<p>I’m a freshman this year at Swarthmore, and if you are coming here for economics you will definitely be more than satisfied. The department gets raving reviews, and from what I’ve heard you can opt for more or less difficult pathways through it, depending on how much work and stress you are willing to take on.</p>
<p>More interesting, though, is the question of whether you can feel comfortable as a non-liberal on this campus. I am a very, very strong liberal personally (and, ironically, first found out about the college through a very conservative friend who felt it would be a horrible fit for her for this reason, and likewise a great fit for me). However, politics are not overtly discussed all that often. It is true that most professors are liberal, and aren’t afraid to make this obvious in class. However, student newspapers like the Phoenix and the Gazette have conducted polls to demonstrate that the student body is not ENTIRELY liberal by any means.</p>
<p>Regarding political discussion, I would suggest researching what has been one of the biggest controversies this year so far, regarding one freshman student’s attempt to start a conservative group on campus under the name YAF. The controversy ultimately cooled down with an open circle forum on race, political openness and discrimination, and free speech which I myself attended. </p>
<p>Conservatives are outnumbered here. But if you are respectful, students will respect you. Personally, I came here looking for diversity, and that includes diversity of political beliefs.</p>