<p>Well, Swat and Middlebury have different atmospheres, so if I were you I would make that the number one determining factor, not what people do over break.</p>
<p>Swarthmore has a very popular externship program where students get matched up with alums in a requested field for the last week of winter break in one of a number of cities (I think it is NY, Philly DC, Boston or SF, but I might be wrong) and are provided housing. I know people who externed at major law firms, schools, senator’s office, labor union, art galleries, major science museums, etc, and then got summer internships there. Over the summer break, in many fields (but especially the hard sciences) it is easy to get a job doing research with swat, these jobs, I believe are pretty well paid. In addition, there are grants from swat to pursue unpaid internships over the
summer - mostly in the fields of public services or the arts, but possibly in other feilds as well. </p>
<p>I think Swat’s financial and logistical support of students’ break time activities makes it stand out from among other colleges, and is the area outside o financial aid where, for me, Swarthmore’s endowment most directly impacted my college experience.</p>