<p>a) On course selection, I would just focus on the first year for now. Specifically, make a list of the pre-reqs for two or three or four departments you are considering for a major and try to preserve as many of those options as possible with your first year classes. Also, it’s a good idea to have a list of a half-dozen or so classes you think you might want to take “sometime”. These can be very handy if you get lotteried out of a class.</p>
<p>When it comes time to select a major, you write a “sophmore paper” which outlines the course of study you intend to pursue for your major. This would be the point in time that you switch advisors to someone in your department (if you haven’t already) and work out the timing of course offerings and stuff.</p>
<p>b) On Penn: I don’t see why they wouldn’t let you take a language course, but I don’t think I’d recommend it fall semester first year. That really is a time to get your feet on the ground and running at Swarthmore, IMO. I feel the same way about not signing up for extra courses fall-semester. Give yourself a chance to get acclimated.</p>
<p>c) On community service grants: There are several categories. The Philips Evans Scholars automatically receive funding for a project each summer and these often involve overseas travel. For example, one Evans scholar is spending the summer in Africa. </p>
<p>There are Lang Scholar grants that are relatively large grants awarded to students starting community service projects. There are not available to rising sophmores as far as I know.</p>
<p>There are Summer of Service grants available to rising sophmores and they can be used for work in existing programs, subject to certain restrictions. I don’t know the details, but I don’t think these grants can be used to fund a “stipend” (although separate work-study funds may be available for that). I would guess that your India idea would be the kind of thing these Summer of Service grants would support. Pat James or Debra Kardon-Brown at the Lang Center (in the train station) can walk you through these various options.</p>