Swarthmore vs Amherst (help an admitted student pick!)

[merc81]

These posts include a few brief comments:

NESCAC Spoken Here:

These comments, which span six NESCAC schools, plus two additional LACs, were first posted on CC in 2020:

And

Differences between top east-coast LACs? (Williams, Amherst, Swarthmore, Bowdoin, Middlebury, etc.)

Bates: Egalitarian founding principles still appear in student culture. Colby: Classic LAC size. New president has added dynamism. Winter cold suitable for the adventurous. Colgate: Beautiful campus, charming small village. Beyond its popular social sciences programs, offers interesting course choices in natural sciences and humanities. Vassar: English major and fine arts veneer laid over a generally intellectual liberal arts college. New science building supports continuing academic ambitions. Haverford: Egalitarian through both history and current culture. Bi-college arrangement adds academic breadth, but collective gender imbalance potentially creates uneven social relationships. Williams: Intellectually capable students. Noteworthy athletic presence. Excellent for visual arts. Mountains form backdrop that impressed Thoreau. Swarthmore: Disproportionately brilliant students appear to have chosen their school for authentic reasons. Lacks academic range to an extent (e.g., no ge…