a scrimmage, others just look on in amusement.

3. How does your club fit into student life outside of the classroom at Swarthmore?

SWAT QUIDDITCH: Everyone needs things to do outside the classroom to keep a balanced life, and Quidditch is one of the most fulfilling. It’s great exercise and everyone there is really chill, so it’s excellent for mentally rejuvenating and having a good time.

SIXTEEN FEET: Sixteen Feet sings for many community events on and off campus for students and community members, including our annual Valentines Serenades, which can provide a nice distraction for students in Sharples or McCabe. Also, practicing during the week provides a nice break from the hours of work that is creatively stimulating as well as being relaxing.

MOUNTAIN JUSTICE: Mountain Justice has been a major part of my life outside of the classroom (and inside, but that’s another story!). By virtue of working with other Mountain Justice members every week, taking trips with them, having meetings with them, I’ve made a lot of close friends through the group that I couldn’t have otherwise, and whom without the last few years wouldn’t have been the same.

WRC: I think our group fits well into student life as a whole as we bring an alternative social space to campus that, in my perspective, is very uniquely Swarthmore.

- Sam White ’14, Admissions Office Web Team Intern

What is Swat? (and Other Questions of Being)

Hi folks,

Sorry we’ve been away so long. We’re wrapping up with application reading and will soon be entering into the committee process. Look out for those letters soon! If you have questions about applications, please email admissions@swarthmore.edu.

-The Admissions Staff

————————————————————————

Onto the blog post by our Admissions Web Intern, Sam White ’14!

 

What is Swat?

Being at Swarthmore is, for me, not just an entrance into a world of ideas, an academic “bubble” of minds. For one thing, that just doesn’t sound all that enjoyable. Don’t get me wrong, I love late night conversations about the philosophical or political topic of the day just as much as the next Swattie (that is, more than is conducive to healthy sleeping habits), but it makes the college out to be an alien world of disembodied mental machines, endlessly computing and competing over a reductively shared vision of the world.

For me, Swarthmore is more about being, about particular, “historicized” being in time and space and all that entails. There is no one typical Swattie; there is no one Swattie experience. Of course, this is what makes Swarthmore such a distinctive place: its resistance to encumbering narratives or norms of behavior, thinking, and learning. Classes contribute part—but only part—of the integrated experience.

My favorite class (so far) has to be the Interpretation Theory seminar I took last spring, entitled “The Classical in Art & Literature.” The twelve-person seminar was co-taught (that’s right, two professors, twelve students, one room!) by Art History professor Patricia Reilly and Classics professor Grace Ledbetter. The unique classroom dynamic meant that learning was in no way a one-way street of teacher to student lecturing. Over the course of the semester, we not only followed the back roads of divergent conversations but let them meander back and forth, here and there, among different students’ personal pathways. This is not a classroom committed to summarization of the “Great Ideas” but one in which singular personal experiences and identities are brought to bear on the texts at hand. In other words, these embodied and inherently diverse discussions implicitly go beyond the more traditionally Cartesian model of teacher-student instruction.

Not that the discussions stopped in the classroom. At the end of the semester, one of the seminar’s professors invited the whole class to her house for dinner. If I have had a definingly Swarthmore moment, it was here. As we dined that evening, over meals that couldn’t be “swiped” for, over discussion of the ideas most fundamental to our class, and over our summer plans, I realized that something really incredible takes place here. Swarthmore does not so much as make us experts in our academic fields (though that’s certainly a consequence) as it does provide us with radically open and diverse avenues for exploring ourselves; being at Swarthmore, seems to be, well, all about being, its personal, intellectual, and social aspects and consequences.

Whatever problems students here choose to become most conscious of, the particular subjects themselves do not matter so much as the fact that they have absorbed a particular set of desires, skills, habits, orientations, modes of being—whatever you want to call it—that becomes inherent to their learning and life, their subjectivity. It’s easy to lose sight of this all during midterms and finals, but the beginning of each semester (especially with this year’s mid-winter spring) offers time to reflect on the embodied experience of being, and being, at Swarthmore.

 -Sam

To: Seniors

As the holiday song goes, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year!”  But is it?  Perhaps for you seniors out there, either rushing to get done with those pesky last minute pieces of your college applications or embarking on the three-month-long waiting period to hear back about how your hard work is faring with admissions officers, this time of the year can be dreadful!  And if you’re a winter sport athlete like I was, you have winter break double practices to add exhaustion to anxiety!

Yes, despite the excitement of the holidays, the end of first semester of senior year can no doubt be stressful.  But hopefully, in the midst of it all, you’re able to at least find some time for reflection on the last few months, or even, some reflection on the “whys” and “hows” in your life as a whole.  Why are you applying to college at all, let alone the colleges on your list?  Why are you taking the path you’re taking (ie, why take the most demanding classes possible, or why have you committed yourself to various things outside of school)?  How have these choices shaped you and your goals for the future?

Franklin Reflects on Life (Do I Fit Here? Yes!)

If you’ve filled out a supplement for a college like Swarthmore, you know that we are asking you these questions.  Our supplemental essay’s prompt is “Why Swarthmore?”  It’s open-ended for a reason!  This is your time to reflect on not just Swarthmore, but the whys and hows of your life.  It’s a chance for you to examine why you see a fit between yourself and the College – and often, “fit” is a reflection of the many choices you’ve made and paths you’ve taken to this point in your life.

Franklin Takes a Break on Campus

 

 

 

It’s uncanny how the break between first and second semester often lines up the transition from year to the next.  We’re not only reflecting on the hectic fall into spring, but from 2011 to 2012.  For many of us, our New Year’s Resolutions vary from the tangible to the intangible – I’ll share with you some of mine:

 

 

1. Find peace of mind when I have oodles of college applications to read and review over the next couple of months.
2. Get outside with Franklin (pictured here on Swarthmore’s campus) as much as possible.
3. Continue on my quest of learning to cook globally by making recipes from three new parts of the world (I’m thinking Swedish meatballs, Massaman curry and empanadas salteñas).
4. Seek new intellectual challenges – go to more lectures at Swarthmore!

"Happy New Year!"

 

 

Regardless of what you choose for your resolutions, they inevitably will be personal and reflections on who you are right now.  And though this is a time of transition, between semesters, years, even part of the large transition from high school to college, it’s also hopefully a time of reassessment and inspiration…and good tidings and cheer!

-Joanna

Where do Swatties come from?

The simple answer to this question: Swatties come from all 50 states in the US and over 60 countries around the world. This answer leads to another question – how do these Swatties find their way to Swarthmore?

Before taking their first steps on Parrish Beach, before connecting with their roommate-to-be on Facebook, before even applying to Swarthmore, a Swattie’s first step towards becoming a Swattie may begin right in their hometown with a visit by one of Swarthmore College’s Admissions officers.

Phineas the Phoenix prepares for travel season

In the world of admissions, “fall” means “travel.” From August to November, a silence falls upon the halls of the Admissions Office as we all hit the road or take to the air in pursuit of future Swatties. Our travels take us all over the US and all over the world to meet with prospective students. Just this past year, we met over 3,200 students. Planes, trains, and cars take us from Portland to Paris, New York to New Orleans, or Indianapolis to Istanbul!

Phineas the Phoenix visits Appleby College in Canada where Guy McLean '70 is principal

As exciting as it is to travel and see new places, our schedules are jam-packed. We begin our mornings early with breakfast meetings with guidance counselors or early morning school visits. We then go from school to school, meeting with classrooms filled with students and guidance counselors. During these school visits, we talk to students, principals, counselors, and parents about all things Swarthmore – everything from academics and admissions information to what’s new on campus.

Phineas the Phoenix shares a picture of our outdoor amphitheater with students at a college fair in Brussels, Belgium

College fairs are also a big part of travel season. College fairs not only allow students to learn about many, many different universities and colleges all in one room, but they also give us the opportunity to meet with hundreds of students over the course of just a few hours.

This year was my first time traveling abroad for the college, and it was a truly amazing experience! While I loved getting to meet all sorts of interesting students and families, all while taking in the sights and sounds of the different cities, my favorite part was that I kept running into Swatties wherever I went! Even as a Swarthmore graduate, I didn’t realize how far reaching the Swarthmore network is! It was so nice to catch up with current Swatties studying abroad in London, to chat with an alum in a Parisian café, or to hear from classmates of mine living in Brussels and Istanbul.

Though admissions and recruitment travel can be a whirlwind, running from place to place without much time to stop and smell the roses, the real value is in understanding where students are coming from, which helps us when we read applications. At Swarthmore, a student’s context is an important part of the process – we try our best to understand exactly where the student is coming from, what opportunities he/she has had, and what his/her life is like. We look at all of this to help us understand if Swarthmore is a good fit for the student. By traveling, we get to see this firsthand and gain a more complete understanding of our applicants. It’s also nice for us to put a face to the name on the application.

Look for us on the road next fall! We’re coming to a city near you! In the meantime, here are some pictures from this year’s travel season. We never leave Swarthmore without our faithful travel companion, Phineas the Phoenix, at our side.

Phineas calling all Swatties in London, UK

David Thompson and Phineas hitting the road on their way to a school in Pittsburgh, PA

Phineas visits Sultanahmet Camii (Blue Mosque) in Istanbul, Turkey

Phineas pays a visit to the Washington Monument in D.C.

Joanna Weinland and Phineas in New Orleans, LA

Phineas at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France

Ruby Bhattacharya '11 and Phineas headed to Hogwarts from Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station in London, UK

Phineas visits Cupertino, CA, the heart of Silicon Valley

Phineas relaxes by Lake Geneva in Switzerland

Phineas enjoys a Lobster Roll in Portland, ME

Phineas visits La Grand-Place in Brussels, Belgium

Phineas taking in some culture at the Louvre in Paris, France