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<p>Again, having watched Swarthmore for five years now, the fixation both you and your parents have with GPA is not the way I would recommend gearing up. IMO, setting rigid GPA goals is the absolute worst approach to take when preparing for an academic experience that is unlike anything you’ve seen in high school. The school is trying to send you that message with the pass/fail first semester. But, I can only offer my somewhat informed opinion.</p>
<p>Here’s my concern as a parent. What if you really do struggle in a couple of courses freshman year? It happens. My daughter’s GPA would have passed your parents’ full-pay threshold after her first and second years (after which I quit asking), but I can tell you she was feeling the college adjustment her first semester when she got back her adv. calc mid-term. She didn’t need the additional heat of a threat hanging over her head, given that she was working her butt off in that course and doing just fine in other courses.</p>
<p>I’m a hardass when it comes to parents not funding college kids who aren’t making the effort. But, I think parents need the flexibility to respond appropriately. A kid struggling with a course despite a massive effort is different from a kid partying like the town drunk and blowing off classes. I’m not wild about a rigid, limiting approach going into this particular college.</p>
<p>PS: You actually sound like the kind of kid who gets so into things of interest that you are likely to end up with a very high GPA at Swarthmore. The real secret to college is to study things that you find interesting.</p>