swarthmore a good fit?

fhimas88888888
Sat, 24 Jan 2009 19:50:38 +0000

Grades are important at Swarthmore. We can talk all we want about learning for the sake of learning, but students care about their grades. There is a very fine balance between doing what’s necessary to get the grade and following one’s passion. Students are very passionate about what they do, but they’re not the kind that can necessarily bear getting Cs while ‘learning for the sake of learning.’

Although students assuage disappointment about a low grade with thoughts like, “well, at least I learned a lot,” students strive to get the highest grades they can during the semester because, although evaluation doesn’t always reflect how well a student has mastered material, grades are usually good indicator of performance. Students do care about grades at Swarthmore. It may not be as cutthroat as other schools, but don’t think that Swatties don’t care about grades. Most of us, like other usual college students, have post-graduate plans that demand solid performance.

Of course, we find time for fun, but if you don’t enjoy your course of study, Swarthmore’s probably not the place for you. Although the stereotypes of liberal arts students are sometimes true (reading Kant on Parrish beach), Swarthmore is just as legitimate as a top university and is, more often than not, much, much more demanding.