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<p>I wasn’t commenting on Chicago as much as Swarthmore. I don’t know of any research university that is even in the same ballpark with Swarthmore on those issues. The give and take between the faculty/staff and the students at Swarthmore – and I mean average students, not just the superstars – is amazing. I think that the shared purpose and community of the students, faculty, and administration is probably Swarthmore’s most distinctive feature, sometimes overshadowed by the reputation for demanding academics. </p>
<p>UChicago is seldom described as being “warm and fuzzy”, but my impression is that it probably has an OK community for an urban university.</p>
<p>On Geology. I don’t see any evidence that Swarthmore offers it. I think that, technically, you can major at Bryn Mawr, but as a practical matter…it would be a massive pain in the butt. Taking a couple of courses is one thing, but doing your major off-campus wouldn’t be ideal.</p>
<p>Swat does offer an interdisciplinary Environmental Studies major that includes at least one Geology course at Bryn Mawr as an option.</p>