<p>I’m sorry, but could we please limit this conversation to SWARTHMORE STUDENTS AND ALUM ONLY?? I know some parents would like to believe that they got the best for their tuition buck, or that their child deserved much better, but the real experts on this subject are those who have ACTUALLY EXPERIENCED Swarthmore College, and not people who reference the statistics/facts/menus/policies posted on various websites. </p>
<p>Also, I find the parents who basically brag about how well their child has done at Swarthmore (and therefore implicate that other students’ troubles must be a result of their personal failures) to be incredibly insulting. Has it occurred to you that your child might have had certain advantages that others have not, including socio-economic status (not all of our parents are professors, doctors, or lawyers that bring in lots cultural capital and disposable income) or even the advantage of being a local (those who live closer by tend to obtain higher GPAs) or simply got slightly luckier than others (which ultimately manifests itself as a higher grade)?</p>
<p>Please stop making excuses for an institution whose failures students are exposing and therefore initiating a process that may indeed lead to positive change. For example, a Student Union does not exist for Swarthmore, and a lot of criticism needs to begin before it does. Not to mention the high school senior looking for his best fit needs to know the CONS of Swarthmore College (a topic that this thread is exclusively dedicated towards!).</p>